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 Outlook
providerId: microsoft-outlook
publisherName: Microsoft Corporation
serviceCategory: Email and Calendar
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 Outlook: free with a consumer Microsoft account (Outlook.com),
  bundled into Microsoft 365 / Office 365 / Exchange Online for work and school. APIs included with the
  seat licence; no per-call charge.'
sources:
  - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/outlook/email-and-calendar-software-microsoft-outlook
  - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/exchange/compare-microsoft-exchange-online-plans
billingModel:
  pricingCategory: Bundled with Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online
  billingFrequency: Monthly
  billingCurrency: USD
  chargeCategories:
    - Usage
    - Purchase
    - Tax
    - Adjustment
focusColumns:
  ServiceName: Microsoft Outlook
  ServiceCategory: Email and Calendar
  ProviderName: Microsoft
  PublisherName: Microsoft Corporation
  InvoiceIssuerName: Microsoft Corporation
  BillingCurrency: USD
  ChargeCategory: Purchase
meters:
  - name: outlook_seats
    description: Outlook entitlement via Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online seat licences
    unit: seat
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - tenant
      - sku
  - name: mailbox_storage
    description: Mailbox storage in use (primary + archive)
    unit: GB
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - mailbox
      - mailbox_type
  - name: graph_mail_calendar_requests
    description: Microsoft Graph mail / calendar / contacts API calls (no charge; tracked for throttling)
    unit: request
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - application
      - tenant
      - resource
  - name: smtp_messages_sent
    description: Outbound SMTP messages per mailbox
    unit: message
    aggregation: sum
    dimensions:
      - mailbox
principles:
  - name: Visibility
    description: Use the Microsoft 365 admin centre user-activity reports, Exchange admin centre mailbox
      usage report, and Message Trace API for inbound / outbound visibility.
  - name: Allocation
    description: Tag mailboxes by department / cost-centre via Entra group-based licensing; tag programmatic
      mail traffic by the Graph application identity.
  - name: Optimization
    description: Convert seldom-used user mailboxes to shared mailboxes (no licence under 50 GB); migrate
      from EWS to Microsoft Graph; replace polling with change notifications; right-size Plan 1 vs Plan
      2 based on archive needs.
  - name: Accountability
    description: Workplace IT owns Outlook policy and licence assignment; security owns DLP / Defender
      for Office 365 policy; finance owns Exchange / M365 SKU mix.
maintainers:
  - FN: Kin Lane
    email: kin@apievangelist.com