Microsoft 365 & Azure Optimization

The Problem We Were Brought In to Solve

An insurance management firm was overspending on cloud infrastructure without realising it. Azure resources were over-provisioned, Microsoft 365 licenses included departed employees and misaligned tiers, and key cost-saving features like Azure Hybrid Benefit and Reserved Instances remained unused. Simultaneously, critical security gaps existed — no conditional access policies, no geographical restrictions, and inadequate identity governance — creating exploitable vulnerabilities throughout the environment.

Solution & Implementation

CG Technologies conducted a three-week audit and optimisation engagement. Azure spend was reduced by implementing Hybrid Benefit for qualifying workloads, applying Reserved Instance pricing to predictable workloads, right-sizing virtual machines to match actual performance requirements, and eliminating unused services. A comprehensive Microsoft 365 license audit identified 19 unnecessary or misaligned licenses, which were removed or downgraded. Security hardening included developing role-based Conditional Access Policies, implementing geo-restrictions limiting access to approved regions, enhancing MFA implementation, configuring risk detection, and establishing baseline identity protection controls. Azure Cost Management, Microsoft Secure Score, Power BI, and the Microsoft 365 Admin Center were used throughout.

Measurable Outcomes

Monthly cloud costs fell by $2,100 — a 34% overall reduction. Azure monthly spend dropped from $4,650 to $3,200 (31%). Microsoft 365 license costs fell from $1,850 to $1,200 (35%). Microsoft Secure Score improved from 42 to 78 out of 100 — an 86% improvement. Risky login attempts dropped 80% within the first 30 days of implementing six new Conditional Access rules. The client noted the project exceeded their expectations in both cost reduction and security enhancement.

Lessons Learned