Late last year, Microsoft announced it’s transitioning all existing technical support plans into what it calls a Unified Support plan. According to Microsoft, this move – effective July 2018 – will make it easier for enterprises to pick three levels of support without having to tally up their available problem resolution or reactive support hours. The available tiers of support include:

• Core: Affordable access to problem resolution
• Advanced: A balance of reactive and preventative support
• Performance: Personalized support with the fastest response times and a service level agreement

Microsoft is hoping that by transitioning to this model, it will streamline billing and have companies breathe a sigh of relief that they no longer need to worry about whether they are running out of hours during a particular time period. Less a la carte, more unlimited buffet.

But what does that unlimited buffet come with? According to early reports from client companies, it will come with a hefty price tag. When Microsoft switches over to Unified Support, companies on average can expect a 25 to 30 percent price increase. In our conversations with our customers around the world, the reality is that the price increase will be as high as 35 percent or more.

As with other Microsoft online services, the company is charging you based on consumption. Costs will be based on your overall consumption of Microsoft online services as estimated in the prior year, even if you canceled services. The new Unified Support costs will also be tied to your Software Assurance payments, an annual cost you pay guaranteeing you receive software upgrades for the next major release along with some educational perks. It’s generally considered to have a separate purpose from getting support from Microsoft, but in the new Unified Support world it will all be mixed together.

Generally speaking, if you’re paying about 7 percent of your annual Software Assurance cost for Premier Support today, your support costs will rise by 30 percent. If you pay more than 10 percent of your annual Software Assurance cost for Premier Support, you’ll see a decrease in cost for Unified Support. If the math is making your head spin, think of it this way: Overall, the money Microsoft is charging for support in addition to Software Assurance maintenance will bring the company well above the 18 to 25 percent industry average for maintenance and support.

If you think that you could use Unified Support for one area of your business and not for another, think again. If you use Microsoft online services, you must implement Unified Support across your entire organization. There is no wiggle room, no ability to customize based on your specific business needs.

It’d be one thing if enterprises were generally happy with Microsoft support, but many companies we speak with stay out of fear. They accept the slow, confusing support they receive from Microsoft because they believe they cannot put their jobs on the line to go with a third-party enterprise support provider. They think the train already left the station, and they need to just hang on for the ride.

The good news is that for what many consider to be a new “Microsoft Tax,” there is a way out. US Cloud™ got its start helping companies outsource their IT administration in 1996, when SharePoint was just a project code-named Tahoe. Since then, US Cloud has been the first to host every version of SharePoint in the cloud.

Along our two decade journey, we’ve built up a significant knowledge base in managing virtually the entire Microsoft stack for clients around the world. US Cloud can help you break the vicious cycle of navigating the complex and frustrating world of Microsoft support.

US Cloud is your viable Microsoft support alternative, offering you:

• 30-60 percent cost savings – Only purchase the support you need and don’t pay extra for support on products you don’t use
• 5x faster response – Microsoft Premier Support average response times hover around 30 minutes. Is that fast enough if your issue is business critical? US Cloud will respond to your ticket in 6 minutes, about the time it will take you to get that next cup of coffee.
• USA-based support – You won’t be transferred to an outsourced call center overseas, and even if you’re outside the US you will still enjoy the same rapid response time you’ll never get from Microsoft.
• Hours that never expire – Don’t worry about trying to keep track of support hours you’ve used, ones that remain, or if they’re about to go away. Your support hours never expire with us, and since you’re only paying for the support you need, it allows you to make a smarter financial decision for your business without sacrificing quality.
• Two decades of Microsoft experience – US Cloud is a Microsoft Certified Partner and Cloud Solution Provider, meaning we are certified experts in the ins and outs of Microsoft technologies. Our track record speaks for itself: 61,000 tickets were resolved with less than 1 percent escalated to Microsoft. In the rare case we do need to escalate your case to Microsoft, our experience means we provide you with a white glove service that ensures you’re completely supported every step of the way through to resolution.
• Differentiated customer experience from your first call – You will only have to explain your issue once. We won’t make you repeat your issue over and over again when we transfer you to the right experts to solve your issue. We know how frustrating that can be, and our only goal is your complete satisfaction.
• Billing on your terms – Microsoft makes you pay according to what works for Microsoft. US Cloud offers you subscription billing and installment options to meet your specific needs.

So what are you waiting for? We offer our Microsoft support customers risk-free trials because we’re that confident once you get a taste of the US Cloud Microsoft Support experience, you’ll never go back. Contact us today to get more information on how we can help you maximize your use of Microsoft online services.