Microsoft 365 Business made easy

A team working together with laptops in a modern office

Microsoft 365 Business is built for small and medium-sized businesses that need a productive, secure working environment without the complexity of enterprise IT. It brings together familiar Office apps, business email, cloud storage, device management, and security tools under a single subscription. For teams across Brisbane and South-East Queensland juggling office desks, remote workers, and mobile devices, it removes a lot of the friction.

If you are weighing up which plan fits your business, or wondering what has changed lately, this guide covers what is included, how the plans compare, and what the July 2026 pricing update means for Australian businesses.

What Microsoft 365 Business actually includes

At its core, Microsoft 365 combines the Office productivity apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more) with cloud services that keep your team connected and your data secure. Here is what you get across the Business plans:

Office appsdesktop, web, and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote, always on the latest release.
Business email and calendarOutlook connected to Exchange, with 100 GB of mailbox storage per user (doubled from 50 GB in July 2026).
File storage and sharing1 TB of OneDrive storage per user, accessible from any device.
Microsoft Teamschat, video calls, and online meetings in one place, with the option to add Microsoft Teams Calling for full phone system capability.
Security and device managementvaries by plan, with Business Premium including Microsoft Defender for Business, Intune device management, and Entra ID Plan 1.
AI assistanceCopilot Chat is now embedded across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams in Business plans, supporting drafting, summarising, and data analysis.

Microsoft 365 works on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, and Android. Your team can access email, documents, and meetings from almost any device, as long as they have an internet connection.

How the three Business plans compare

Microsoft 365 Business is available in three tiers, each adding capability on top of the one below. All plans support up to 300 users.

Business Basicweb and mobile Office apps, business email, Teams, and OneDrive. Good for lightweight teams that work primarily in a browser. Around $9 per user per month on an annual plan (ex GST).
Business Standardeverything in Basic, plus full desktop Office apps and extras like webinars, Bookings, and Forms. Around $19 per user per month on an annual plan (ex GST).
Business Premiumeverything in Standard, plus advanced security: Defender for Business, Intune device management, Entra ID Plan 1, and Conditional Access. Around $33 per user per month on an annual plan (ex GST). Business Premium pricing did not increase in July 2026, which has made it the standout value option for most SMEs.

Confirm your exact AUD rates with your licensing provider, as Australian pricing follows Microsoft’s regional model and varies slightly by reseller and billing cycle.

Why Business Premium is the right choice for most Brisbane SMEs

For businesses with 10 to 300 users, Business Premium is now hard to look past. The security features it includes, Defender for Business, Intune, and Entra ID, would cost considerably more as separate add-ons on a lower-tier plan. With Business Standard prices rising in July 2026 and Business Premium holding steady, the gap between the two narrowed significantly.

The businesses we work with across South-East Queensland that moved to Business Premium typically found they could remove a third-party antivirus subscription and a separate device management tool at the same time. The net cost often ends up similar or lower than what they were already paying.

Our IT consulting team in Brisbane can run a licence review to show you exactly where you stand and whether a plan change makes sense before your next renewal.

What changed in July 2026

Microsoft’s July 2026 pricing update was the most significant change to the commercial suite in several years. The core changes for Australian businesses:

Business Basic and Business Standard prices increased by roughly 7-10%.
Business Premium pricing did not change.
Mailbox storage for all Business plans doubled to 100 GB per user.
Copilot Chat enhancements and expanded Defender for Office capabilities were bundled in at no extra cost.

Existing customers stay on their current pricing until their next renewal date. If you have not reviewed your licensing since the update took effect, now is a good time. A licence audit often surfaces unused seats or users on higher-tier plans than they need.

Getting set up and supported

Moving a business onto Microsoft 365 involves more than buying licences. You need the tenant configured correctly, email migrated without losing data, security baselines applied, and staff who know how to use what they have paid for.

As a Microsoft 365 providerTTA handles the full setup for businesses across Queensland, from initial planning through to ongoing support. We are a Microsoft Solutions Partner, which means our team holds current certifications across the Microsoft product stack and we have a direct relationship with Microsoft for licensing and support escalation.

For businesses already on Microsoft 365, our IT audit service can identify gaps in your security configuration, unused licences, and features you are paying for but not using.

Ready to get started?

Whether you are moving to Microsoft 365 for the first time or reviewing your current setup after the July 2026 pricing changes, we can help. Get in touch with the TTA team for a no-pressure conversation about what works for your business.