specification: FinOps Framework
specificationVersion: '1.0'
schema: https://www.finops.org/framework/
alignedWith:
  framework: FinOps Foundation Framework
  frameworkUrl: https://www.finops.org/framework/
  dataSpec: FOCUS
  dataSpecVersion: '1.3'
  dataSpecUrl: https://focus.finops.org/focus-specification/v1-3/
provider: Microsoft Exchange
providerId: microsoft-exchange
publisherName: Microsoft Corporation
serviceCategory: Email and Collaboration
created: '2026-05-04'
# Provenance stamped 2026-08-11: this artifact was written by the API Evangelist
# bulk sweep dated 2026-05-04, not harvested from the provider. See roadmap#35.
method: generated
modified: '2026-05-05'
reconciled: true
tags:
  - Email
  - Calendar
  - Microsoft 365
  - Microsoft
  - FinOps
  - FOCUS
description: 'FOCUS-aligned FinOps for Microsoft Exchange Online: per-user-per-month subscription (Plan
  1 / Plan 2) or bundled into Microsoft 365 Business / Enterprise plans; mailbox storage and APIs included
  in seat licence with no incremental per-call charge.'
sources:
  - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/exchange/compare-microsoft-exchange-online-plans
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/exchange/exchange-online
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Tiered Subscription
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Usage
    - Purchase
    - Tax
    - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Microsoft Exchange Online
  ServiceCategory: Email and Collaboration
  ProviderName: Microsoft
  PublisherName: Microsoft Corporation
  InvoiceIssuerName: Microsoft Corporation
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
meters:
  - name: exchange_seats
    description: Exchange Online seat licences (standalone Plan 1 / Plan 2 or bundled M365 SKU)
    unit: seat
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - tenant
      - sku
  - name: mailbox_storage
    description: Mailbox storage in use across primary and archive
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - mailbox
      - mailbox_type
  - name: mail_api_requests
    description: Microsoft Graph mail / calendar / contacts API calls (no charge; tracked for throttling)
    unit: request
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - application
      - tenant
  - name: smtp_messages
    description: Outbound SMTP messages per mailbox (subject to 30 msg/min and 10K recipients/day caps)
    unit: message
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - mailbox
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use the Microsoft 365 admin centre licence report, Exchange admin centre mailbox usage
      report, and the Message Trace API to observe consumption.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Map Exchange seats to Entra groups bound to cost-centres; tag programmatic mail traffic
      by application via Graph application identity.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Right-size Plan 1 vs Plan 2 (auto-expanding archive only on Plan 2); reduce shared-mailbox
      sprawl (shared mailboxes <50 GB don't need a paid licence); migrate from EWS to Graph for better
      throttling headroom.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Workplace IT owns mailbox SKU mix and quota policy; security owns DLP / compliance hold
      policies that affect storage growth.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com