How to buy Microsoft Dynamics 365
Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be purchased from either of Microsoft’s licensing programs. There are essentially two programs - Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) and Enterprise Agreement (EA).
Here are a few features of the two programs to help you choose one that best suits your requirements.
Advantage | Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) | Enterprise Agreement (EA) |
---|---|---|
Commitment | No commitment and the option to cancel at any time | Three-year agreement, with a minimum commitment of 500 user licenses |
Invoicing | Monthly (Lower initial investment) | Annually upfront for the full year including back-charges for users that were added |
Reduce user counts | Anytime (Flexibility to accommodate changing economic conditions and organizational needs) | Once per year with 30 days’ notice. Additionally, need to maintain a minimum of 500 users |
Support | 24×7 support from partner with priority access to escalated Microsoft Premier Support. Dedicated partner consultants with details of your account and environment. | Basic support from Microsoft. Additional cost for Premier Support. No dedicated team that understands your account and environment. |
Detailed Billing | Yes (Greater transparency) | No |
Flexible purchasing options
Microsoft Dynamics 365 breaks down its various ERP and CRM functionalities into applications. This gives you the flexibility to purchase them as and when you need them. To license core business applications (Sales, Customer Service, Field Service, Project Operations, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Commerce, and Human Resources), you have to purchase them as either a base license or as an attach license(s).
Essentially, the base license is the first application you purchase at the standard price, and the attach licenses are the additional applications that may be purchased after the base license, at a discounted attach price. When purchasing multiple core business applications, the first or base license must be the highest priced license for the user and every full user must have a base license. The table below gives you the pricing of both types of licenses: