A Forrester Total Economic Impact™ Study Commissioned By Microsoft, January 2025
Microsoft 365 E3 allows organizations to drive cost savings, improve user and IT productivity, facilitate user collaboration across hybrid working models, and take advantage of AI capabilities. Adopting Microsoft 365 E3 along with Microsoft Teams and Microsoft 365 Copilot allows organizations to further reduce licensing and infrastructure costs while also decreasing IT support costs, improving security posture, and positioning users to take advantage of AI solutions now and in the future.
Microsoft commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct a Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) study and examine the potential return on investment (ROI) enterprises may realize by deploying Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.1 The purpose of this study is to provide readers with a framework to evaluate the potential financial impact of these Microsoft solutions on their organizations.
To better understand the benefits, costs, and risks associated with this investment, Forrester interviewed five decision-makers and conducted a survey of 269 respondents with experience using Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot at their organizations. For the purposes of this study, Forrester aggregated the interviewees’ experiences and combined the results into a single composite organization that is an industry-agnostic organization with $10 billion annual revenue and 30,000 employees.
is an organization with in annual revenue and 0 Microsoft 365 users. 0% of these users will have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Microsoft Teams is not included in this analysis.Microsoft Teams is also included in this analysis. Custom results are based on user inputs and the TEI case study.
Prior to using Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft Teams, most interviewees’ organizations maintained a hybrid environment with Microsoft Office (Microsoft 365 apps) and on-premises deployments. These organizations relied on third-party tools and vendors for communication, file sharing, and device management solutions. Managing these environments required significant IT staff hours, relationships with several vendors, and capex budgets for upgrades or user expansion. User-to-user collaboration was inconsistent, and disconnected solutions made file sharing, collaboration, and meetings a mixed experience. Interviewed decision-makers hoped that moving to the cloud and consolidating their organization’s solution sets would reduce costs, free IT resources to focus on more important tasks, and improve user collaboration to support hybrid working models. Taking advantage of AI solutions was impossible for several of the interviewees’ organizations due to disconnected solutions and siloed data across their solution landscapes.
By adopting Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and eventually Microsoft 365 Copilot, the interviewees’ and survey respondents’ organizations were able to retire on-premises, redundant applications, which freed up IT resources and reduced infrastructure and licensing costs. The new features and functionality of Microsoft 365 E3 made it easier for IT teams to manage their environments, while users gained access to a suite of solutions that enabled collaboration across hybrid working models. Users in roles suitable for AI assistance gained additional productivity benefits from Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Quantified benefits. Three-year, risk-adjusted present value (PV) quantified benefits for the composite organization include:
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
For , this benefit might be worth over three years.
Unquantified benefits. Benefits that provide value for the composite organization but are not quantified for this study include:
Costs. Three-year, risk-adjusted PV costs for the composite organization include:
For , these costs could represent over three years.
For , these costs could represent over three years.
For , these costs could represent over three years.
For , these costs could represent over three years.
For , these costs could represent over three years.
The representative interviews, survey, and financial analysis found that a composite organization experiences benefits of $153.21 million over three years versus costs of $51.65 million, adding up to a net present value (NPV) of $101.56 million and an ROI of 197%.
might experience benefits of over three years versus costs of , adding up to an NPV of and an ROI of .
Return on investment (ROI)
Benefits PV
Net present value (NPV)
Payback
From the information provided in the interviews, Forrester constructed a Total Economic Impact™ framework for those organizations considering an investment in Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
The objective of the framework is to identify the cost, benefit, flexibility, and risk factors that affect the investment decision. Forrester took a multistep approach to evaluate the impact that an investment in these Microsoft solutions can have on an organization.
Interviewed Microsoft stakeholders and Forrester analysts to gather data relative to Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Interviewed five decision-makers and conducted a survey of 269 respondents at organizations using Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot to obtain data about costs, benefits, and risks.
Designed a composite organization based on characteristics of the interviewees’ organizations.
Constructed a financial model representative of the interviews using the TEI methodology and risk-adjusted the financial model based on issues and concerns of the interviewees.
Employed four fundamental elements of TEI in modeling the investment impact: benefits, costs, flexibility, and risks. Given the increasing sophistication of ROI analyses related to IT investments, Forrester’s TEI methodology provides a complete picture of the total economic impact of purchase decisions. Please see Appendix A for additional information on the TEI methodology.
Readers should be aware of the following:
This study is commissioned by Microsoft and delivered by Forrester Consulting. It is not meant to be used as a competitive analysis.
Forrester makes no assumptions as to the potential ROI that other organizations will receive. Forrester strongly advises that readers use their own estimates within the framework provided in the study to determine the appropriateness of an investment in Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot. For the interactive functionality using Configure Data/Custom Data, the intent is for the questions to solicit inputs specific to a prospect's business. Forrester believes that this analysis is representative of what companies may achieve with Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot based on the inputs provided and any assumptions made. Forrester does not endorse Microsoft or its offerings. Although great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy and completeness of this model, Microsoft and Forrester Research are unable to accept any legal responsibility for any actions taken on the basis of the information contained herein. The interactive tool is provided ‘AS IS,’ and Forrester and Microsoft make no warranties of any kind.
Microsoft reviewed and provided feedback to Forrester, but Forrester maintains editorial control over the study and its findings and does not accept changes to the study that contradict Forrester’s findings or obscure the meaning of the study.
Microsoft provided the customer names for the interviews but did not participate in the interviews.
Consulting Team:
Richard Cavallaro
Vanessa Fabrizio
Forrester interviewed five decision-makers and surveyed 269 respondents with experience using Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot at their organizations. For more details on these individuals and the organizations they represent, see Appendix B.
The interviewees and survey respondents noted how their organization struggled with common challenges, including:
The interviewees’ organizations searched for a solution that could:
Based on the interviews, Forrester constructed a TEI framework, a composite company, and an ROI analysis that illustrates the areas financially affected. The composite organization is representative of the five interviewees and survey respondents’ organizations, and it is used to present the aggregate financial analysis in the next section. The composite organization has the following characteristics:
Description of composite. The industry-agnostic organization is based in the United States and operates globally. It has 30,000 employees that all have Microsoft 365 E3 licenses. Prior to using Microsoft 365 E3, the organization had a hybrid deployment, with Microsoft Office in the cloud and the rest of its applications on-premises. It also used numerous third-party chat and video applications, file sharing services, and basic antivirus and mobile device management tools.
Deployment characteristics. The organization deploys the full suite of Microsoft 365 E3 solutions and recognizes benefits over its previous solutions from each of the Microsoft 365 E3 capabilities. Each of the 30,000 Microsoft 365 E3 users is also issued an add-on Microsoft Teams for Enterprise license. Ten percent of the organization (3,000 end users) is also issued a Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
is an organization with in annual revenue and 0 Microsoft 365 users. 0% of these users will have a Microsoft 365 Copilot license. Microsoft Teams is not included in this analysis.Microsoft Teams is also included in this analysis.
Base: 269 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Benefit | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | Present Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Atr | Vendor consolidation savings | $20,955,860 $20,955,860 | $20,955,860 $20,955,860 | $20,955,860 $20,955,860 | $62,867,580 $62,867,580 | $52,114,122 $52,114,122 |
Btr | End-user device savings | $486,000 $486,000 | $486,000 $486,000 | $486,000 $486,000 | $1,458,000 $1,458,000 | $1,208,610 $1,208,610 |
Ctr | Endpoint deployment and management time savings | $1,426,824 $1,426,824 | $1,455,360 $1,455,360 | $1,484,372 $1,484,372 | $4,366,556 $4,366,556 | $3,615,120 $3,615,120 |
Dtr | IT administration and help desk savings | $1,526,850 $1,526,850 | $1,526,850 $1,526,850 | $1,526,850 $1,526,850 | $4,580,550 $4,580,550 | $3,797,050 $3,797,050 |
Etr | End-user productivity improvements | $29,559,816 $29,559,816 | $30,149,496 $30,149,496 | $30,756,024 $30,756,024 | $90,465,336 $90,465,336 | $74,896,955 $74,896,955 |
Ftr | Additional user productivity improvements from Microsoft 365 Copilot | $4,547,664 $4,547,664 | $4,638,384 $4,638,384 | $4,731,696 $4,731,696 | $13,917,744 $13,917,744 | $11,522,608 $11,522,608 |
Gtr | Reduced travel and expense | $1,700,000 $1,700,000 | $2,125,000 $2,125,000 | $2,550,000 $2,550,000 | $6,375,000 $6,375,000 | $5,217,506 $5,217,506 |
Htr | Reduced impact of security breaches | $337,089 $337,089 | $337,089 $337,089 | $337,089 $337,089 | $1,011,266 $1,011,266 | $838,290 $838,290 |
Total benefits (risk-adjusted) | $60,540,103 $60,540,103 | $61,674,039 $61,674,039 | $62,827,891 $62,827,891 | $185,042,033 $185,042,033 | $153,210,261 $153,210,261 | |
Evidence and data. By replacing legacy on-premises tools with Microsoft applications and functionality in Microsoft 365 E3, the interviewees’ organizations reduced per user license spend and costs for on-premises infrastructure support.
Base: 212 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. Forrester assumes the following about the composite organization:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $52.1 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A1 | Total end users | CompositeComposite | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | |
A2 | Per user monthly security tools license cost | Interviews and survey | $9.68 $9.68 | $9.68 $9.68 | $9.68 $9.68 | |
A3 | Per user monthly file sync license cost | Interviews and survey | $15.13 $15.13 | $15.13 $15.13 | $15.13 $15.13 | |
A4 | Per user monthly communications tools license cost | Interviews and survey | $14.52 $14.52 | $14.52 $14.52 | $14.52 $14.52 | |
A5 | Third-party vendor license consolidation | A1*(A2+A3+A4)*12 | $14,158,800 $14,158,800 | $14,158,800 $14,158,800 | $14,158,800 $14,158,800 | |
A6 | Per user monthly on-premises and cloud hosting costs (hardware and software) | Interviews and survey | $21 $21 | $21 $21 | $21 $21 | |
A7 | Redundant license savings | Interviews and survey | $340,000 $340,000 | $340,000 $340,000 | $340,000 $340,000 | |
At | Vendor consolidation savings | A5+(A6*A1*12)+A7 | $22,058,800 $22,058,800 | $22,058,800 $22,058,800 | $22,058,800 $22,058,800 | |
Risk adjustment | ↓5% | |||||
Atr | Vendor consolidation savings (risk-adjusted) | $20,955,860 $20,955,860 | $20,955,860 $20,955,860 | $20,955,860 $20,955,860 | ||
Three-year total: $62,867,580 $62,867,580 | Three-year present value: $52,114,122 $52,114,122 |
Evidence and data. Microsoft 365 E3 provided the interviewees’ organizations with the security and management tools needed to feel confident in a BYOD environment. Interviewees noted that giving employees the choice to use their own devices increased mobile productivity and reduced corporate expenditure on hardware, device plans, and related labor supporting these devices.
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $1.2 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B1 | Users with corporate devices | A1*10%A1*10% | 3,0003,000 | 3,0003,000 | 3,0003,000 | |
B2 | Per employee monthly plan and device cost | CompositeTEI case study | $65 $65 | $65 $65 | $65 $65 | |
B3 | Per employee monthly BYOD reimbursement | CompositeTEI case study | $50 $50 | $50 $50 | $50 $50 | |
B4 | Per employee monthly savings | B2-B3 | $15 $15 | $15 $15 | $15 $15 | |
Bt | End-user device savings | B1*B4*12 | $540,000 $540,000 | $540,000 $540,000 | $540,000 $540,000 | |
Risk adjustment | ↓10% | |||||
Btr | End-user device savings (risk-adjusted) | $486,000 $486,000 | $486,000 $486,000 | $486,000 $486,000 | ||
Three-year total: $1,458,000 $1,458,000 | Three-year present value: $1,208,610 $1,208,610 |
Evidence and data. Microsoft 365 E3 includes Microsoft Intune P1, a unified endpoint management tool for organizations to deploy, manage, and secure all corporate-owned and BYOD devices. With Microsoft Intune P1 (which includes Configuration Manager), interviewees said their organization easily deploys and manages new software, security updates, and operating systems to managed devices. With Windows Autopilot, their organizations can procure, preconfigure, and ship enterprise-ready, fully secure Windows devices from their OEM or reseller partner directly to the end user.
Average | |
---|---|
New software deployments | -26.7% |
User support related to new software deployments | -21.3% |
User support related to disconnected solutions (from multiple vendors) | -16.0% |
Troubleshooting during software updates | -13.9% |
Troubleshooting related to disconnected solutions | -7.3% |
General IT administration activities | -15.1% |
Base: 208 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $3.6 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
C1 | Hours dedicated to new software deployment and management | A1*1.46 | 43,80043,800 | 43,80043,800 | 43,80043,800 |
C2 | Reduction due to efficiency gains provided by M365 E3 | Interviews and survey | 27%27% | 27%27% | 27%27% |
C3 | Hours reallocated from software deployment and management | C1*C2 | 11,82611,826 | 11,82611,826 | 11,82611,826 |
C4 | Hours dedicated to IT support for new deployments | A1*1.72 | 51,60051,600 | 51,60051,600 | 51,60051,600 |
C5 | Reduction of support burden on M365 E3 | Interviews and survey | 19%19% | 19%19% | 19%19% |
C6 | Hours reallocated from software support | C4*C5 | 9,8049,804 | 9,8049,804 | 9,8049,804 |
C7 | Hours dedicated to IT troubleshooting updates across disconnected solutions | A1*1.08 | 32,40032,400 | 32,40032,400 | 32,40032,400 |
C8 | Reduction of troubleshooting updates on M365 E3 | Interviews and survey | 10.5%10.5% | 10.5%10.5% | 10.5%10.5% |
C9 | Hours reallocated from software support | C7*C8 | 3,4023,402 | 3,4023,402 | 3,4023,402 |
C10 | Average hourly rate for IT personnel (rounded) | CompositeTEI case study | $60.00 $60.00 | $61.20 $61.20 | $62.42 $62.42 |
C11 | Total IT time savings | C3+C6+C9 | 25,03225,032 | 25,03225,032 | 25,03225,032 |
Ct | Endpoint deployment and management time savings | C10*C11 | $1,501,920 $1,501,920 | $1,531,958 $1,531,958 | $1,562,497 $1,562,497 |
Risk adjustment | ↓5% | ||||
Ctr | Endpoint deployment and management time savings (risk-adjusted) | $1,426,824 $1,426,824 | $1,455,360 $1,455,360 | $1,484,372 $1,484,372 | |
Three-year total: $4,366,556 $4,366,556 | Three-year present value: $3,615,120 $3,615,120 |
Evidence and data. Interviewees and survey respondents highlighted the potential to reduce support desk tickets and shorten ticket resolution times after implementing Microsoft 365 E3. Factors influencing ticket volume reduction included being able to build corporate intranets with SharePoint, providing solutions to common problems for users to help themselves, supplying self-service password resets, and using Microsoft Teams bots to quickly provide resource links when prompted. Furthermore, interviewees said their organizations’ IT personnel found it easier to resolve issues for a diverse ecosystem of devices (e.g., mobile, PC, Mac) with Microsoft Intune P1. More consistently updated applications and efficient software deployment also contributed to fewer application or system errors, further reducing the likelihood of support tickets. Baseline security from Microsoft Defender for Endpoints P1, Microsoft Defender Antimalware, and Firewall also reduced the likelihood of support tickets related to malware.
Base: 212 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 10%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $3.8 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
D1 | Annual support desk tickets | A1*5 | 150,000150,000 | 150,000150,000 | 150,000150,000 |
D2 | Percentage of support desk tickets eliminated | Interviews and survey | 45%45% | 45%45% | 45%45% |
D3 | Reduction in ticket resolution time for remaining tickets | Interviews and survey | 21%21% | 21%21% | 21%21% |
D4 | Average cost per ticket | Interviews and survey | $20 $20 | $20 $20 | $20 $20 |
Dt | IT administration and help desk savings | (D1*D2*D4)+((D1*(1-D2)*D3*D4 | $1,696,500 $1,696,500 | $1,696,500 $1,696,500 | $1,696,500 $1,696,500 |
Risk adjustment | ↓10% | ||||
Dtr | IT administration and help desk savings (risk-adjusted) | $1,526,850 $1,526,850 | $1,526,850 $1,526,850 | $1,526,850 $1,526,850 | |
Three-year total: $4,580,550 $4,580,550 | Three-year present value: $3,797,050 $3,797,050 |
Evidence and data. Microsoft 365 E3 includes a wide range of integrated collaboration and communication solutions to improve end-user efficiency across common hybrid work environment tasks. Interviewees and survey respondents highlighted the importance of their organization’s users being able to securely communicate and collaborate anytime and anywhere.
Base: 269 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Base: 126 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 20%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $74.9 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
E1 | Total end users | A1 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | |
E2 | Improved efficiency with collaborative document sharing and chat (in weekly minutes) | Interviews and survey | 3131 | 3131 | 3131 | |
E3 | Additional efficiency through collaboration in Microsoft Teams (in weekly minutes) | Interviews and survey | 4040 | 4040 | 4040 | |
E4 | Weekly time savings from SSO (weekly minutes) | Interviews and survey | 1010 | 1010 | 1010 | |
E5 | Annual efficiency gain per user (in hours) | ((E2+E2+E3)/60)*52 | 70.2070.20 | 70.2070.20 | 70.2070.20 | |
E6 | Average fully burdened hourly rate for knowledge workers | ($73,000 with 2% inflation)/2,080 | $35.09 $35.09 | $35.79 $35.79 | $36.51 $36.51 | |
E7 | Productivity recapture | TEI methodology | 50%50% | 50%50% | 50%50% | |
Et | End-user productivity improvements | E1*E5*E6*E7 | $36,949,770 $36,949,770 | $37,686,870 $37,686,870 | $38,445,030 $38,445,030 | |
Risk adjustment | ↓20% | |||||
Etr | End-user productivity improvements (risk-adjusted) | $29,559,816 $29,559,816 | $30,149,496 $30,149,496 | $30,756,024 $30,756,024 | ||
Three-year total: $90,465,336 $90,465,336 | Three-year present value: $74,896,955 $74,896,955 |
Evidence and data. Interviewees told Forrester that strategically selected teams or users gained additional productivity benefits using Microsoft 365 Copilot with Microsoft 365 E3 applications and Microsoft Teams. Meeting transcription and summarizations, writing assistance, and process transformation were cited as key features. Several interviewees noted that Microsoft 365 Copilot users were selected based on the potential for AI-driven productivity in their daily work. While most of the interviewees’ organizations initially selected a smaller percentage of their total Microsoft 365 E3 users for Copilot, they explained that adoption was expected to grow as users benefited from additional productivity. Among a base of 367 respondents from Forrester’s 2024 survey on Microsoft 365 Copilot, 38.5% of the users within the survey respondents’ organizations were currently licensed to Microsoft 365 Copilot.
Average Percentage | Median | |
---|---|---|
Meeting notes/summarization (with Microsoft Teams licenses) | 18.6 | 16.0 |
Information search | 29.8 | 26.0 |
Content creation | 34.3 | 33.0 |
Email writing | 20.0 | 18.0 |
Email summarization | 16.0 | 15.0 |
Task planning and delegation | 10.9 | 9.0 |
Data analytics | 20.6 | 20.0 |
Base: 367 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, 2024
Base: 113 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 20%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $11.5 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1 | Total end users | A1 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 |
F2 | Percentage of users with Microsoft 365 Copilot licenses | CompositeComposite | 10%10% | 10%10% | 10%10% |
F3 | Additional hours reclaimed per month with Microsoft 365 Copilot | Interviews and survey | 99 | 99 | 99 |
F4 | Average hourly knowledge worker rate | E6 | $35.09 $35.09 | $35.79 $35.79 | $36.51 $36.51 |
F5 | Productivity recapture | TEI best practices | 50%50% | 50%50% | 50%50% |
Ft | Additional user productivity improvements from Microsoft 365 Copilot | F1*F2*F3*F4*F5 | $5,684,580 $5,684,580 | $5,797,980 $5,797,980 | $5,914,620 $5,914,620 |
Risk adjustment | ↓20% | ||||
Ftr | Additional user productivity improvements from Microsoft 365 Copilot (risk-adjusted) | $4,547,664 $4,547,664 | $4,638,384 $4,638,384 | $4,731,696 $4,731,696 | |
Three-year total: $13,917,744 $13,917,744 | Three-year present value: $11,522,608 $11,522,608 |
Evidence and data. As hybrid work becomes the new normal for many organizations, the collaboration benefits of Microsoft 365 E3 and Microsoft Teams (as an add-on license) continued to support reduced business-related travel, especially as decision-makers saw how their organization could conduct remote meetings without productivity loss.
Base: 45 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 15%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $5.2 million.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G1 | Total travel and expense budget | CompositeComposite | $25,000,000 $25,000,000 | $25,000,000 $25,000,000 | $25,000,000 $25,000,000 | |
G2 | Percentage reduction due to increased hybrid work | Interviews and survey | 20%20% | 20%20% | 20%20% | |
G3 | Attribution percentage | Interviews and survey | 40%40% | 50%50% | 60%60% | |
Gt | Reduced travel and expense | G1*G2*G3 | $2,000,000 $2,000,000 | $2,500,000 $2,500,000 | $3,000,000 $3,000,000 | |
Risk adjustment | ↓15% | |||||
Gtr | Reduced travel and expense (risk-adjusted) | $1,700,000 $1,700,000 | $2,125,000 $2,125,000 | $2,550,000 $2,550,000 | ||
Three-year total: $6,375,000 $6,375,000 | Three-year present value: $5,217,506 $5,217,506 |
Evidence and data. Each of the interviewees highlighted Microsoft’s reputation for providing secure solutions as a key part of their organization’s investment. They said Microsoft 365 E3’s Entra ID P1 provided their organization with robust access management tools, securing remote work and mitigating shadow IT. Microsoft Purview Information Protection P1 offered a first line of defense for information protection, while Microsoft Defender for Endpoints P1 offered attack surface protection at the endpoint level.
Base: 210 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This benefit will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this benefit downward by 15%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $530,000.
For , this benefit may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1 | Likelihood of experiencing one or more breaches per year | Forrester research | 68%68% | 68%68% | 68%68% | |
H2 | Mean cumulative cost of breaches | Forrester research | $5,453,000 $5,453,000 | $5,453,000 $5,453,000 | $5,453,000 $5,453,000 | |
H3 | Percentage of breaches originating from external and internal threats | Forrester research | 71.3%71.3% | 71.3%71.3% | 71.3%71.3% | |
H4 | Percentage of breaches addressable with Microsoft Defender for Endpoints P1, Entra ID P1, and Purview functionality within M365 E3 | Interviews | 30%30% | 30%30% | 30%30% | |
H5 | Annual risk exposure addressable with security functionality in Microsoft 365 E3 | H1*H2*H3*H4 | $793,150 $793,150 | $793,150 $793,150 | $793,150 $793,150 | |
H6 | Reduced risk of breaches with P1 security tools on Microsoft 365 E3 | Interviews | 50%50% | 50%50% | 50%50% | |
Ht | Reduced impact of security breaches | H5*H6 | $396,575 $396,575 | $396,575 $396,575 | $396,575 $396,575 | |
Risk adjustment | ↓15% | |||||
Htr | Reduced impact of security breaches (risk-adjusted) | $337,089 $337,089 | $337,089 $337,089 | $337,089 $337,089 | ||
Three-year total: $1,011,266 $1,011,266 | Three-year present value: $838,290 $838,290 |
Interviewees mentioned the following additional benefits that their organization experienced but were not able to quantify:
The value of flexibility is unique to each customer. There are multiple scenarios in which a customer might implement Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot and later realize additional uses and business opportunities, including:
Flexibility would also be quantified when evaluated as part of a specific project (described in more detail in Appendix A).
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Cost | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | Present Value |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Itr | Initial planning and implementation | $3,346,875 $3,346,875 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $3,346,875 $3,346,875 | $3,346,875 $3,346,875 |
Jtr | Microsoft licensing costs | $0 $0 | $15,120,000 $15,120,000 | $15,120,000 $15,120,000 | $15,120,000 $15,120,000 | $45,360,000 $45,360,000 | $37,601,202 $37,601,202 |
Ktr | Ongoing management costs | $0 $0 | $3,248,438 $3,248,438 | $3,297,656 $3,297,656 | $3,347,860 $3,347,860 | $9,893,954 $9,893,954 | $8,193,757 $8,193,757 |
Ltr | End-user training | $1,105,335 $1,105,335 | $55,267 $55,267 | $56,369 $56,369 | $57,503 $57,503 | $1,274,474 $1,274,474 | $1,245,367 $1,245,367 |
Mtr | Device refresh | $1,260,000 $1,260,000 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $1,260,000 $1,260,000 | $1,260,000 $1,260,000 |
Total costs (risk-adjusted) | $5,712,210 $5,712,210 | $18,423,704 $18,423,704 | $18,474,026 $18,474,026 | $18,525,363 $18,525,363 | $61,135,303 $61,135,303 | $51,647,201 $51,647,201 | |
Interviewees said their organization incurred several months of planning and implementation labor costs before deploying Microsoft 365 E3, and some worked with professional services partners to plan and execute their deployments. Organizations that used legacy on-premises deployments required time and effort to migrate files and decommission hardware.
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This cost will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $3.3 million.
For , these costs may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
I1 | FTEs involved in implementation | CompositeScaled for | 15.015.0 | |||
I2 | Fully burdened annual salary for implementing personnel | CompositeTEI case study | $125,000 $125,000 | |||
I3 | Percentage of time dedicated to implementation | Interviews | 50%50% | |||
I4 | Professional services | CompositeScaled for | $2,250,000 $2,250,000 | |||
It | Initial planning and implementation | (I1*I2*I3)+I4 | $3,187,500 $3,187,500 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 |
Risk adjustment | ↑5% | |||||
Itr | Initial planning and implementation (risk-adjusted) | $3,346,875 $3,346,875 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | |
Three-year total: $3,346,875 $3,346,875 | Three-year present value: $3,346,875 $3,346,875 |
Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot are priced as a monthly SaaS license per user.
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. Forrester did not risk-adjust this benefit as Microsoft’s standard list prices were used for the analysis.
Results. The three-year total PV (discounted at 10%) for Microsoft licensing costs is $37.6 million.
For , these costs may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
J1 | Total end users | A1 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | ||||
J2 | Monthly Microsoft 365 E3 license cost per user | Microsoft | $33.75 $33.75 | $33.75 $33.75 | $33.75 $33.75 | ||||
J3 | Monthly Teams for Enterprise license cost per user | Microsoft | $5.25 $5.25 | $5.25 $5.25 | $5.25 $5.25 | ||||
J4 | Total monthly licensing cost per user | J2+J3 | $39.00 $39.00 | $39.00 $39.00 | $39.00 $39.00 | ||||
J5 | Total licensing cost for Microsoft 365 Copilot users | CompositeScaled for | $1,080,000.00 $1,080,000.00 | $1,080,000.00 $1,080,000.00 | $1,080,000.00 $1,080,000.00 | ||||
Jt | Microsoft licensing costs | (J1*J4*12)+J5 | $0 $0 | $15,120,000 $15,120,000 | $15,120,000 $15,120,000 | $15,120,000 $15,120,000 | |||
Risk adjustment | 0% | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | 30,00030,000 | |||||
Jtr | Microsoft licensing costs (risk-adjusted) | $33.75 $33.75 | $33.75 $33.75 | $33.75 $33.75 | |||||
Three-year total: $45,360,000 $45,360,000 | Three-year present value: $37,601,202 $37,601,202 |
Evidence and data. Interviewees stated that ongoing Microsoft 365 E3 management is significantly less labor-intensive than prior legacy solutions, but still requires some administrative support. As a result, their organization frequently redeployed FTEs to other valuable projects, such as security enhancement and modernization efforts.
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This cost will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $8.2 million.
For , these costs may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
K1 | Internal management staff | A1/1,200 | 25.025.0 | 25.025.0 | 25.025.0 | ||
K2 | Percentage of time spent managing Microsoft deployment (Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft 365 Copilot) | Interviews | 75%75% | 75%75% | 75%75% | ||
K3 | Average fully burdened annual salary for support IT personnel | CompositeTEI case study | $125,000 $125,000 | $127,500 $127,500 | $130,050 $130,050 | ||
K4 | Internal costs | K1*K2*K3 | $2,343,750 $2,343,750 | $2,390,625 $2,390,625 | $2,438,438 $2,438,438 | ||
K5 | Ongoing professional services | CompositeScaled for | $750,000 $750,000 | $750,000 $750,000 | $750,000 $750,000 | ||
Kt | Ongoing management costs | K4+K5 | $0 $0 | $3,093,750 $3,093,750 | $3,140,625 $3,140,625 | $3,188,438 $3,188,438 | |
Risk adjustment | ↑5% | ||||||
Ktr | Ongoing management costs (risk-adjusted) | $0 $0 | $3,248,438 $3,248,438 | $3,297,656 $3,297,656 | $3,347,860 $3,347,860 | ||
Three-year total: $9,893,954 $9,893,954 | Three-year present value: $8,193,757 $8,193,757 |
Evidence and data. While interviewees said their organization found Microsoft 365 E3 intuitive and easy to use, decision-makers dedicated some time to new feature and tool trainings. Some organizations created materials for self-guided learning like webinars instead of offering formal training.
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This cost will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $1.3 million.
For , these costs may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
L1 | Total users trained |
Year 1: A1 Years 2 and 3: A1*5% |
30,00030,000 | 1,5001,500 | 1,5001,500 | 1,5001,500 | |
L2 | Time allocated for self-directed training (hours) | Interviews | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | |
L3 | Average fully burdened hourly rate for knowledge workers | E6 | $35.09 $35.09 | $35.09 $35.09 | $35.79 $35.79 | $36.51 $36.51 | |
Lt | End-user training | L1*L2*L3 | $1,052,700 $1,052,700 | $52,635 $52,635 | $53,685 $53,685 | $54,765 $54,765 | |
Risk adjustment | ↑5% | ||||||
Ltr | End-user training (risk-adjusted) | $1,105,335 $1,105,335 | $55,267 $55,267 | $56,369 $56,369 | $57,503 $57,503 | ||
Three-year total: $1,274,474 $1,274,474 | Three-year present value: $1,245,367 $1,245,367 |
Interviewees and survey respondents said their organization assessed which devices did not meet the minimum specifications for their move to Windows 11. While this upgrade coincided with the device refresh cycle at most organizations, some had to refresh a small portion of devices outside the normal refresh cycle.
Modeling and assumptions. For the composite organization, Forrester makes the following assumptions:
Risks. This cost will vary among organizations based on:
Results. To account for these risks, Forrester adjusted this cost upward by 5%, yielding a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV (discounted at 10%) of $1.3 million.
For , these costs may have a three-year, risk-adjusted total PV of .
The following table shows custom results for .
Ref. | Metric | Source | Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
M1 | Total end users | A1 | 30,00030,000 | ||||
M2 | Percentage of user devices requiring upgrade | CompositeTEI case study | 5%5% | ||||
M3 | New device cost | CompositeTEI case study | $800 $800 | ||||
Mt | Device refresh | M1*M2*M3 | $1,200,000 $1,200,000 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | |
Risk adjustment | ↑5% | ||||||
Mtr | Device refresh (risk-adjusted) | $1,260,000 $1,260,000 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | $0 $0 | ||
Three-year total: $1,260,000 $1,260,000 | Three-year present value: $1,260,000 $1,260,000 |
The financial results calculated in the Benefits and Costs sections can be used to determine the ROI, NPV, and payback period for the composite organization’s investment. Forrester assumes a yearly discount rate of 10% for this analysis.
These risk-adjusted ROI, NPV, and payback period values are determined by applying risk adjustment factors to the unadjusted results in each Benefit and Cost section.
The following table shows custom results for .
Initial | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total | Present Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total costs | ($5,712,210)($5,712,210) | ($18,423,704)($18,423,704) | ($18,474,026)($18,474,026) | ($18,525,363)($18,525,363) | ($61,135,303)($61,135,303) | ($51,647,201)($51,647,201) |
Total benefits | $0 $0 | $60,540,103 $60,540,103 | $61,674,039 $61,674,039 | $62,827,891 $62,827,891 | $185,042,033 $185,042,033 | $153,210,261 $153,210,261 |
Net benefits | ($5,712,210)($5,712,210) | $42,116,399 $42,116,399 | $43,200,013 $43,200,013 | $44,302,528 $44,302,528 | $123,906,730 $123,906,730 | $101,563,060 $101,563,060 |
ROI | 197%197% | |||||
Payback | <6 months<6 months | |||||
Total Economic Impact is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists vendors in communicating the value proposition of their products and services to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of IT initiatives to both senior management and other key business stakeholders.
Benefits represent the value delivered to the business by the product. The TEI methodology places equal weight on the measure of benefits and the measure of costs, allowing for a full examination of the effect of the technology on the entire organization.
Costs consider all expenses necessary to deliver the proposed value, or benefits, of the product. The cost category within TEI captures incremental costs over the existing environment for ongoing costs associated with the solution.
Flexibility represents the strategic value that can be obtained for some future additional investment building on top of the initial investment already made. Having the ability to capture that benefit has a PV that can be estimated.
Risks measure the uncertainty of benefit and cost estimates given: 1) the likelihood that estimates will meet original projections and 2) the likelihood that estimates will be tracked over time. TEI risk factors are based on “triangular distribution.”
The initial investment column contains costs incurred at “time 0” or at the beginning of Year 1 that are not discounted. All other cash flows are discounted using the discount rate at the end of the year. PV Sources are calculated for each total cost and benefit estimate. NPV Sources in the summary tables are the sum of the initial investment and the discounted cash flows in each year. Sums and present value Sources of the Total Benefits, Total Costs, and Cash Flow tables may not exactly add up, as some rounding may occur.
Role | Industry | Region | Revenue (USD) |
---|---|---|---|
Vice president of employee IT | Automotive | Europe | ~$18 billion |
Vice president of IT | Energy | North America | ~$6.5 billion |
Technology and product management leader | Financial services | South America | ~$100 million |
Cloud operations director | Pharmaceutical | Europe | ~$3.3 billion |
Digital workspace domain manager | Specialty manufacturing | Europe | ~$12 billion |
Survey Demographics
Base: 269 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Base: 269 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
Base: 269 IT decision-makers
Source: A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Microsoft, January 2025
1 Total Economic Impact is a methodology developed by Forrester Research that enhances a company’s technology decision-making processes and assists vendors in communicating the value proposition of their products and services to clients. The TEI methodology helps companies demonstrate, justify, and realize the tangible value of IT initiatives to both senior management and other key business stakeholders.
2 Base: 432 security decision-makers from organizations with revenue of at least $1 billion with network, data center, app security, or security ops responsibility and that have experienced a breach in the past 12 months; Source: Forrester’s Security Survey, 2023.
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