Microsoft 365 Business Premium Gets Stronger: Renamed Suites and New Security & Compliance Add-Ons for SMBs
- Microsoft Licensing Team
Small and midsized businesses rely on Microsoft 365 Business Premium as a reliable foundation for productivity and collaboration. With Office apps, Teams, advanced security and device management included, it gives growing businesses an all-in-one platform at a predictable cost.
But cyber threats continue to evolve, and compliance requirements are becoming more demanding. Phishing, identity theft, insider risks and regulatory pressure put added strain on lean IT teams. To help address these challenges, Microsoft has introduced three new add-ons for Business Premium. These bring enterprise-grade security and compliance features to SMBs at a price point designed for smaller organizations.
These new add-ons are designed specifically for organizations with up to 300 users. Let’s look at what’s new, how each suite strengthens protection and why the combined option delivers significant savings.
Note: On October 1, 2025, Microsoft renamed its Microsoft 365 E5 mini-suites. Microsoft 365 E5 Security is now the Microsoft Defender Suite, and Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance is now the Microsoft Purview Suite. The functionality and included features remain the same—only the names have changed.
Defender Suite for Business Premium ($10/user/month)
Unfortunately, the bad guys are equal opportunity attackers—they don’t just go after organizations with enterprise budgets. The Defender Suite brings top-tier identity, device, email and cloud app security into one package.
Key benefits for SMBs:
- Identity protection that stops attacks in real time with Microsoft Entra ID P2’s risk-based conditional access and governance.
- Device security at the enterprise level through Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, including endpoint detection and response (EDR).
- Phishing defense + attack simulations with Microsoft Defender for Office 365 P2, helping train your employees while automatically responding to threats.
- Cloud app protection + shadow IT visibility with Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, giving IT leaders control over risky SaaS usage.
Purview Suite for Business Premium ($10/user/month)
Purview focuses on data protection and compliance, bringing the same tools used by large enterprises, simplified and cost-reduced for SMBs.
Key benefits for SMBs:
- Insider risk detection that uses analytics to flag unusual behavior before it becomes a breach.
- Data protection that follows the file with sensitivity labels, encryption and data loss prevention (DLP).
- Compliant communications that flag risky or inappropriate content across email, Teams and even third-party apps.
- AI safety controls that monitor how AI tools like Copilot interact with sensitive data.
- Investigation readiness with eDiscovery and deep audit logs. No more scrambling when regulators or legal teams ask for data.
Purview helps you prove compliance, avoid fines and build customer trust. All while saving your IT team time.
Defender + Purview Suite ($15/user/month)
Want it all? The combined suite gives you every capability in Defender and Purview for just $15/user/month.
- Enterprise-grade protection across identity, endpoints, email and apps
- Advanced compliance, risk management and AI data governance
- A simplified, single add-on that saves you money
The math: Buying these features separately as standalone products would cost $47.20/user/month. With the combined SMB suite, you pay $15. That’s a 68% savings.
Enterprise Versions of the Suites
On the enterprise side, Microsoft offers the same products under the Microsoft Defender Suite and Microsoft Purview Suite, each priced at $144 per user per year. These are the renamed versions of the former Microsoft 365 E5 Security and Microsoft 365 E5 Compliance add-ons.
Microsoft Defender Suite includes:
- Defender for Endpoint Plan 2 ($62.40)
- Defender for Office 365 Plan 2 ($60)
- Defender for Identity Plan 2 ($66)
- Defender for Cloud Apps ($42)
- Entra ID P2 ($108)
Buying this bundle saves about $194.40 per user per year compared to buying each product individually.
Microsoft Purview Suite includes:
- eDiscovery & Audit ($78)
- Insider Risk Management ($78)
- Information Protection and Governance ($84)
Buying this bundle saves about $96 per user per year versus purchasing each component separately.
While functionality remains the same, these enterprise suites are ideal for customers who need more than 300 seats or already have an enterprise base license.
Cost Comparison: Enterprise vs. SMB Add-Ons
How This Actually Helps SMBs
- Enterprise protection without enterprise pricing: SMBs now have access to the same tools Fortune 500 companies use.
- All-in-one simplicity: Add these suites directly to Business Premium without extra vendors or bolt-ons.
- Better ROI: For every dollar spent, you reduce risk, improve compliance and save IT hours on manual processes.
With these new Microsoft 365 Business Premium add-ons, SMBs get the same protection as enterprises—streamlined, simplified and at a fraction of the cost.
Your business deserves that peace of mind.
Ready to unlock enterprise security at SMB pricing? Talk to HBS about adding these new Microsoft 365 Business Premium suites today.
When are these new add-ons available?
Now
How do I buy them?
Through your Microsoft Partner (like HBS) or the Microsoft Security for SMBs website.
Are there seat limits?
Can I mix licenses between Defender for Business and Defender for Endpoint Plan 2?
Mixed licensing defaults to Defender for Business. To enable Endpoint Plan 2 features, all users need to be licensed.
I already purchased the Microsoft Defender Suite (previously Microsoft 365 E5 Security) add-on—can I switch?
Yes. Customers using the Microsoft Defender Suite add-on can transition to the new Defender Suite for Business Premium starting October 2025.
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