Article Cloud Care Update: July 2026
Cloud Care Update
July 2026
Cloud Vendor News & Updates:
1: Try Microsoft 365 Copilot: Free for 30 days - Perfect for SMB's:
In July 2026, small and medium-sized businesses (up to 300 users) can try Microsoft 365 Copilot Premium for free — no payment information required.
What you get during the trial:
- Full access to premium Copilot features across Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, and more
- Seamless integration with your Microsoft 365 content (emails, documents, calendar)
- 30 days to evaluate real value before making a purchase decision
How to get started: Users can activate the trial directly from Copilot Chat. Your admin can manage trial access through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and can disable the option if needed.
Pro tip for success: We recommend establishing AI usage guidelines before launching the trial and starting with a small pilot group. This structured approach helps you clearly measure outcomes and make a more informed decision about scaling Copilot across your organization.
After 30 days, users will need a paid license to continue using premium features — but you'll have concrete data to support your investment decision.
More information can be found in the Microsoft Community Hub
2: Windows 365 Frontline Is Now Windows 365 Flex:
Microsoft has rebranded Windows 365 Frontline to Windows 365 Flex.
No action required. Your licensing, functionality, and pricing are unchanged. No migration needed.
What to expect: Microsoft documentation is updated, but some systems (Microsoft’s product catalog as seen in buy.insight.com, and your admin portals) may still show "Frontline" while rebranding completes.
More information can be found in the Microsoft Learn Documentation
3: Annual local currency pricing updates for Commercial Cloud:
Beginning this Microsoft fiscal year (July 1, 2026), Microsoft will transition from bi-annual (April & September) to annual local currency pricing updates every January for its Commercial Cloud services, providing customers with greater pricing predictability while continuing to account for sustained fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.
The next local currency update will be effective January 1, 2027, and occur annually on this date, except in limited exceptional circumstances.
Notifications with guidance on the upcoming year’s pricing updates will be issued in advance every November.
Any product-specific price adjustments and/or any consumer price adjustments will continue to be communicated separately. Microsoft remains committed to helping customers and partners plan with confidence and invest in the technologies they need to grow and adapt.
4: The July 2026 Microsoft NCE Promotions Are Now Available:
Microsoft has published its latest New Commerce Experience (NCE) Promotions Guide, effective July 1, 2026.
With the start of the new promotional period, some existing offers have ended, several promotions have been extended, and new promotions have been introduced.
To view the latest promotions and check eligibility requirements, please visit the NCE Promotions Hub.
5: Now available: Microsoft 365 Business with Copilot SKUs:
As of July 1, 2026, the Microsoft 365 Business with Copilot SKUs, are now generally available.
These new SKUs turn a successful promotional motion into a permanent, predictable offer you can build your business around.
Two new subscriptions are now live:
- Microsoft 365 Business Standard with Copilot: 23.50 USD per user per month (300-license maximum, annual subscription with annual billing)
- Microsoft 365 Business Premium with Copilot: 32 USD per user per month (300-license maximum, annual subscription with annual billing)
There are also two live promotional offers, providing more opportunities to scale AI adoption:
- New promo: Microsoft 365 Business Basic + Microsoft 365 Copilot Business: 21 USD per user per month after a 25% off promo through December 2026. No license minimum (1-300 licenses, annual subscription with annual billing).
- Extended promo: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business remains available as a standalone offering at 18 USD per user per month after a 15% promo extended through December 2026. No license minimum (1-300 licenses, annual subscription with annual billing).
These SMB SKUs and promotions embed AI directly into the core productivity experience, removing friction and making Copilot the default, not an add-on.
Customers currently on the standalone version of Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, or Premium, can perform a mid-term upgrade to the Microsoft 365 Business & Microsoft 365 Copilot bundles at any time within Insight’s Cloud Commerce Platform (CCx) at https://buy.insight.com
If you have any questions, please contact your local Insight sales team.
