In the past, Microsoft collaborated with vendors such as GoDaddy, App River, and others to provide a cheaper version of Office 365 (now renamed as Microsoft 365) with a custom interface and limited features. This program was called "federated" Office 365. However, in 2023, Microsoft discontinued this program and encouraged the vendors to migrate their users to the standard platform. This migration is called "defederation".
There are a few reasons why Microsoft discontinued federated Office 365. First, it was difficult to maintain two different versions of the same product. Second, federated Office 365 was not as secure as the standard platform. Third, Microsoft wanted to give customers access to all the features and benefits of Microsoft 365, which were unavailable in federated Office 365.
There are several benefits to defederation, including:
The decision of whether or not to defederate is a business decision. However, the benefits of defederation, such as access to all of the features and benefits of Microsoft 365, improved security and compliance, a more consistent user experience, and reduced costs, make it a worthwhile consideration for many organizations.
Contact your managed service provider (MSP) and get a quote for the process. You should also consider the costs of migrating your users to the standard platform and updating your IT infrastructure. Once you have all of this information, you can make an informed decision about whether or not defederation is right for your organization.
If you don’t have a managed service provider, have questions about migrating users, and want to ensure your IT infrastructure is set up for success, the iCorps team of experts is here to help. Request a free consultation to get started today.