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Last reviewed: 3 Oct 2026

Ontinue ION MXDR vs BlueVoyant MDR for Microsoft

Both services co-manage Microsoft security operations. Ontinue ION suits teams that want a documented Sentinel and Defender operating model with collaboration in Teams. BlueVoyant MDR for Microsoft suits teams comparing monitoring and response alongside a wider menu of Microsoft deployment and optimization services. Price the same response permissions and Microsoft costs before choosing.

Updated 3 Oct 2026 · Based on public service documentation.

Ontinue ION MXDR if

  • You can meet ION’s documented Microsoft licensing and tenant requirements.
  • You want escalation and collaboration through a shared Microsoft Teams channel.

BlueVoyant MDR for Microsoft if

  • You want to scope MDR alongside separate Microsoft deployment or optimization work.
  • You are evaluating the UK Microsoft service monitored from Leeds and Cork.

Consider neither if

  • You need to keep a non-Microsoft SIEM as the core of the managed service.
  • You expect the provider to own business recovery and every IT change without your team.

Questions to ask both

  1. Which endpoint, identity and cloud actions can you execute without waiting for us, and which assets are excluded?
  2. Separate the service fee from Microsoft licenses, Sentinel ingestion, onboarding and optional engineering. What changes the bill?
  3. Who owns source failures, incident escalation and recovery when our primary contact is unavailable?

At a glance

Ontinue ION MXDR Co-Managed SOC · Co-manage the SOC · Works with your stack BlueVoyant MDR for Microsoft Co-Managed SOC · Co-manage the SOC · Works with your stack

Daily workflow

ION operates around your Sentinel workspace and Defender deployment, with Cyber Defenders and a shared Teams channel.

The SOC monitors, investigates and responds around Sentinel, Defender XDR and Defender for Cloud. Agree the collaboration and escalation workflow in the contract.

Response authority

The service description lists actions such as host isolation and indicator blocking. Permissions, rules of engagement and escalation paths determine what can run.

The Microsoft offer promises investigation and threat response. Require the precise action list and approval matrix for your subscribed tools.

Licenses and scope

ION requires deployed Defender for Endpoint P2 and Entra ID P2 for delegated access. Customer-created analytic rules and policies are excluded. Sentinel and Log Analytics consumption remain buyer costs.

Define Microsoft licensing and ingestion costs in the quote. Deployment, assessments and continuous optimization are separate services unless included.

Location

The ION platform is hosted in Azure Swiss North. Ask separately where your Microsoft data and incident handling will reside.

The UK Microsoft route names Leeds and Cork SOCs. Confirm your service route, processing locations and data residency separately.

Ownership change

Quorum Cyber announced an agreement to acquire Ontinue on 16 September 2026, subject to closing conditions. Confirm any planned changes to support and contract ownership.

Compare the quoted BlueVoyant Microsoft service against ION’s current scope and any proposed renewal changes.

Full side-by-side specs
Ontinue ION MXDR Co-Managed SOC · Co-manage the SOC · Works with your stack BlueVoyant MDR for Microsoft Co-Managed SOC · Co-manage the SOC · Works with your stack

Decision fit

Service model

Co-managed SOC, MDR, XDR

Co-managed SOC, MDR, XDR

Provider involvement

Co-manage the SOC

Co-manage the SOC

Best for

Mid-Market, Enterprise, Government

Mid-Market, Enterprise, Government

After an alert

Response level

Co-manage the SOC

Co-manage the SOC

Response detail

Ontinue ION automation performs enrichment, triage, investigation and approved response. ION IQ also conducts autonomous investigations for escalated incidents, then passes a summary to a Cyber Defender for human review. Defenders continue investigation and approved containment, while business-critical incidents follow a jointly defined escalation path.

BlueVoyant monitors Microsoft security tooling, enriches and investigates alerts, and uses automation with SOC analysts to respond within the subscribed scope and agreed rules of engagement. Current public Microsoft materials do not identify every available containment action or the exact approval matrix.

Stack and coverage

Platform model

Works with your stack

Works with your stack

SIEM

Microsoft Sentinel

Microsoft Sentinel

EDR

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Microsoft Defender XDR

Cloud

Azure

Microsoft Azure

Coverage areas

Endpoints, Cloud Workloads, Identity & Access, Email, Network, SaaS Applications

Endpoints, Cloud Workloads, Identity & Access

Buying signals

SOC regions

North America, Europe / UK, APAC

Europe / UK

Service documentation

Use the response-permissions guide to check the proposed operating agreement.