365 business premium is the right choice for your SME

is Microsoft 365 Business Premium the answer? ABsolutley!

Most businesses start their Microsoft 365 journey with Business Standard. It’s a solid productivity suite with email, Office apps, Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. But as cyber threats grow and hybrid work becomes the norm, many organisations quickly realise they need more than “the basics.”

That’s why we recommend Microsoft 365 Business Premium for small businesses. It delivers everything in Business Standard, plus the advanced security and device management capabilities modern businesses can’t afford to overlook.

As an MSP, we see firsthand where organisations are exposed, and Business Premium closes those gaps nicely.

🔐 Enterprise‑Grade Security Without the Enterprise Price

Business Standard gives you productivity. Business Premium gives you productivity + protection.

With Business Premium, you get:

• Microsoft Defender for Business
  Endpoint protection with threat detection, automated investigation, and response.

• Defender for Office 365 (Plan 1)
  Stops phishing, malicious attachments, and unsafe links before they reach your users.

• Conditional Access
  Enforce rules like blocking risky sign‑ins or requiring MFA on unmanaged devices.

• Azure AD Premium P1
  Identity governance, self‑service password reset with writeback, and granular access control.

Why we recommend it:
SME’s are now the primary target for cyberattacks. Business Premium gives you the same level of protection used by large enterprises, but at a small‑business‑friendly cost.

💻 Full Device Management With Intune

Business Standard includes no device management. Business Premium unlocks Microsoft Intune, giving us and you complete control over your devices.

With Intune, we can:

• Enforce security baselines (BitLocker, firewall, antivirus, updates)

• Deploy and update apps automatically

• Wipe or lock lost/stolen devices

• Separate work and personal data on BYOD devices

• Ensure every device meets compliance before accessing company data

Why it matters:
Your staff work from offices, homes, cafés, airports and often on personal devices. Intune ensures your data stays protected wherever work happens.

🛡️ Advanced Data Protection & Compliance

Business Premium includes tools that help protect sensitive data and support compliance requirements.

Key features include:

• Information Protection
  Classify and label sensitive data automatically.

• Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
  Prevent accidental sharing of confidential information.

• Exchange Online Archiving
  Additional mailbox storage and retention capabilities.

Why this matters to your business:
Whether you handle personal data, financial information, or intellectual property, Business Premium helps you stay compliant and avoid costly data leaks.

🧩 Better Control Over Apps, Access, and Shadow IT

As businesses adopt more cloud apps, controlling access becomes critical. Business Premium gives you the visibility and control you need.

You gain:

• App protection policies
  Prevent data leakage from mobile apps.

• Cloud App Discovery
  Identify shadow IT before it becomes a risk.

• Single Sign-On (SSO)
  One login for thousands of SaaS apps.

Why we care:
Unmanaged apps and unsecured access points are some of the biggest risks we see in SMB environments. Business Premium gives us the tools to secure them properly.

🏢 A Complete, Modern IT Foundation

When you add up the cost of separate tools like endpoint protection, email filtering, mobile device management, identity protection, Business Premium becomes the clear winner.

It consolidates everything into:

• One subscription

• One admin portal

• One predictable monthly cost

• One fully managed solution from your MSP

Business Standard is suitable for:

• Very small teams

• Businesses with minimal security needs

• Organisations without remote workers or unmanaged devices

Business Premium is ideal for:

• Any business with remote or hybrid staff

• Companies handling sensitive data

• Organisations wanting to reduce risk

• Teams needing stronger security and device control

• Businesses that want a fully managed, secure IT environment

🚀 Our Recommendation: Make Business Premium Your Default 365 Product

In today’s threat landscape, Business Standard simply doesn’t provide enough protection for most organisations. Business Premium delivers a secure, scalable, and modern environment, and when paired with our managed services, it becomes a powerful foundation for your entire business

Ready to explore 365 Business Premium?

If you’re reviewing your 365 licensing or would like to know more, get in touch with us today.

020 8770 0007 | info@s50.co.uk