Most Perth businesses end up on the wrong Microsoft 365 plan — either overpaying for features they never use, or on a plan missing the security controls their business actually needs. This guide cuts through the marketing to explain what each tier genuinely offers, who it suits, and what to watch out for before you commit.
Microsoft offers four 365 Business plans, but three cover the vast majority of Perth SMEs. Here's how they compare at a glance:
| Plan | AUD/user/month | Office Apps | Exchange / Teams | Advanced Security |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Basic | ~$7.90 | Web & mobile only | ✓ | ✗ |
| Business Standard | ~$17.20 | Desktop + web + mobile | ✓ | Partial |
| Business Premium | ~$28.10 | Desktop + web + mobile | ✓ | Full (Intune, Defender) |
Pricing note: Microsoft 365 prices in Australia increased in January 2025. Confirm current AUD pricing with your Microsoft partner — CSP (Cloud Solution Provider) resellers often offer better commercial terms than buying direct.
Business Basic is the cheapest plan, but it's often misunderstood. It gives you the full cloud suite — Exchange email, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive — just without desktop Office apps. Staff access Word, Excel, and PowerPoint through a browser.
This works well for:
Where it falls short: if your team works in Excel spreadsheets daily, processes complex Word documents, or needs PowerPoint for presentations — the web apps are noticeably limited. Missing features include co-authoring in complex files, macro support, and some formatting options.
Business Standard adds desktop Office installs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Publisher) across five devices per user. For most Perth businesses — professional services, accounting, medical, retail, trades — this is the right baseline.
Security gap to be aware of: Standard does not include Intune device management, Defender for Business, or Azure AD P1/P2. For businesses handling sensitive client data, healthcare records, or financial information, Standard alone is not a complete security posture — you'll need to layer additional controls on top.
Premium bundles everything in Standard plus Microsoft's enterprise security stack aimed at SMBs. For regulated industries and businesses with remote workers, it's increasingly hard to justify not having Premium.
Essential Eight alignment: Microsoft 365 Business Premium directly supports seven of the eight ACSC Essential Eight controls. For Perth businesses that tender for government contracts or work in healthcare, Premium is often the minimum required to demonstrate a credible security posture.
| Business Type | Recommended Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Trades / construction | Basic or Standard | Browser-based job management tools; limited Office dependency |
| Professional services (legal, accounting) | Standard or Premium | Heavy Office use; Premium if handling sensitive client data |
| Healthcare / allied health | Premium | Patient data obligations; conditional access required |
| Finance / insurance | Premium | ASIC and APRA expectations; audit trails required |
| Government supplier / contractor | Premium | Essential Eight and ISM alignment often required |
| Retail (front of house) | Basic (kiosk) | Email and Teams only; no desktop app need |
Putting "power users" on Premium but finance and HR on Basic creates uneven security coverage. The weakest account is usually where breaches start. If you're investing in Premium for security, apply it consistently to all staff with access to sensitive systems.
Many Perth businesses paying for Business Premium never switch on Intune or Defender — they're paying for the security stack but using it like Basic. These features require configuration, not just a licence. A Microsoft partner should handle the initial setup and policy baseline.
Purchasing directly from Microsoft's website or through retail channels means paying list price with no support. A Microsoft CSP partner can provide the same licences with better commercial terms, bundled support, and migration assistance included.
All 365 plans include Exchange Online Protection (EOP) for email filtering, but the default settings are not hardened. DMARC, DKIM, and SPF need to be configured correctly for your domain — this is a basic step that many Perth businesses skip, making them easy targets for email spoofing.
If you're moving from Google Workspace, on-premises Exchange, or POP3/IMAP email to Microsoft 365, a proper migration involves:
A 10-user business can typically migrate cleanly in 1–2 days of planned work. 50+ users requires more planning, especially if migrating on-premises Active Directory to Azure AD.
Spectrum IT Services is a Perth-based Microsoft partner. We'll review your current setup and recommend the right plan — no upsell pressure, just honest advice.
Get Free Advice Call 0431 882 201Yes. Microsoft 365 allows mixed licences in the same tenant. You can assign Premium to staff handling sensitive data and Basic to kiosk or secondary accounts. The caveat: ensure Conditional Access policies account for the lower-security accounts appropriately.
Not by default. Teams Phone (formerly Phone System) requires an additional add-on licence plus a Calling Plan or operator connect arrangement. If you want to replace your phone system with Teams, budget for Teams Phone licences separately.
Microsoft operates Australian data centres in New South Wales and Victoria. For Exchange, SharePoint, and OneDrive, Australian-based tenants have data residency in Australia. Some workloads (e.g., certain AI features) may still use other regions — check the Trust Centre for current data residency commitments.
Office 365 was the previous brand name. Microsoft 365 (formerly M365) is the current name. Microsoft 365 Business plans include the same Office applications plus additional security and management features depending on the tier.
Last updated: April 2026. Pricing in AUD approximate — confirm current rates with your Microsoft CSP partner. Spectrum IT Services, Perth WA.