Changes to Microsoft Agreements
Microsoft is always trying to improve it’s agreements and security of it’s resellers / distributors. This month is seeing some changes that users might get notifications for; but this is nothing to worry about as we explain below.
Security Improvements
Microsoft is forcing all CSPs (Cloud Solution Providers) and indirect CSPs to enable and have two factor authentication enabled. As an indirect CSP this has caused us some worries; but this is all done now and in place ready for Septembers deadline.
What this means for you is that admin tasks and changes to your setup done via us is extra secure as we now have to verify it is us by mobile phone as well as the standard username and password.
Partner administrative permissions
As Microsoft continues to develop it’s partner programs and distribution network; they have added new roles and settings for companies to help define who does what. Currently we do not know what this does for us or our customers; but we know Microsoft is trying to analyse something about the way the products are provided.
This change is something you as the end client will see in the form of an email or two showing some administrative permission changes. To explain these we have broken this into three parts below.
Admin password Changes
We are going around each of our clients that we manage the admin account for and changing the passwords as part of our normal routine. Companies we do not manage the admin account for are not effected.
This is just us performing good house keeping and security practices which you should not see any difference.
Strobe Technologies Ltd T/a Strobe IT now has administrative permissions
When we setup Office 365 for our clients, after purchasing the license we normally add our company to your setup as “partner” so we can perform tasks like password resets and configurations.
This partnership used to be called “Advisor”, but under Microsoft’s new system this status is designed for companies providing support only. As we provide licenses to our customers we have had to upgrade clients to the new “Indirect CSP” partner settings to denote this.
For the clients we do not provide licenses to, this will not change as we are still just an advisor.
As we are performing password changes we are running through the steps to upgrade our status as the same time.
Tech Data Limited now has administrative permissions
As part of us supplying you licenses; this automatically adds our licensing broker also known as a CSP called Tech Data.
As part of our status change from “advisor” to “indirect CSP” this partnership for Tech Data is renewed meaning we can still use them as a broker to supply the licenses as such great rates.
Summary
Basically this all really means nothing to you our customers. From our end this means we are sticking to Microsoft’s latest policies and will continue to operate as normal in a secure and professional manner.