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Update: July 2015 Some readers have kindly brought to my attending that later reading this post, they were concerned every bit to data security. Having read this mail dorsum, some 2 years on, I can come across how some misunderstanding can exist made from this post, so I've updated the article to reflect this. Finally, the disclaimer on this site has always suggested you lot validate the information with secondary sources. Microsoft also publishes information around how they protect and secure data in Part 365 on their Office 365 Trust Center site – please use this for any concerns around data protection. Additional data: Partner admin centre

At the time of writing this post, I was working for a "Microsoft Deject Accelerate" partner. As a result of this, sure user accounts within our ain Office 365 tenant were able to provide support to our customers, they would need to explicitly agree to the partner providing 'delegated assistants' to their Office 365 tenant.

Delegated administration allows selected users to perform 'delegated administration' functions to Office 365 tenants (those that have allowed this) using their own credentials. This could be creating support tickets, managing users accounts and resetting passwords to configuring their services – it is also possible to support customers with SharePoint Online.

All of this of class, from setting up 'delegated administration' through to supporting customers with this function should exist always be agreed and authorised with the customer. A key point to brand clear with your customers is that by establishing the 'delegated administration' trust, the partner has access to provide 'delegated assistants' to Office 365 services, subscriptions and SharePoint Online for example in their Office 365 tenant.

Create a delegated assistants offer for your customers

To create a delegated administration offer for your customers you lot must practice the following:

  1. Browse to the Partner Overview page (https://portal.microsoftonline.com/Partner/PartnerHome.aspx)
  2. Click on the link "Ship delegated administration offers" link.
  3. Re-create the information that appears in the window and sends this offer on to your client(s). The offering isn't client-specific so you tin reuse this offer for multiple customers.
Delegated administration offer template
The delegated administration offer template

The customer must then click on the link they receive and proceed to authorise yous the partner equally a delegated ambassador of their Office 365 tenant. You will then receive an email confirming they take configured delegated administration.

In social club for users within the partner system to perform delegated administration, they must be given authoritative access to companies y'all back up.

"Assign administrative access to companies you support" permission
"Assign administrative access to companies you support" permission

To do assign users with the permission they need you lot must complete the following:

  1. Navigate to the "Users and groups" page.
  2. Find the user yous wish to give this permission to and select "Edit".
  3. From the "Settings" page scroll downward to the "Assign administrative access to companies you lot support" and select "Yeah". This will then requite the user access to the "Partner overview" folio.
  4. And then c hoose the appropriate role, and then click "Save".  The full assistants role has the same privileges as the global admin role for the companies yous back up. The limited assistants part has the aforementioned privileges as the password admin role for the companies you support.

Performing delegated administration

To do administrate a customers Part 365 tenant you must use the "User and domain lookup tool" that is available on the "Partners" tab. Here you tin enter your client's data information technology will bring back information nearly the tenant such as the subscription type and contact information. This page as well displays 3 links to "Administer on behalf of", "Create service requests" and "Show all administrators". The "Administer on behalf of" link will so takes y'all to the "Function 365 admin center" where you can manage and administer their tenant.

James Callaghan

Father, blogger, consultant, SharePoint, Azure, Office 365 and PowerShell specialist, troubleshooter, geek, home brewer and would be amateur chef. View all posts by James Callaghan