Microsoft licensing and cost optimization, without guesswork
CTEKS reviews what you pay for across Microsoft 365 and Azure, removes waste and matches licenses to what your people need. We do not promise a specific saving.
Free remote IT & security assessment
Know where your risks are before they become outages.
- Network, backup and security review
- Plain-English report, prioritized fixes
- Target response within one business day
Pay for what you use, and use what you pay for
Licenses pile up over time. We review them against real usage and your security needs.
License assessment
We review assigned licenses, plans, add-ons and usage across your Microsoft 365 tenant.
Right-sizing
Match each user to the plan they actually need, instead of one plan for everyone.
Duplicate and unused licenses
Find licenses assigned to former staff, shared mailboxes or overlapping products.
Plan guidance
Business Premium, E3 and E5 compared against your security, compliance and feature needs.
Exchange and add-ons
Exchange licensing and add-ons reviewed so you do not pay twice for the same capability.
Azure spend reviews
Review Azure resources, sizing and reservations, then set up ongoing cost reporting.
What a licensing review can cover
- Microsoft 365 license inventory
- Usage and sign-in review
- Right-sizing recommendations
- Duplicate and unused license cleanup
- Business Premium, E3 and E5 guidance
- Exchange licensing review
- Add-on and security license review
- Azure spend review
- Azure sizing and reservation guidance
- Cost reporting and alerts
- License lifecycle for new and departing users
- Ongoing optimization reviews
How the work runs
A predictable process with written scope and a plan before any change.
Inventory
We pull license assignments, plans and usage data from your tenant and Azure subscriptions.
Analyze
We compare what you pay for with what is used and what your security needs require.
Recommend
You get a written report with options, trade-offs and the effect on features and security.
Implement
We make approved changes and set up a process for new and departing users.
Review
We revisit licensing and spend on a regular schedule so waste does not return.
About pricing and savings
Microsoft sets license pricing, terms and eligibility, and these change over time. Results vary by environment, so we do not promise a percentage or dollar saving. We focus on removing waste and avoiding gaps that would weaken security or leave users without tools they need.
Related services and the Microsoft hub
We keep each page focused. These pages cover the neighboring topics in more depth.
Why businesses choose CTEKS
Practical IT help from a team that has served Chicagoland and beyond since 2002.
Security-first
Secure defaults, least-privilege access and documented configuration on everything we manage.
One team to call
Planning, deployment and support come from the same team, so nothing falls between vendors.
Built around you
Sized for your users, locations and budget, not a generic template.
Proactive, not reactive
Monitoring, patching and regular reviews catch issues before they become outages.
Common questions
Can you help reduce our Microsoft licensing costs?
Often, by removing unused licenses and matching plans to real needs. Savings vary, and we cannot promise a specific amount.
Do we need Microsoft 365 E3 or E5?
Many businesses do well on Business Premium. We compare plans against your security, compliance and feature requirements.
How do you find unused licenses?
We review assignments and sign-in activity in your tenant and flag accounts that look inactive for your approval.
Can you review our Azure bill?
Yes. We look at resource sizing, idle resources and reservation options, then set up ongoing reporting.
Do you resell Microsoft licenses?
Please ask us. Licensing arrangements are confirmed during scoping, and pricing is set by Microsoft or the licensing channel.
Get your free remote IT & security assessment
Find out where your risks are before they become outages.
- Network, backup and security health check
- Plain-English report with a priority list
- Written quote if you want our help
Prefer to talk? (847) 200-3666
Request your free remote assessment
Prefer to pick a time? Pick a time for a 30 minute Microsoft Teams discovery call. No obligation.
