Short answer
A right-sizing review checks the Microsoft licences you pay for against what your users actually need and use, so you avoid paying for unused or oversized licences, or running short. FirstNet runs one at onboarding and every 90 days after that.
In detail
What a review looks at:
- Unused licences assigned to people who have left or no longer need them
- Oversized plans, where a user has a premium plan but only uses basic features
- Gaps, where users lack a licence for a feature they need, such as security or compliance add-ons
- Term mix, so monthly and annual terms match how stable each group of users is
- Upcoming renewals, planned 90 days ahead so terms are reviewed against real usage
FirstNet assigns licences to persona-based groups rather than user by user. This keeps the licence mix accurate, prevents drift as people join and leave, and makes audits simpler.
Right-sizing is part of FirstNet's standard CSP service, alongside one rand invoice, Azure consumption summaries and quarterly business reviews. For Azure, the equivalent discipline is FinOps: tagging, budget alerts and Reservations or Savings Plans once usage is steady. If you are consolidating several Microsoft contracts, a Microsoft estate audit, typically 2 to 4 weeks, establishes the baseline.
Source: FirstNet Microsoft Licensing service page →
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