EA to CSP
Get to know the Microsoft CSP Program: When an EA doesn’t fit.
Microsoft’s Enterprise Agreement (EA) has long been assumed to be the best licensing option for businesses with over 500 seats. And for businesses with fewer than 500 seats, it may feel like your lack of eligibility has you missing out. But there may be a better option — no matter the size of the business.
Working with a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) allows businesses to purchase cloud computing services — such as software as a service (SaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), or platform as a service (PaaS) — without an EA or minimum seat requirement. But this doesn’t mean a CSP is only intended for smaller businesses. In fact, even large organizations often find that a CSP is a better fit for their needs.
IFI Techsolutions is not just another CSP. We are a team of experts with an average of over 10+ years of experience, dedicated to helping large enterprises like yours unlock the full potential of the cloud through our CSP program.
Expert cloud guidance
Comprehensive service offerings
Proven track record
Projects delivered
Frequently Asked Questions
Will moving to a CSP actually save us money on Azure?
Yes, it usually does. When you’re on a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA), it’s easy to overpay for upfront commitments you aren’t fully using. Moving to a Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) switches you to a true pay-as-you-go model. Plus, an active partner like IFI Techsolutions will regularly review your Azure setup, recommend ways to right size your resources, and cut out cloud waste so you only pay for what your business actually needs.
Does our technical support change when we leave an Enterprise Agreement?
Yes, and usually for the better! Instead of waiting in long, generic support queues, a CSP gives you direct access to dedicated Microsoft experts. For example, when you switch with IFI Tech, you get complimentary 24×7 managed support for the first few months. We act as an extension of your IT team to handle troubleshooting, infrastructure management, and proactive monitoring.
Can a CSP partner like IFI Techsolutions help us actually migrate and modernize our workloads?
Absolutely. As your CSP partner, IFI Techsolutions does a lot more than just handle billing and licenses; we act as your hands-on cloud engineers. The IFI team can assess your current on-premises data center, figure out exactly what should move to Azure, and handle the entire migration process from start to finish to make sure your infrastructure is modernized, fast, and secure.
Will migrating from an EA to a CSP mess with our existing security or data compliance?
Not at all. The transition from an EA to a CSP is completely administrative—it just changes how your services are provisioned and billed. Your actual Microsoft cloud environment, data privacy settings, and security configurations stay exactly as they are without any downtime. In fact, many businesses end up more secure because they start utilizing the advanced cybersecurity monitoring their CSP provides.
How easy is it to add or remove user licenses on a CSP plan?
It’s incredibly fast and flexible. Unlike a traditional EA that locks you into strict seat minimums and only lets you reduce licenses once a year during your anniversary true-up, the CSP model lets you adjust month by month. If your team shrinks or grows, you can scale your Microsoft licenses up or down almost instantly to match your actual headcount.
Can we test out Azure workloads before committing to a full migration?
Yes, you definitely can. We know that moving critical workloads to the cloud is a big step, which is why IFI Techsolutions offers Azure Proof of Concepts (POCs) as part of our engagement. This lets your IT team safely test the performance, security, and potential return on investment (ROI) on a small scale before you roll out the changes to your entire organization.