Cut Your Microsoft 365
& Azure Costs
Microsoft 365 licences and Azure consumption are two of the easiest places for organisations to overspend. Our free SCOUT review shows where you are paying for unused licences, zombie accounts and duplicated functionality, and recommends practical savings. If you like what you see, we hope to work together.
- The initial review is free of charge
- Microsoft 365 and Azure
- A short, ranked list of savings
- Read-only access, nothing changed
Spot the zombies on your licence list
On paper, everyone here looks fine. Pick what to check for.
Unused and underused licences you could remove or downgrade, moving users to the right licence tier.
A zombie account is a user account that is still active and licensed but no longer used, often belonging to someone who has left. It wastes a paid licence and is a security risk, because unused accounts are an easy target for attackers.
Duplicated functionality you are paying for twice, such as third-party tools that duplicate features you already pay for in Microsoft 365.
- Sales
- FinanceNot used
- Ops
- ReceptionHas left
- Projects
- AccountsPaying ×2
- SalesNot used
- Support
- HRPaying ×2
- Finance
- SalesHas left
- Ops
- Director
- ProjectsNot used
- Admin
- SalesPaying ×2
- Accounts
- Support
- OpsHas left
- Sales
- FinanceNot used
- Admin
- Projects
- Support
An example licence list, not a real client.
What a SCOUT review covers
SCOUT uses AI-driven insights to show where your Microsoft investment is working and where it isn’t, all in clear, easy-to-read dashboards.
Microsoft 365
Licences, productivity and identity security
- Unused and underused licences you could remove or downgrade
- Zombie accounts, such as leavers who are still licensed
- Duplicated functionality you are paying for twice
- How staff use apps, Teams collaboration and call quality
- Identity security gaps and recommendations
of a typical Microsoft 365 bill pays for more than the team uses. Figure from the supplier of the SCOUT platform.
Microsoft Azure
Cost, security and resource management
- Consumption review across your Azure subscriptions
- Right-sizing and idle or over-provisioned resources
- Tagging and cost allocation by team or project
- Security and governance recommendations
- Clear forecasts to keep spend under control
We estimate Azure spend can be reduced by up to 30% for some organisations, depending on your current setup.
SCOUT reviews Microsoft 365 and Azure only. For phone and broadband costs, see business phone systems.
How SCOUT helps you save money
See where your money goes
Simple reports show what you spend on Microsoft 365 and Azure, who uses what, and what to expect next quarter. No jargon and no spreadsheets to build.
Costs that match your teams
SCOUT labels your cloud spend by team and project, so the bill reads the way your business is organised.
- Sales
- Finance
- Operations
- Project A
A short list of savings
You get specific, ranked suggestions. Each one says what to change and roughly what it will save.
- 1stRemove unused licences£££
- 2ndReclaim licences from leavers£££
- 3rdMove users to the right licence££
- 4thRight-size an oversized server££
- 5thCut a tool you already have£
An example of the order. Each suggestion in yours says what to change and roughly what it will save.
Stop paying for what you don’t use
We find unused licences, old accounts and servers that are bigger than you need, then trim them down.
Cheaper and safer together
Every check follows Microsoft’s Zero Trust approach: who can sign in, what they can reach, and how your security score is improving.
- Who can sign in
- What they can reach
- Your security score
Tidy user accounts
We keep staff accounts and licences in order, flag leavers who still have access, and track changes as people join and move.
- Joins
- Moves
- LeavesStill has access?
What is SCOUT?
We use an AI-powered platform to help organisations optimise cost, security, and resource management within Microsoft 365 and Azure environments. Where other cost optimisation tools, such as Microsoft Cost Management, allow surface-level monitoring and optimisation, our platform takes it to the next level with in-depth governance, cost management, admin logs, tagging and cost allocation.
What are the benefits?
Reduce Microsoft Spend
On average, our software will reduce your annual expenditure. For example, we estimate saving Azure spend by up to 30%. This is achieved through an AI-powered understanding of usage and expenditure to regain control over cloud resources and their costs.
Gain Clarity on Microsoft Billing
The software analytics and reporting capabilities can help you identify duplicate functionality and associated costs in your Microsoft environments. These insights can enable you to reduce your expenditure or assign these costs to improving your security posture.
Follow Best Practices
By asking the right questions about resilience, security, usage optimisation, and cost, we can help your business get the most out of your Microsoft investment. These best practices will not only reduce costs and improve security but also reduce churn.
Improve Security Posture
We can help you identify gaps in your security posture without requiring multiple third-party solutions. The AI-powered recommendations will indicate which applications should be replaced and highlight potential cost savings.
Yes. The initial review is free of charge.
- Microsoft 365 review£0.00
- Azure review£0.00
- Zombie hunt£0.00
- Short list of savings£0.00
If you like what you see, we hope to work together.
- Step 1We look through your setup
Using read-only access, so nothing is changed.
- Step 2We show you where the savings are
A short list, with what to change and roughly what it will save.
- Step 3You decide
If you like what you see, we hope to work together on putting them in place.
Interested in saving money?
We show you where the savings are, and if you like what you see, we hope to work together on putting them in place.
Get my free SCOUT reviewPrefer to talk? 01444 871200
Microsoft 365 and Azure savings FAQs
What is SCOUT?
SCOUT is an AI-driven platform that gives organisations the insights they need to get the most value from Microsoft 365 and Azure. It covers licence optimisation, productivity, identity security and Azure cost and resource management, all shown in straightforward dashboards.
How can we reduce our Microsoft 365 licence costs?
The biggest savings usually come from removing unused licences, reclaiming licences from zombie accounts (such as staff who have left), moving users to the right licence tier, and cutting third-party tools that duplicate features you already pay for in Microsoft 365. SCOUT identifies each of these for you.
What is a zombie account in Microsoft 365?
A zombie account is a user account that is still active and licensed but no longer used, often belonging to someone who has left. It wastes a paid licence and is a security risk, because unused accounts are an easy target for attackers.
Can you reduce our Azure costs?
Yes. We review your Azure consumption and recommend changes such as right-sizing or removing idle resources, better tagging and cost allocation, and governance to prevent sprawl. We estimate Azure spend can be reduced by up to 30% for some organisations, depending on your current setup.
Is the SCOUT review free?
Yes. The initial review is free of charge. We show you where the savings are, and if you like what you see, we hope to work together on putting them in place.
Does SCOUT review phone or broadband costs?
No. SCOUT focuses on Microsoft 365 and Azure. If you would like us to look at phone or broadband costs, see our business phone systems and connectivity services.
Microsoft 365 and Azure are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.