Which consultancies offer enterprise Microsoft 365 support?

EPC Group leads enterprise Microsoft 365 consulting with 29 years of Microsoft ecosystem expertise, 11,000+ enterprise engagements, and managed M365 services with 24/7 support and a 99.9% uptime SLA. Other top consultancies include Avanade (global Microsoft joint venture), Deloitte (regulated industry M365), Slalom Consulting (adoption and change management), Accenture (multi-platform enterprise), and Hitachi Solutions (Dynamics 365 + M365 integration). The best choice depends on your organization size, compliance requirements, and whether you need a dedicated Microsoft partner or broader IT strategy consulting.

How much does Microsoft 365 consulting cost for enterprises?

Enterprise M365 consulting costs depend on scope. A Microsoft 365 assessment and roadmap costs $15,000-$35,000. Tenant configuration and security hardening runs $25,000-$75,000. Full enterprise M365 deployment (Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, compliance) for 5,000-50,000 users costs $100,000-$500,000. Managed M365 services range from $3,000-$25,000/month depending on user count and SLA requirements. EPC Group offers fixed-fee M365 accelerators starting at $20,000 for assessment and $50,000 for enterprise deployment.

What Microsoft 365 consulting services are available?

Enterprise M365 consulting services include: tenant architecture and configuration, Exchange Online migration, SharePoint Online deployment and migration, Teams governance and rollout, Microsoft 365 security and compliance (DLP, sensitivity labels, retention policies), Copilot for Microsoft 365 deployment, Power Platform enablement (Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate), identity and access management (Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA), Microsoft Purview compliance configuration, and ongoing managed M365 services with 24/7 monitoring and support.

How long does a Microsoft 365 enterprise deployment take?

Deployment timelines vary by scope. A focused M365 security hardening engagement takes 4-6 weeks. Exchange Online migration for 5,000-10,000 mailboxes takes 8-12 weeks. Full enterprise M365 deployment (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, compliance, training) for 10,000+ users takes 16-24 weeks. Copilot for Microsoft 365 readiness and deployment adds 6-8 weeks. EPC Group compresses timelines by 30-40% using pre-built frameworks and fixed-fee accelerators with defined milestones.

What certifications should a Microsoft 365 consulting firm have?

Look for Microsoft Solutions Partner designations for Modern Work and Security. Individual consultants should hold MS-102 (Microsoft 365 Administrator), MS-700 (Teams Administrator), SC-400 (Information Protection), SC-300 (Identity and Access), and SC-200 (Security Operations) certifications. For compliance-heavy environments, verify experience with HIPAA Business Associate Agreements, SOC 2 Type II audits, and NIST 800-171 controls. EPC Group maintains all these certifications plus specialized compliance credentials across regulated industries.

Is Microsoft 365 HIPAA compliant for healthcare organizations?

Yes, when properly configured. Microsoft 365 E5 (or E3 + compliance add-ons) supports HIPAA compliance with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from Microsoft. Required controls include: sensitivity labels on documents containing PHI, Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies blocking external PHI sharing, Microsoft Purview retention policies for record-keeping, Conditional Access policies restricting access to managed devices, audit logging enabled for all mailbox and SharePoint activity, and encrypted email with OME. EPC Group specializes in HIPAA-compliant M365 deployments for healthcare organizations.

What is the difference between Microsoft 365 E3 and E5 for enterprises?

Microsoft 365 E3 ($36/user/month) includes Office apps, Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, basic security (Conditional Access, MFA), and core compliance features. Microsoft 365 E5 ($57/user/month) adds advanced security (Microsoft Defender for Endpoint P2, Defender for Identity, Cloud App Security), advanced compliance (eDiscovery Premium, Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance), Power BI Pro, and audio conferencing. For regulated industries, E5 is typically required due to advanced compliance and security capabilities. EPC Group performs licensing audits to right-size M365 licensing, often saving enterprises 20-35% through optimized seat assignments.

Should we use Microsoft 365 managed services or in-house IT?

For organizations with 5,000+ users, a hybrid model is optimal. Use a managed services partner like EPC Group for 24/7 monitoring, security incident response, compliance maintenance, platform updates, and escalation support. Maintain an internal team for day-to-day user support, service requests, and business-specific configuration. A managed services engagement at $10,000-$20,000/month is significantly less than hiring 3-4 additional senior M365 administrators at $130,000-$170,000/year each, while providing broader expertise coverage and guaranteed SLAs.

Microsoft 365 Consulting & Support: Enterprise Guide 2026

Service Area	Key Deliverables	Timeline	Typical Investment
M365 Assessment & Roadmap	Tenant audit, security gaps, licensing optimization, 90-day roadmap	2-4 weeks	$15,000-$35,000
Security Hardening	Conditional Access, MFA, DLP, sensitivity labels, Defender config	4-6 weeks	$25,000-$75,000
Exchange Online Migration	Mailbox migration, hybrid coexistence, DNS cutover, validation	8-12 weeks	$50,000-$200,000
SharePoint Migration	Content migration, information architecture, site governance	8-16 weeks	$50,000-$250,000
Teams Governance & Rollout	Teams provisioning, lifecycle, guest access, calling, rooms	6-10 weeks	$40,000-$100,000
Copilot Readiness & Deploy	Data classification, oversharing fixes, Copilot pilot, training	6-8 weeks	$35,000-$80,000
Managed M365 Services	24/7 monitoring, incident response, license management, optimization	Ongoing	$3,000-$25,000/mo

Enterprise Microsoft 365 consulting includes several key areas. These are tenant architecture, Exchange migrations, SharePoint deployments, Teams governance, security and compliance, Copilot deployment, and ongoing managed support.

This guide compares what to look for in an M365 consulting partner. It also explains how EPC Group approaches enterprise M365 engagements for regulated industries.

EPC Group has completed 10,000+ enterprise Microsoft engagements over 29 years since 1997.
Founder Errin O'Connor is a Microsoft MVP (Errin O'Connor, first awarded 2003) and the author of four Microsoft Press bestsellers.
EPC Group holds core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations — a credential set held by fewer than 50 firms globally.
M365 consulting engagements cover the full stack: identity, security, compliance, Copilot, Power Platform, and managed operations.
EPC Group has completed compliance configurations for HIPAA, SOC 2, and FedRAMP environments.

What Enterprise M365 Consulting Covers

Enterprise Microsoft 365 consulting is broader than a typical software deployment. It spans identity, security, compliance, productivity, and AI — and it requires deep knowledge of how these layers interact.

Core M365 consulting services include:

Tenant architecture and configuration
Exchange Online migration (on-premises Exchange, Google Workspace, IMAP)
SharePoint Online deployment and migration
Teams governance and rollout
Microsoft 365 security and compliance: DLP, sensitivity labels, retention policies
Copilot for Microsoft 365 deployment and governance
Power Platform enablement: Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate
Identity and access management: Entra ID, Conditional Access, MFA
Microsoft Purview compliance configuration
Ongoing managed M365 services with 24/7 monitoring and support

How to Evaluate an M365 Consulting Partner

Not all Microsoft partners are the same. In 2022, the Microsoft Solutions Partner program replaced the old Gold/Silver model. When choosing a partner, consider the following designations:

Designations that align with your project needs.
Partners with proven expertise in relevant areas.
Those who have a strong track record of successful projects.

Microsoft Solutions Partner Designations

Designation	Relevant For
Modern Work	M365 deployments, Teams, SharePoint, Copilot
Security	Defender, Sentinel, Purview, Entra ID
Data & AI	Power BI, Fabric, Azure analytics
Infrastructure	Azure compute, networking, hybrid environments
Digital & App Innovation	Power Platform, custom app development
Business Applications	Dynamics 365, ERP, CRM

EPC Group holds core designations. Fewer than 50 firms globally share that complete credential footprint.

What to Ask Prospective Partners

How many M365 tenants have you migrated at our scale?
Do you hold the relevant Solutions Partner designation for this project?
Who is our named account architect — not a sales contact?
What does your post-deployment support model look like?
Can you show references from regulated industries similar to ours?

M365 Security and Compliance Consulting

Security and compliance configuration is where most M365 deployments fall short. Generic configurations leave gaps that regulators, auditors, and attackers exploit.

EPC Group's M365 security and compliance engagements cover:

Conditional Access policy design and enforcement
Sensitivity label taxonomy and auto-labeling policy configuration
Data Loss Prevention policies for Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, and endpoints
Microsoft Purview Insider Risk Management deployment
eDiscovery and legal hold configuration
Audit log retention and compliance reporting
Microsoft Secure Score benchmarking and remediation roadmap

HIPAA Compliance in Microsoft 365

HIPAA compliance in M365 requires specific controls across multiple workloads. Required configurations include:

Sensitivity labels for documents containing PHI, with encryption enforced
DLP policies blocking external PHI sharing via email and Teams
Microsoft Purview retention policies with 6-year minimum retention for PHI content
Conditional Access policies restricting access to managed devices
Audit logging enabled for all mailbox and SharePoint activity
Encrypted email with Office Message Encryption (OME)

The first step is to sign the Microsoft Business Associate Agreement (BAA) through the M365 admin center. This agreement is essential for using M365 with HIPAA-covered PHI.

Without the BAA, M365 cannot be used for HIPAA-covered PHI, no matter how well the technical controls are set up.

Copilot for Microsoft 365 Consulting

Deploying Copilot involves more than just assigning licenses. It retrieves content from SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Exchange according to the user's current permissions.

If permissions are set incorrectly, Copilot may expose overshared content to unintended users.

EPC Group begins its Copilot deployment engagements with a permissions and data governance assessment. This process includes:

Remediating oversharing
Deploying sensitivity labels
Configuring Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

After these steps, we proceed with a phased rollout of Copilot.

We also build the change management program — training, adoption metrics, and governance framework — that determines whether Copilot succeeds long-term.

M365 Licensing and Cost Optimization

Microsoft 365 licensing is complex. E3 and E5 bundles differ significantly in security and compliance capabilities.

E5 at $57/user/month adds over E3:

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2
Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps (CASB)
Insider Risk Management
Communication Compliance
Customer Lockbox
Audit (Premium) with 6-year retention

Buying these as E3 add-ons costs around $35 per user each month, in addition to the base E3 price.

For regulated industries, the E5 plan is often the more affordable option.

EPC Group provides license optimization reviews in every M365 engagement. This ensures that clients maximize their investment in Microsoft services.

Managed M365 Support

Post-deployment managed support covers the ongoing administration, security monitoring, and governance that keep an M365 environment healthy.

EPC Group's managed M365 services include:

24/7 monitoring of Exchange Online, SharePoint, Teams, and Entra ID
Monthly security posture review with Secure Score tracking
Proactive patch management and update testing
License optimization and cost reporting
Incident response for security events
Quarterly governance reviews with business stakeholders

Frequently Asked Questions

What does an M365 consulting engagement typically cost?

M365 consulting engagements can differ significantly based on their scope. Here are some typical costs:

A focused security assessment: $15,000–$40,000
A full tenant migration for a 5,000-user organization: $100,000–$300,000, depending on complexity and compliance needs
Managed services: starting at $5,000/month for ongoing support

How long does an M365 tenant migration take?

The timeline for migration varies based on the source environment and the number of users. For example, migrating from Google Workspace to M365 with 1,000 users usually takes:

8 to 12 weeks

However, larger organizations or those with complex compliance needs may need more time.

EPC Group employs a unique minimal-disruption migration tool. This tool allows for migrations to occur while maintaining continuous coexistence.

Do you need E5 for Copilot for Microsoft 365?

Copilot for Microsoft 365 requires an E3 or E5 base license. It also needs the Copilot add-on, which costs $30 per user each month. While you can use Copilot without an E5 license, its security and compliance features are essential for safe use in regulated environments. These features include:

Advanced threat protection
Data loss prevention
Information governance

Sensitivity labels
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Insider Risk management

What is a Microsoft Solutions Partner designation?

In 2022, Microsoft Solutions Partner designations took the place of the old Gold/Silver partner program. There are six designations:

Modern Work
Security
Data & AI
Infrastructure
Digital & App Innovation
Business Applications

Earning a designation requires verified customer success references, certified staff, and revenue thresholds. EPC Group holds all six.

How does EPC Group approach Teams governance?

Teams governance starts with a naming convention, lifecycle policy, and external access policy. These elements must be in place before any user can create a team.

EPC Group sets up Teams policies through the M365 admin center and PowerShell. We also create a request and approval workflow for new teams. Additionally, we offer governance documentation for compliance auditors.

Can you support a single M365 issue without a full engagement?

Yes, EPC Group provides advisory and hourly consulting for specific M365 issues. Our services include:

Conditional Access troubleshooting
DLP policy review
Copilot governance questions
And more

Work With a Microsoft 365 Consulting Partner That Knows Enterprise

EPC Group has provided M365 deployments for Fortune 500 companies and regulated industries since 1997. Our services include:

Tenant architecture
Security configuration
Compliance
Copilot deployment
Managed support

All these services are delivered by a single team with core Microsoft Solutions Partner designations.

Call (888) 381-9725 or request a 30-minute discovery call.

Service Area	Key Deliverables	Timeline	Typical Investment
M365 Assessment & Roadmap	Tenant audit, security gaps, licensing optimization, 90-day roadmap	2-4 weeks	$15,000-$35,000
Security Hardening	Conditional Access, MFA, DLP, sensitivity labels, Defender config	4-6 weeks	$25,000-$75,000
Exchange Online Migration	Mailbox migration, hybrid coexistence, DNS cutover, validation	8-12 weeks	$50,000-$200,000
SharePoint Migration	Content migration, information architecture, site governance	8-16 weeks	$50,000-$250,000
Teams Governance & Rollout	Teams provisioning, lifecycle, guest access, calling, rooms	6-10 weeks	$40,000-$100,000
Copilot Readiness & Deploy	Data classification, oversharing fixes, Copilot pilot, training	6-8 weeks	$35,000-$80,000
Managed M365 Services	24/7 monitoring, incident response, license management, optimization	Ongoing	$3,000-$25,000/mo