Maximize MS Unified Support Savings with Onshore's Rural Outsourcing Model
- Shane Mayes
- Mar 8
- 4 min read
Introduction: A Smarter Way to Cut IT Support Costs
As enterprises continue to face rising Microsoft Unified Support costs, IT leaders are actively seeking more cost-effective alternatives that don’t compromise on service quality. Traditional support models—whether from Microsoft or global IT providers—often come with high costs, slow response times, and inconsistent service quality due to offshore outsourcing.
Onshore Unified Support is changing the game by combining the cost savings of outsourcing with the expertise, reliability, and security of U.S.-based support. Powered by our rural outsourcing model, Onshore delivers Microsoft Unified Support at 30–50% lower cost while providing faster, more personalized service.
In this blog, we’ll explore how Onshore’s rural outsourcing strategy helps enterprises reduce IT support expenses, improve service consistency, and enhance data security, making it the best alternative to Microsoft Unified Support.
The Cost Problem: Why Microsoft Unified Support is Overpriced
Microsoft’s Unified Support is built on a pricing model that scales with enterprise spending. Instead of paying for actual support usage, companies are charged a percentage of their total Microsoft product spend. This means that as an enterprise adopts more Microsoft services, their support costs automatically increase—regardless of how often they use support.
Key Issues with Microsoft Unified Support Pricing:
High Base Costs: Microsoft’s minimum Unified Support contract starts around $50K per year, and larger enterprises often pay six- or seven-figure sums for annual coverage.
Cost Increases with Microsoft Spend: IT budgets are strained as Microsoft bundles support with licensing fees, forcing enterprises to pay 8–12% of their total Microsoft spend on support.
Lack of Usage-Based Flexibility: Many companies find that they pay for more support than they actually use, leading to wasted budget.
This rigid, one-size-fits-all pricing model has led many enterprises to look for third-party support providers that offer the same expertise at significantly lower costs. This is where Onshore Unified Support comes in.
How Onshore’s Rural Outsourcing Model Delivers Maximum Cost Savings
Onshore’s rural outsourcing model is the key to offering Microsoft Unified Support at 30–50% lower cost. While traditional IT support companies either:
Operate in high-cost urban centers, increasing overhead, or
Outsource overseas, reducing service quality,
Onshore has created a high-performance, cost-efficient alternative by strategically locating its IT support teams in rural communities across the United States.
Lower Labor & Overhead Costs = More Affordable Support
Unlike Microsoft or US Cloud, which have support centers in high-cost metro areas, Onshore’s IT service centers are based in rural locations where the cost of living and wages are significantly lower. This allows us to hire highly skilled IT professionals while maintaining a cost advantage that we pass directly to our customers.
Microsoft Unified Support relies on high-cost metro talent, driving up their support fees.
Onshore taps into rural America’s untapped IT talent, significantly lowering operational costs.
Savings of 30–50% on support contracts compared to Microsoft’s Unified Support pricing.
2. Lower Turnover = More Consistent Support
One of the biggest hidden costs in IT support is high employee turnover. Offshore support teams and metro-area IT centers often suffer from rapid churn, meaning customers deal with a constant cycle of inexperienced support reps who lack deep knowledge of their environment.
Onshore’s rural outsourcing model offers:
Higher employee retention rates due to lower competition in rural job markets.
Engineers who stay with clients long-term, building deep familiarity with their IT environments.
More personalized and reliable support compared to Microsoft’s rotating support staff.
3. 100% U.S.-Based = More Secure & Compliant Support
For industries such as finance, healthcare, and government, data security is paramount. Many enterprises face regulatory challenges when IT support is handled by offshore teams, where data privacy laws and security standards vary.Onshore Unified Support is entirely U.S.-based, ensuring:
Stronger compliance with regulations such as HIPAA, FedRAMP, and ITAR.
No risk of data exposure to foreign governments (unlike offshore providers).
A support team that understands U.S. cybersecurity best practices and compliance needs.
4. Customizable Support Plans – Pay Only for What You Need
Another key advantage of Onshore’s approach is our flexible, consumption-based pricing model. Unlike Microsoft’s bundled pricing, which forces enterprises into predefined tiers, Onshore lets businesses customize their support plans:
Choose only the services you need, rather than paying for an all-inclusive package.
Adjust support levels as needed—scale up or down without long-term lock-in.
Rollover unused support hours to future periods, so clients maximize every dollar spent.
This flexibility ensures that enterprises only pay for what they actually use, saving them millions in IT support costs over time.
Why Onshore Unified Support is the Best Microsoft Support Alternative
Onshore Unified Support is more than just a replacement for Microsoft Unified Support—it’s a superior solution that combines cost savings, security, and high-touch service. Here’s how we compare against Microsoft and US Cloud:
Feature | Microsoft Unified Support | US Cloud | Onshore Unified Support |
Cost Savings | High-cost, percentage-based fees | 30-50% lower than Microsoft | 50-75% lower than Microsoft |
Support Model | Offshore/Global | 100% U.S.-Based | 100% U.S.-Based, Rural Outsourcing |
Response Time | 1-4 hours for critical issues | 15-minute SLA | 15-minute SLA |
Support Team Stability | Rotating global staff | U.S.-based engineers | U.S.-based Rural talent with low turnover |
Security & Compliance | Offshore risk for sensitive data | U.S.-based, but metro-area costs | 100% U.S.-based, FedRAMP & HIPAA compliant |
Contract Flexibility | Locked-in annual contracts | Fixed support plans | Customizable, pay-for-what-you-use pricing |
AI-Driven Support | No AI-driven automation | Traditional support model | DUSTy AI accelerates resolution times |
Conclusion: Smarter IT Support, Bigger Cost Savings
For enterprises frustrated with Microsoft Unified Support’s high costs and slow response times, Onshore Unified Support is the best alternative—delivering faster service, greater flexibility, and major cost savings thanks to our rural outsourcing model.
✅ Save 30–50% on IT support costs.
✅ 15-minute response time for critical issues.
✅ 100% U.S.-based support with dedicated teams.
✅ Stronger security & compliance (HIPAA, FedRAMP, ITAR).
✅ Flexible, consumption-based pricing with rollover hours.
🔹 Ready to lower your IT support costs? Get a free support cost assessment today and see how Onshore Unified Support can help you save millions while improving service quality.
📩 Contact us now to schedule your consultation!
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