Integrating Microsoft 365 with Customer Engagement Apps

Role of the Microsoft 365 Administrator:

• Manage the company tenant.

• Acquire and assign licenses for extra services like:

  • Project Online

  • Visio

  • Scheduler

  • Microsoft Stream

• Purchase extra capabilities such as Microsoft Purview eDiscovery (Premium).

Benefits of integrating with customer engagement apps:

• Easier maintenance – centralized control and management.

• Broader availability – access from anywhere, any device.

• Better coordination – improved teamwork across devices.

Microsoft 365 offers two main integration methods:

1. Purchase services page – in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

2. Marketplace – in the Microsoft Azure portal.

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1. Purchase Services Page (Microsoft 365 Admin Center)

Location:

• Found under Billing → Purchase services.

Features:

• Displays add-on services and full suite options.

• Many subscriptions offer a 30-day trial:

  • Trial ends → access removed unless purchased.

  • Full features available during trial for evaluation.

Uses of the Purchase Services page:

1. Purchase new products – e.g., Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Business Standard, Apps for Business.

2. Add-on services – e.g., Microsoft Teams, Power BI, Project Online.

3. Manage licenses – add, remove, change, or assign licenses.

4. View purchase history – see dates, items, and amounts paid.

5. Get recommendations – Microsoft suggests products based on needs.

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Product Comparison Feature

Steps:

1. Tick Compare next to products.

2. Click Compare button.

Comparison page shows:

• Product overview – audience, key features, benefits.

• Features comparison – side-by-side list grouped by category.

• Pricing – per-user monthly cost.

• Technical specifications – system requirements, integrations.

• Customer reviews – ratings and experiences.

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Assigning Services

Two ways to assign:

1. After purchase – go to User tab → locate user → assign license.

2. Immediately – choose Assign to when claiming license.

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2. Azure Marketplace (Microsoft Azure Portal)

Purpose:

• Catalog of Microsoft + third-party apps for Azure.

• Enables governance at tenant level by controlling what apps users can deploy or purchase.

Two types:

1. Azure Marketplace – open to all Azure users.

   • Thousands of apps in categories like Compute, DevOps, AI, ML.

   • Users can find, try, and buy services.

2. Private Azure Marketplace – controlled environment for approved apps only.

   • Admin decides what’s available based on policies.

   • Microsoft + endorsed Linux apps added automatically.

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Collections

• A list of approved products in Private Azure Marketplace.

• Can include one or more approved plans.

• Govern and control marketplace solutions at subscription level.

• Default Collection:

  • Created automatically.

  • Scope: all subscriptions under tenant.

  • Cannot be renamed or deleted.

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Key Differences

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Creating a Private Azure Marketplace

1. Assign Marketplace Admin role.

2. Create private marketplace (starts disabled).

3. Add approved products to Default Collection or make new collections.

4. Enable marketplace so users can deploy approved products.

Important:

• Applies tenant-wide.

• All Microsoft + endorsed Linux apps are approved by default.

• Admin can still manage lists per subscription via collections.

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✅ In summary:

• Purchase Services page = buy/manage Microsoft 365 products & add-ons from admin center.

• Azure Marketplace = find apps for Azure, with Private Marketplace for stricter control and compliance.