Microsoft is tightening its policies for using OneDrive for work and school, introducing fees for unlicensed accounts starting in 2025. This solution aims to improve security and streamline account management.
Changes to OneDrive
New Microsoft rules
Microsoft Corporation announced significant changes to the OneDrive cloud storage policy. Starting January 27, 2025, companies and educational institutions using OneDrive for professional or educational purposes will be required to pay for data storage on unlicensed accounts.
Archiving and payment system
If a user account remains without an active license for more than 90 days, it is automatically archived. Microsoft will charge a monthly fee of $0.05 per gigabyte to store archived data. In this state, information becomes unavailable to both administrators and end users.
To restore access to your organization's data, you will need to enable payment for unlicensed accounts and make a one-time payment fee of $0.60 per gigabyte. If you stop paying for storage, the account will be completely deleted after 93 days.
Rationale for innovations
Microsoft attributes these changes to security concerns. According to the company, unlicensed OneDrive accounts can pose a threat to information security, compliance, and lead to file confusion and duplication.
Any account that is not associated with an active Microsoft 365 subscription or Office 365: An account may become unlicensed if its license expires, is deactivated, or is not assigned.
Transition period and account management
There is a grace period for accounts that become archived. If an organization activates an account within a week, there will be no reactivation fee. An archived account can also be deleted without prior activation if it is not subject to retention policies.
After January 27, 2025, any account that loses its license will have 90 days before archiving. However, for accounts that lost their license before October 26, 2024, archiving may occur between the end of January and the end of March 2025.
Organizations are encouraged to audit their unlicensed accounts by January 2025. It is expected that starting August 16, 2024, a list of unlicensed accounts will be available in the SharePoint admin center for ease of management.
Glossary
- Microsoft is an American technology corporation, one of the largest software manufacturers
- OneDrive - cloud storage service from Microsoft
- SharePoint - platform for collaboration and document management from Microsoft
- Microsoft 365 - a set of office applications and cloud services from Microsoft
- Office 365 - the previous name of Microsoft 365, a comprehensive solution for business
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Answers to questions
What changes is Microsoft making to the OneDrive rules?
What happens to archived OneDrive accounts?
Why is Microsoft making these changes?
When do the new rules come into force and is there a transition period?
Is there a way to avoid the reactivation fee for an archived account?
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Discussion of the topic – OneDrive changes the rules: paid storage for inactive accounts
Microsoft is introducing new rules for OneDrive that will require organizations to pay to store data on inactive accounts. From 2025, unlicensed accounts will be archived and storage fees will apply.
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Olivia
Wow, Microsoft is changing the rules again! 😮 Now you have to pay for inactive OneDrive accounts. Do you think this is fair?
Hans
I think this is a smart move on Microsoft's part. Data security is an important aspect, and inactive accounts can indeed pose a threat. Plus, it's an incentive for organizations to manage accounts better. 🔐
Sophie
I agree with Hans. But I am concerned that many organizations may not be able to react in time. Imagine how much data could be lost if administrators miss a deadline! 😱
Carlos
Sophie, they will have enough time - until January 27, 2025. This is more than enough to prepare. In addition, there is still a 90-day period after the license expires. I think Microsoft is giving everyone a chance to adapt.
Viktor
Ha! Another corporate ploy to squeeze more money out of us. All these cloud services are a complete scam. Store your data locally and there will be no problems! 😤
Olivia
Viktor, I understand your frustration, but the convenience of cloud storage cannot be denied. Especially for large organizations. Although I agree that $0.60 per GB for reactivation is quite expensive. 💸
Lena
And I think this is a great reason for companies to get their data in order. How much unnecessary information is stored for years! Maybe this will get everyone thinking about storage efficiency. 🤔
Hans
Lena, great point! This can really be a driver for data optimization. There may also be new tools for account management. I wonder how Microsoft's competitors will react to these changes? 🤓