Microsoft 365 Cloud Services Consulting — Setup Planning & Licensing
This consulting service helps organizations start using Microsoft 365 cloud services by providing guidance on implementation and use, recommendations on suitable products and licensing, and preparation of a cloud services implementation plan. It is a consulting engagement only and does not include direct setting or implementation of any service.
What this engagement is
IT Partner provides consulting for organizations planning to use Microsoft 365 cloud services. The engagement focuses on understanding the client’s goals and objectives, answering questions, preparing recommendations on what products might suit the client and how to best use them, and explaining licensing tailored to the client’s specific situation to help use the budget effectively. IT Partner can also discuss problems that may occur and ways to mitigate their impact on workflow. Service details: SKU ITPWW200CONOT; price $175 per hour; duration 1 week; manager Roman Sotnik; publication date 2019-06-20; products Office 365, microsoft 365; type Consulting.
Success criteria
What you receive
How the work unfolds
Kickoff and scope confirmation — confirm the engagement objectives, client stakeholders, meeting cadence, decision makers, expected outputs, and any known business or technical constraints.
Discovery and requirements gathering — collect information about the organization’s goals, current collaboration and productivity environment, Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licensing status, user groups, security or compliance considerations, and business priorities.
Current-state and readiness review — review the information provided by the client to identify key readiness considerations, dependencies, potential blockers, and areas that may require additional assessment before a future implementation.
Product and licensing guidance — map the client’s stated requirements to appropriate Microsoft cloud services and licensing options, with emphasis on practical adoption, budget efficiency, and avoiding unnecessary licensing overlap where possible.
Risk and mitigation planning — identify common implementation risks such as user impact, change management needs, identity dependencies, data migration complexity, security settings, vendor coordination, and business continuity considerations.
Implementation roadmap preparation — prepare a high-level cloud services implementation plan with recommended phases, workstreams, assumptions, prerequisites, dependencies, and suggested next actions.
Review and handoff — walk the client through the recommendations and implementation plan, answer questions, capture agreed refinements, and provide the final consulting deliverables for client approval.
Prerequisites
Who does what
IT Partner
- Consulting on the implementation and use of Microsoft cloud services
- Developing and preparation of the cloud services implementation plan
Your team
- Coordinate Client resources and staff schedules
- Provide a dedicated point of contact responsible for working with IT Partner
- Coordinate any outside vendor resources and schedules
- Review and approve engagement deliverables in a timely manner
What's not included
Limitations & technical notes
Frequently asked questions
What is included in IT Partner’s Cloud Services Setup and Implementation consulting service?
IT Partner’s Cloud Services Setup and Implementation service includes consulting on how an organization can start using Microsoft 365 cloud services. The engagement covers understanding goals and objectives, answering questions, recommending suitable Microsoft cloud products and licensing, and preparing a cloud services implementation plan.
Does this service include hands-on Microsoft 365 setup or implementation?
No, this service does not include direct setup, configuration, migration, or implementation of any Microsoft 365 service. It is a consulting engagement only, focused on guidance, recommendations, licensing advice, and preparation of an implementation plan.
What deliverables does IT Partner provide for this consulting engagement?
The stated deliverables are recommendations on which Microsoft cloud products may suit the client and how to use them, plus a cloud services implementation plan. These deliverables are intended to help the client understand options and plan adoption of Microsoft 365 cloud services.
Which Microsoft products does this service cover?
This service is associated with Office 365 and Microsoft 365 cloud services. IT Partner provides consulting on suitable products and licensing based on the client’s specific goals and situation.
How long does the Cloud Services Setup and Implementation consulting service take?
The listed duration for this consulting service is 1 week. Because the engagement is consulting-based, the exact schedule and meeting cadence should be coordinated with IT Partner and the client’s assigned point of contact.
How is pricing calculated for this service?
The listed price for this service is $175 per hour. Since the service is hourly consulting, prospective buyers should confirm the expected number of hours and total estimated cost with IT Partner before starting the engagement.
What happens during the consulting engagement?
During the engagement, IT Partner works to understand the client’s goals and objectives, answer Microsoft cloud service questions, discuss product and licensing options, and prepare recommendations. IT Partner can also discuss potential problems and ways to reduce their impact on the client’s workflow.
Will IT Partner recommend Microsoft 365 licenses for our organization?
The service includes explaining licensing tailored to the client’s specific situation and providing guidance intended to help use the budget effectively. The final licensing choice remains a client decision and should be validated against current Microsoft licensing terms.
Can this service help us choose between different Microsoft 365 or Office 365 plans?
Yes, IT Partner can recommend what Microsoft cloud products may suit the client and how best to use them. The recommendation is based on the organization’s goals, objectives, and situation discussed during the consulting engagement.
What are the client’s responsibilities during the engagement?
The client is responsible for coordinating internal resources and staff schedules, providing a dedicated point of contact to work with IT Partner, coordinating any outside vendor resources and schedules, and reviewing and approving engagement deliverables in a timely manner. These responsibilities help keep the 1-week consulting engagement organized and productive.
What is IT Partner responsible for in this service?
IT Partner is responsible for consulting on the implementation and use of Microsoft cloud services and for developing and preparing the cloud services implementation plan. IT Partner’s role is advisory and planning-focused, not hands-on deployment.
Are there any prerequisites for buying this service?
The source description does not list technical prerequisites for this consulting service. However, the client should be ready to coordinate staff schedules, assign a dedicated point of contact, involve any outside vendors if needed, and review deliverables promptly.
Will this consulting service cause downtime or affect business operations?
The consulting engagement itself should not cause technical downtime because it does not include direct setup or implementation of services. IT Partner can discuss potential problems that may occur during a future cloud implementation and ways to mitigate their impact on workflow.
Does the service include migration of email, files, users, or applications to Microsoft 365?
No, the stated scope does not include migration of email, files, users, or applications. The service can help plan cloud services adoption and provide recommendations, but any hands-on migration or implementation would need to be handled separately.
Does IT Partner configure Microsoft Teams, Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, or other Microsoft 365 services as part of this offer?
No, direct configuration or setup of Microsoft 365 services is not included in this consulting offer. IT Partner can provide consulting on implementation and use of Microsoft cloud services, but configuration work is outside the stated scope.
What will we have at the end of the service?
At the end of the engagement, the client should have product and usage recommendations and a cloud services implementation plan prepared by IT Partner. The source does not define formal acceptance criteria or measurable completion metrics, so those should be confirmed with IT Partner if required.
Can IT Partner help identify risks before we move to Microsoft 365 cloud services?
Yes, the service description states that IT Partner can discuss problems that may occur and ways to mitigate their impact on workflow. This risk discussion is part of the consulting and planning scope rather than a guarantee that issues will not occur during a later implementation.
Who manages this service at IT Partner?
The listed manager for this service is Roman Sotnik. Prospective buyers can reference the service SKU ITPWW200CONOT when discussing the engagement with IT Partner.
What happens after the consulting engagement is complete?
After completion, the client can use IT Partner’s recommendations and cloud services implementation plan to guide a Microsoft 365 adoption or implementation effort. Any hands-on setup, deployment, or migration is not included in this service and would need to be arranged separately if needed.