Maximising ROI and Security: M365 Optimise vs. Syskit vs. Alvao vs. Surveil.

Licensing Optimisation & Cost Savings

Licensing costs often consume a large chunk of IT budgets. Each of these solutions targets the problem of license sprawl, where companies pay for more Microsoft 365 subscriptions than they actually use. Studies show that 44% of Microsoft 365 licenses are underutilised or oversized, indicating organisations are paying for features they're not fully leveraging.

Cloud9's M365 Optimise excels at license optimisation by combining powerful monitoring tools with ongoing expert guidance. The service analyses actual user activity and aligns licenses to real needs, with monthly reviews by Cloud9's Microsoft Cloud security specialists. These specialists don't just identify issues, they provide tailored implementation guidance to help you right-size your licensing approach. This combination of technology and human expertise means you stop paying for unused or unnecessary licences with support to actually implement the changes.

The unique approach of M365 Optimise is that it doesn't just deliver a one-time assessment but provides continuous optimisation through monthly expert reviews. As one client, Alex Manning, Head of IT at Tecknuovo, noted: "Cloud9 improved our Microsoft Secure Score from 23% to 92%, practically overnight. There's something very comforting in knowing you're in a safe pair of hands that you can trust."

Syskit Point offers a similar value proposition on license management. Its platform provides in-depth reports to maximise ROI on M365 licenses, such as identifying underutilised services and inactive accounts. Syskit makes it easy to compare purchased vs. assigned licenses at a glance. This approach "spend as much as you use" resonates with IT admins looking to justify every pound of license spend. However, it lacks the ongoing expert guidance that Cloud9's M365 Optimise provides.

Alvao takes license optimisation further as part of its Software Asset Management toolkit. It generates a Microsoft 365 License Optimisation report that gives full visibility into license use and highlights any unused licenses based on last user activity. By aligning licenses with actual usage, Alvao emphasises cutting "unnecessary costs". Their website claims "up to 30% cost savings on Microsoft 365 licenses" when using Alvao's insights. Importantly, Alvao also tracks license assignments and renewal dates to ensure you stay compliant and avoid paying for licenses you don't need or missing deadlines.

Surveil, on the other hand, frames license optimisation within a broader FinOps (Financial Operations) perspective. Surveil not only identifies underutilised licenses but also helps forecast future needs. Its platform supports IT in converting waste to value by providing clear visibility into licensing costs and usage patterns. For example, Surveil can help you forecast licensing costs for upcoming renewals or expansions, ensuring you negotiate with data on your side.

The bottom line: all four solutions can drive significant cost savings, but Cloud9's M365 Optimise distinguishes itself by combining powerful monitoring tools with ongoing specialist guidance. This expert-led approach not only identifies optimisation opportunities but ensures they're actually implemented – turning potential savings into actual results.

Security Features and Compliance

In today's threat landscape, optimising licenses without fortifying security is a half-measure. It's no surprise that M365 Optimise and its competitors pair cost optimisation with robust security features.

Cloud9's M365 Optimise approaches security through a combination of automated monitoring and expert security reviews. The service continuously scans your M365 environment for vulnerabilities and best-practice lapses. For instance, it will quickly call out if users are not enrolled in MFA (multi-factor authentication) – a critical gap according to the Cyber Readiness Institute, which reports that 54% of SMEs do not implement MFA for their business accounts.

What sets M365 Optimise apart is the monthly expert reviews that analyse findings and provide implementation guidance tailored to your business. This human-led approach ensures you don't just receive alerts but get actionable recommendations and support to address them effectively. M365 Optimise also tracks your Microsoft Secure Score over time, systematically monitoring and improving your security posture. With automated security checks running in the background and regular expert interpretation, M365 Optimise transforms M365 security management from reactive to proactive.

Syskit Point is likewise known for strengthening M365 security through better governance. While Syskit's feature set includes license oversight, it shines in access management and auditing. With Syskit, admins can audit sharing links, permissions, and external user access across SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive. One reviewer praised that it provided "easy dashboard reports for externally shared links, audit logs, [and] permissions matrix," which would be difficult to compile otherwise. This kind of visibility is crucial for security compliance, e.g., ensuring the right people have the right access (and only for the right duration).

Alvao's security angle is more about compliance and accurate records, given its ITAM (IT asset management) heritage. By ensuring every license is accounted for and every user properly licensed, Alvao helps minimise compliance risks. An often overlooked security aspect is licensing compliance. If you're caught in violation of license terms, it can lead to hefty fines and unplanned audits. Alvao's tracking of usage and tying it to license entitlements keeps you "penalty-free" by staying in bounds of agreements.

Surveil takes a holistic view of security in the context of cloud cost and usage. One of its pillars is Secure Identities, focusing on the risks associated with user accounts and access rights. Surveil will highlight if there are dormant accounts still holding licenses or permissions (for example, if an employee left but their account remains active, which is both a cost and security risk). It helps right-size access for existing staff too, ensuring people only have the access they need for as long as they need it – a core tenet of zero trust.

Each solution offers valuable security features, but Cloud9's M365 Optimise stands out by combining automated security monitoring with specialist-led interpretation and guidance. This approach ensures security findings aren't just identified but actually addressed with expert support.

Expert Guidance & Ongoing Support

A key differentiator among these platforms is the level of expert guidance provided alongside the technology. This is where Cloud9's M365 Optimise truly shines.

M365 Optimise is designed as a comprehensive service that combines powerful monitoring tools with ongoing expert support. Every month, Cloud9's Microsoft Cloud security specialists review the findings from your environment and provide tailored recommendations for optimisation and security improvements. These specialists not only identify issues but provide implementation guidance to help you address them effectively.

This approach means you're not just purchasing a tool but gaining a strategic partner in your M365 management journey. The specialists analyse trends, prioritise actions based on business impact, and provide guidance that aligns with your specific goals and constraints. As one client noted: "There's something very comforting in knowing you're in a safe pair of hands that you can trust." This ongoing expert support is particularly valuable for organisations without dedicated Microsoft specialists in-house.

By contrast, Syskit Point provides a powerful self-service platform with technical support when needed, but lacks the structured, ongoing expert guidance that Cloud9's M365 Optimise delivers. Users get access to tools and dashboards for self-managed optimisation, with support available for technical issues rather than strategic guidance. While Syskit's tools are user-friendly, the interpretation and implementation of findings are largely left to internal teams.

Alvao integrates M365 optimisation into broader IT workflows, but similarly relies on internal expertise to interpret and act on findings. The solution is process-focused rather than guidance-focused, making it suitable for organisations with strong in-house Microsoft expertise but less ideal for those seeking strategic direction and implementation support.

Surveil employs AI-powered recommendations and optional professional services, offering automated guidance but lacking the structured, ongoing human expertise that comes standard with Cloud9's M365 Optimise. The AI assistant can identify optimisation opportunities, but the strategic interpretation and implementation guidance that human experts provide is available only as an add-on service.

For organisations seeking not just tools but true partnership in their M365 management journey, Cloud9's M365 Optimise offers a unique value proposition. The combination of powerful technology and ongoing expert guidance ensures that optimisation opportunities are not just identified but actually implemented, leading to tangible business results.

Usability & User Experience

All the advanced features in the world mean little if the platform is cumbersome. Fortunately, our four contenders prioritise usability, albeit in different ways.

Cloud9's M365 Optimise was created specifically to be easy and effective for businesses to get crucial M365 insights with minimal overhead. The approach combines powerful monitoring tools with expert interpretation, making complex data accessible and actionable. The service delivers clear, business-focused reports that highlight both opportunities and risks, with specialist guidance to make sense of the findings.

The monthly reviews by Cloud9's security specialists transform raw data into strategic insights, ensuring you understand not just what's happening in your environment but what it means for your business. This expert-led approach means IT managers can quickly brief their CIO or Finance team with confidence, backed by specialist interpretation. Even smaller IT teams (or those without dedicated Microsoft licensing experts) are empowered to take decisive action with this level of support.

Syskit Point is frequently lauded for its user-friendly experience. Its customers describe it as "very user friendly... with plenty of features that can be accessed without any coding". Deployment is straightforward; a quick setup and it runs in the cloud (or can be installed on-prem if needed). The UI is web-based, with a clean dashboard summarising your tenant status. Navigation is logically divided (e.g., separate views for license reports, access management, audit logs, etc.), which aligns with how IT admins typically think of their tasks. While Syskit offers a user-friendly interface, it lacks the expert interpretation and guidance that Cloud9's M365 Optimise provides.

When it comes to Alvao, usability is tied to integration. Alvao's M365 optimisation module lives within its broader Asset Management and Service Desk platform. This means if you're already using Alvao, the license optimisation comes as a familiar extension of your toolkit. Even if you're not, Alvao is built with a Microsoft-centric design (the company is a longtime Microsoft partner). The interface incorporates Microsoft Fluent design cues and integrates with tools like Teams; one user said "the integration with Teams and Azure is pretty good and intuitive". This allows, for example, notifications or approval workflows about license changes to appear in Teams where your IT staff already collaborate.

Surveil is designed for both end-user enterprises and service providers managing multiple clients, which suggests a high emphasis on user experience and scalability. On the usability front, Surveil offers a "streamlined onboarding process" with "intuitive interface and guided setup". From the first login, it provides a guided tour to connect your Microsoft 365 tenant and outlines the data it will analyse. The platform's UI is modern, with a dashboard that can be customised to show KPIs that matter most to you (e.g., current spend vs. budget, security risk index, adoption score, etc.).

While all four solutions offer user-friendly interfaces, Cloud9's M365 Optimise sets itself apart by combining technology with expert guidance. This approach ensures that even complex data is translated into actionable insights, making it accessible to teams of all skill levels.

Reporting and Actionable Insights

At the end of the day, these platforms are only as good as the insights they deliver. Quality reporting is crucial for communicating value to stakeholders and guiding decision-making.

Cloud9's M365 Optimise emphasises actionable insight over raw data. Its reports are not just inventories; they come with "precise recommendations to improve your M365 environment" that are enhanced by expert interpretation during monthly reviews. For example, the service doesn't just list who has what license; it will explicitly call out users who could be moved to cheaper licenses to save money, with specific savings quantified.

Similarly, a security report might highlight that enabling a certain Azure AD security feature (like Conditional Access) could raise your Secure Score by X points and reduce risk exposure, with implementation guidance from Cloud 9's security specialists. This actionable style is informed by Cloud9's expertise: it's like having a consultant prepare a custom report for you, regularly.

These reports form a baseline for continuous optimisation; Cloud9's team helps interpret them and plan next steps as part of their service approach. As one reference point, Cloud9's Clear Path framework (which underpins the M365 Optimise service) delivers a custom transformation roadmap after the initial assessment. This kind of roadmap is invaluable for IT leaders: it lays out immediate quick wins and longer-term actions, all backed by data and expert interpretation.

Syskit Point's reporting is one of its strongest selling points. It provides a rich set of pre-built reports for Microsoft 365 that go well beyond what Microsoft's admin center offers natively. For instance, you can generate a report of all Teams with external guests, or a SharePoint site permissions matrix, or OneDrive storage consumption by user – all with a few clicks. Importantly, Syskit allows filtering and customisation of reports. Want to see licenses by department? By country? By product (Exchange vs SharePoint usage)? Those slices are readily available. This flexibility means different stakeholders can get the insights they care about.

Alvao delivers reporting mainly through its Microsoft 365 Optimisation report and via its integration with analytics tools like Power BI. The built-in report gives you a clear overview of all your Microsoft 365 licenses, usage, and the potential optimisations (who's underutilising what). It focuses on clarity: for each user, you could see last activity date which informs whether their assigned license is justified. It will list unused licenses and even suggest which higher-cost licenses could be swapped for lower-cost ones.

Surveil arguably goes the furthest in marrying reporting with business intelligence. It doesn't produce a single report so much as it provides a living dashboard of metrics and the ability to drill down or roll up information on demand. The Surveil platform is built to analyse, optimise, secure, and control IT investments – and its reporting reflects that breadth. You get insights into license utilisation similar to the others, but also deeper looks at adoption (e.g., which Microsoft 365 apps or even features are being used vs. lying idle).

While all four solutions offer robust reporting capabilities, Cloud9's M365 Optimise differentiates itself by combining data-driven insights with expert interpretation. This approach ensures that reports are not just informative but truly actionable, with guidance on implementation and prioritisation provided by security specialists.

Conclusion

Microsoft 365 environments are complex beasts – but with the right solution, that complexity becomes an opportunity for optimisation rather than a source of stress. Our comparison shows that Cloud9's M365 Optimise, Syskit, Alvao, and Surveil each bring powerful features to the table, from cutting licensing waste and improving security, to automating tedious tasks and delivering insightful reports.

Syskit Point strengthens governance and offers user-friendly reporting that many organisations find indispensable. Alvao integrates license management into a broader IT management strategy, ensuring cost control goes hand-in-hand with compliance. Surveil stands out for its all-encompassing analytics and forward-thinking insights on cloud investments.

Yet, Cloud9's M365 Optimise emerges as a compelling choice, especially for UK businesses, by combining powerful monitoring tools with ongoing expert guidance. The service not only identifies optimisation opportunities and security risks but provides the specialist support needed to actually implement improvements.

What truly sets M365 Optimise apart is its human-led approach. While the technology does the heavy lifting of data collection and analysis, Cloud9's Microsoft Cloud security specialists provide the interpretation, prioritisation, and implementation guidance that transforms insights into business results. This combination of technology and expertise ensures that optimisation is not a one-time project but an ongoing journey of improvement.

The unique value proposition of M365 Optimise is captured well by Alex Manning, Head of IT at Tecknuovo: "Cloud9 improved our Microsoft Secure Score from 23% to 92%, practically overnight. There's something very comforting in knowing you're in a safe pair of hands that you can trust."

If you're looking to rein in Microsoft 365 costs while fortifying your defences and freeing your IT staff from firefighting, now is the time to evaluate these solutions. And if you're in the UK, you have a unique advantage with Cloud9 Security's M365 Optimise – meaning you get local expertise and support on top of a world-class monitoring solution.

Ready to transform your Microsoft 365 environment into a lean, secure, and intelligently managed powerhouse? Contact us today to learn more about M365 Optimise or to schedule a free assessment.

As cloud security specialists, we'll guide you through our Clear Path to Microsoft 365 excellence – from an initial health check to full implementation and ongoing support.

Don't let unnecessary licensing costs and lurking security gaps hold your business back. Take the next step with Cloud9 and M365 Optimise, and turn those digital cloud challenges into your biggest opportunities.

Get in touch with us now to start your journey toward cloud confidence and cost-efficiency!