Proxima: Simplifying Microsoft licensing and building the foundations for governed AI_

Key takeaways_

• Infinity Group helped Proxima assess its existing Microsoft estate and model a move from separate E5, Copilot and Entra Private Access licences to Microsoft E7.
• The move gave Proxima a cleaner licensing approach at a comparable modelled cost, while adding capabilities to support the oversight and lifecycle governance of AI agents.
• The project builds on a long-term relationship in which Infinity Group acts as an extension of Proxima’s internal IT team, providing project delivery, networking expertise, specialist technical advice and licensing support.

The challenge_

Proxima was already making extensive use of the Microsoft stack. It held Microsoft 365 E5 licences, used Microsoft Defender and had adopted Copilot for permanent employees, with plans to extend access to contractors who needed to use the same internally developed tools.

At the same time, the IT team was reviewing its existing remote-access technology and considering Entra Private Access as part of its future roadmap. This created a licensing question: should Proxima continue combining several separate licences, or adopt a model that brought the required capabilities together more cleanly?

AI governance was also becoming more important. As people across the business began exploring and building their own agents, Proxima needed greater visibility of what was being created, where ideas overlapped and how appropriate governance and lifecycle controls could be established.

The solution_

The release of Microsoft E7 created a timely opportunity to bring Proxima’s requirements together under a cleaner licensing model.

Using its detailed knowledge of Proxima’s Microsoft estate and future plans, Infinity Group assessed the new E7 licence against the organisation’s existing approach. Cost modelling showed that E7 was comparable with purchasing E5, Copilot and Entra Private Access separately, while also providing additional capabilities to support AI agent governance.

Infinity Group provided the specialist technical advice and commercial evidence Proxima needed to make an informed decision. Instead of managing multiple licences per user, Proxima gained a more streamlined approach that aligned with its technology roadmap and gave the business greater scope to govern its growing use of AI.

Outcomes and benefits_

• Cleaner licensing: A consolidated approach reduces the need to manage several separate licences for each user.
• Cost-informed decision-making: Infinity’s modelling found that E7 was comparable with the combined cost of the licences Proxima was already using or considering.
• Stronger AI oversight: Proxima has gained capabilities that can help it understand agent activity and shape governance as adoption develops.
• Specialist capacity on demand: Infinity continues to complement Proxima’s internal IT team with project, networking, technical and licensing expertise.