Microsoft Premier Support vs Unified Support: Is the Value Still There?

As Microsoft continues evolving its cloud-first ecosystem, many enterprise customers are reevaluating the value of Microsoft Unified Support compared to its predecessor, Premier Support. Once a cornerstone for enterprise IT support, Microsoft Premier Support was phased out in favor of a more standardized, and often criticized, Unified Support model.

This shift has sparked growing concerns about rising costs, poor utilization, and slow ticket resolution, leading many IT and procurement leaders to ask: Is Microsoft support still worth it?  In this blog, we’ll break down what changed, customer challenges with Unified Support, and why many organizations are exploring third-party alternatives for better service and cost efficiency. 

 What Was Microsoft Premier Support? 

Before 2021, Microsoft Premier Support was the gold standard for enterprise customers seeking reliable technical assistance. It offered: 

• A named Technical Account Manager (TAM) 

• 24/7 problem resolution support 

• Proactive services like risk assessments and health checks 

• Dedicated engineers for escalations 

Pricing was based on prepaid blocks of support hours (minimums required), giving organizations flexibility and predictability over support costs. 

The Shift to Microsoft Unified Support 

In 2021, Microsoft phased out Premier Support in favor of Microsoft Unified Support, a tiered subscription-based model calculated as a percentage of a customer’s total Microsoft spend across cloud services, licensing, Software Assurance, and Azure usage. 

While the intent was to modernize support in line with Microsoft’s cloud-first strategy, the reality has been far from ideal for many customers. Today, Unified Support is widely viewed as expensive, inefficient, with reduced support quality and flexibility, and frustrating, especially for enterprise IT and procurement teams trying to justify its ROI. 

Customer Challenges with Microsoft Unified Support 

Keep in mind that you can only get out of your Unified Support Contract when it’s up for renewal, so you’ll want to give your organization enough time to weigh your support options and determine if it’s the best option for you. Sometimes your Support contract renewal date is matched with your Enterprise Agreement, but not always, so keep track of the support contract date and expiration. 

1. High Cost, Low Utilization

One of the most common complaints from enterprise customers is that Unified Support is overpriced for the value it delivers. While costs are bundled into a flat annual rate based on total Microsoft consumption, actual usage often tells a different story. 

Many organizations I’ve worked with report using only 20-30% of their allocated hours. This leads to overspending on support and diminished ROI across the board. 

2. Delays in Resolution Times

Support tickets in Unified Support can take months to resolve. It’s not uncommon to hear of cases stretching from six months to over a year before full resolution, due to: 

• Inefficient ticket routing 

• Shortages in qualified engineers 

• Delays in escalations 

• Repetitive troubleshooting cycles 

This creates real risks for organizations running mission-critical workloads on Microsoft 365 and Azure. 

3. Inefficient Ticketing System

Another complaint with Microsoft Unified Support is that opening a support ticket is frustratingly cumbersome. If the technology area is misclassified at intake, users are required to: 

• Close the original ticket 

• Reopen a new one under the correct classification 

This restarts the entire support process, adding unnecessary delay, especially in time-sensitive scenarios. 

4. Lower-Value Workshops

Microsoft includes various proactive workshops as part of Unified Support, but these are often: 

• Generic and not customized to the customer’s actual environment 

• Run by consultants unfamiliar with specific organizational needs 

• Counted against your support hour allotment 

In contrast, many System Integrator (SI) partners offer more tailored workshops, for free, that align better with business goals and tech stacks. 

5. Limited Technical Expertise

In the transition from Premier to Unified Support, Microsoft replaced TAMs with Customer Success Account Managers (CSAMs). 

While CSAMs may help with engagement and coordination, they often lack deep technical expertise, leading to: 

• Poor escalation guidance 
• Frustrating communication delays 
• Inadequate resolution for complex issues 

The general sentiment from many customers is, “We need technical experts, not relationship managers.” 

Legacy Premier Support vs Unified Support: Key Differences 

Third-Party Alternatives: Better Microsoft Support at a Fraction of the Cost 

In response to the shortcomings of Unified Support, many enterprise customers are now turning to third-party Microsoft support vendors. 

These vendors typically offer: 

• Faster ticket resolution (measured in hours or days) 

• Dedicated technical experts 

• Custom workshops tailored to business needs 

• Transparent, pay-as-you-go pricing models 

Better yet, they can cost 30 to 60% less than Microsoft Unified Support, without compromising quality. 

Strategic Considerations for IT & Procurement Leaders 

If you’re responsible for Microsoft licensing or cloud operations, it’s time to ask hard questions: 

• Are we getting measurable value from Unified Support? 

• How many of our support hours are we truly using? 

• Do we need a technically savvy support team or just a liaison? 

• Are there third-party providers offering better ROI? 

• Do we have data to show ticket volume trends, SLA breaches, and escalation efficiency? 

Conducting a support audit before your Microsoft renewal can help you answer these questions. From there, you can explore competitive support providers that offer more responsive service and cost control. 

Key Takeaways 

• Microsoft Unified Support replaced Premier Support in 2021, but at the cost of flexibility, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. 

• Common issues include long ticket resolution times, poor utilization of paid hours, and non-technical CSAMs. 

• Third-party support solutions now offer a compelling alternative for Microsoft 365 and Azure environments, often with better service at lower costs. 

• Procurement and IT teams should evaluate current Microsoft contracts and consider options that prioritize value and service delivery. 

Stop Overspending on Microsoft Support. Start Getting Results. 

At ENow, we help organizations optimize their Microsoft licensing and support investments through our Microsoft License Optimization tool and Negotiation Services. If you're frustrated with Unified Support and want to explore cost-effective, high-performance alternatives, let’s talk.  

Contact us today to learn how to reduce waste with insight into your current allocation and consumption of Microsoft 365 licenses, and your overall Enterprise Agreement and Support Contract terms.