
For years, Microsoft Premier Support was the benchmark in enterprise IT support. It meant access to engineers who knew your systems, SLAs you could count on, and a true sense of partnership. Premier Support wasn’t just support—it was a strategic advantage.
However, when Microsoft Unified Support appeared, the landscape of Microsoft Support changed.
After transitioning to Unified Support, many organizations noticed an immediate shift: higher costs, fewer tailored options, and less predictability. For tech teams around the world, the new model started feeling like it served Microsoft more than it served customers. Many enterprise software users still feel that way.
The good news? You’re not locked in.
This post is for organizations looking to bring back that gold standard in Microsoft support. We’ll walk through what changed, what alternatives exist, and how providers like US Cloud are helping IT departments regain control—delivering better service at lower cost.
Here’s the main hurdle: many Unified support contracts expire on June 30th. You need to make sure you’re in the race well before that deadline hits.
The Unified Support model presents some key changes and business implications for teams under an Enterprise Agreement (EA) with Microsoft. Now, through Unified Support, pricing is typically tied to your total Microsoft spend. That means the more you invest in Microsoft technologies, the more you pay for support.
In other words, what once was a value-driven, needs-focused agreement has become a percentage-based cost increase. For many enterprises, this pricing shift created significant and unexpected budgetary strain.
Here are some other pain points that drive businesses to search for support alternatives:
Not only are you not locked in to support directly from the OEM to ensure that your Microsoft systems stay operational, but there are also multiple key players to consider for enterprise-grade Microsoft support that meets your unique needs.
Third-Party Support Alternatives are independent companies focused solely on Microsoft support. US Cloud is a leading example—trusted by clients in over 30 countries and more than 50 of the Fortune 500.
Some managed service providers (MSPs) or consultants offer support as part of their licensing or product package. These can be helpful, but support is often just one slice of each company’s broader offering.
With these two options in mind (third-party support or MSPs), let’s look at how these options can help your team dial in on Microsoft support the way it was meant to be.
Third-party support contracts are based on your actual support needs—not your Microsoft spend. That means stable budgeting and no surprise renewals. Furthermore, companies like US Cloud provide customers with a “rate-lock” option, preventing unexpected price increases.
When your systems are well-supported by engineers who are responsive and knowledgeable, your teams perform better. Proactive support reduces downtime and maximizes performance across your Microsoft stack.
Engineers who respond to a submitted ticket faster can resolve a Microsoft issue sooner. Instead of waiting for an initial response for hours (or even days), US Cloud customers are guaranteed a ticket response within 15 minutes or less.
Premier Support was about building and maintaining relationships around Microsoft systems. US Cloud revives that by assigning technical account managers (TAMs) and technical leads who know your business.
Need more coverage during peak season? Want different support levels for different apps? You’ve got options—because third-party providers aren’t locked into rigid service tiers. With US Cloud, customers can purchase only the hours they need to keep their mission-critical systems running.
So what should you look for in a Microsoft Premier Support alternative? In this section, we cover the due diligence you’ll need to know to select the choice that best suits your team’s needs. Use this guide to help you evaluate and transition to your new gold-standard Microsoft support option.
While shopping for the Microsoft support alternative that will most closely resemble Premier Support, look for the features below.
The gold standard of Microsoft support didn’t disappear—it just moved.
By choosing the right alternative provider, organizations can reintroduce the qualities they once valued most: deep expertise, faster response, meaningful relationships, and predictable pricing.
US Cloud is proud to be the global leader in Microsoft third-party support. We help enterprises bring sanity and strategy back to their support experience.
Before Microsoft makes a support choice for you during your Enterprise Agreement negotiations, get a free quote from US Cloud. It could be the tool you need to right-size your support service and costs—even if you stick with Microsoft Unified.
Book a call with US Cloud to get your quote started—before your Microsoft contracts expire on June 30th (or sooner).
Great question—and one we hear often. While we’re independent from Microsoft, we maintain Premier-level escalation privileges through a Microsoft Partner relationship. That means when an issue truly requires Microsoft’s direct intervention (e.g., a product bug or fix only Microsoft can issue), we can escalate on your behalf just like an internal Microsoft team would.
Onboarding usually takes 2–4 weeks, depending on your environment’s size and complexity. We start with a discovery session, align on your key systems and business goals, and assign your named support team. Many clients choose a phased transition to minimize risk. A dedicated engineer will guide you every step of the way.
Yes, and this is one of the biggest reasons clients come to us. Our team includes seasoned Microsoft engineers who support legacy systems like Windows Server 2008/2012, Exchange 2010, SharePoint 2013, and others that Unified Support deprioritizes or excludes. If it’s still running in your environment, we can typically support it—even customized deployments.
Yes. Our SLAs are 4x faster than Microsoft Unified Support, and we meet or exceed them 99.9% of the time. Our average response time for critical tickets is under 15 minutes. No waiting for callbacks. No being bounced between teams. You get direct access to named engineers who know your environment and are accountable for resolution.