Managed Microsoft 365 & Azure Services for Businesses
We operate and maintain Microsoft 365 and Azure after deployment: Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Purview, Azure subscriptions, networking, virtual machines, PaaS, data platforms, backup, monitoring, patching and cloud cost management.
Deployment creates a platform; operations keep it under control
Microsoft 365 and Azure change continuously: users, licenses, policies, devices, sites, applications, consumption, alerts and Microsoft service capabilities. Managed services turn that change into an operating model with defined ownership, priorities and processes.
Operate
Day-to-day configuration, joiners/movers/leavers, policies, permissions, workloads and recurring administration.
Support
L2/L3 platform support, incidents, service requests, troubleshooting and escalation when appropriate.
Protect
Identity, endpoints, email, data and cloud posture within the licensed capabilities and contracted scope.
Govern
Changes, roles, guests, lifecycle, ownership, documentation and exception management.
Optimize
Licensing, Azure consumption, capacity, automation, cost and a continuous-improvement backlog.
We operate Microsoft 365 by workload, not as if it were a single console
The Microsoft 365 admin center centralizes common administration and service status, while Exchange, Teams, SharePoint, Entra, Intune, Defender and Purview retain specialized administration experiences. Operations must respect those boundaries and the dependencies between services.
Mailboxes, shared mailboxes, groups, domains, mail flow, connectors, delegation, calendars, archiving and delivery troubleshooting.
Exchange administration
Teams and channels, meeting/messaging policies, apps, guests, Teams Phone and lifecycle where included.
Teams administration
Sites, owners, sharing, storage, external access, lifecycle and content governance.
Content administrationUsers, groups, roles, MFA, Conditional Access, enterprise applications, guests and privileges.
Identity administration
Enrollment, compliance, configuration, applications, MDM/MAM, Autopilot and device lifecycle.
Endpoint administration
Posture, controls, alerts, incidents, DLP, retention and compliance within the contracted service level.
Managed security
Joiners/movers/leavers, assignments, domains, general settings, Service Health, Message Center and common administrative tasks.
Tenant operations
New Microsoft capabilities, impact review, technical adoption, automation and an ongoing improvement backlog.
Continuous improvementBusiness email: mail flow, permissions and operations under control
Exchange Online is one of the most business-critical workloads in a Microsoft 365 tenant. We manage day-to-day requests and changes affecting delivery, permissions, domains and mail flow with validation and traceability.
What we can manage in Exchange Online
Scope can include the Exchange admin center and Exchange Online PowerShell, using least-privilege roles and agreed operating procedures.
- User, shared and resource mailboxes.
- Delegation, Send As / Send on Behalf and calendars.
- Distribution lists, mail-enabled groups and contacts.
- Accepted domains, connectors and routing.
- Mail flow rules and delivery troubleshooting.
- Archiving, limits and mailbox configuration.
- Message trace, NDR analysis and incident investigation.
- Coordination with Defender for Office 365 where applicable.
Managed collaboration means controlling growth, access and lifecycle
Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups and SharePoint are connected. We therefore manage ownership, sharing and lifecycle as one collaboration model rather than three isolated products.
Teams & policies
Teams, channels, owners, guests, meeting/messaging/app policies and Teams Phone where included.
Sites & ownership
Provisioning and lifecycle, administrators, storage, settings, external access and ownerless sites.
User content
Sharing, controlled administrative access, storage, offboarding, ownership transfer and recovery.
Entra and Intune connect users, devices and access decisions
Device state can participate in access decisions for Microsoft 365 and business applications. When Entra and Intune are in scope, we operate identity and endpoints as one control plane.
Identity & access
Users and groups, roles, MFA, Conditional Access, enterprise applications, guests, authentication and privileged access according to licensing.
- Coordinated joiner, mover and leaver changes.
- Roles and least privilege.
- Guest lifecycle.
- Documented exceptions with named owners.
Devices & applications
Intune covers enrollment, configuration, security, applications and updates. Scope can include MDM, MAM, compliance, Autopilot and troubleshooting.
- Compliance and configuration profiles.
- Applications and updates.
- BYOD / MAM where applicable.
- Enrollment and policy troubleshooting.
Security administration, yes; a 24x7 SOC only when explicitly contracted
Managed services can include security-control administration, posture review, alerts and incidents across Microsoft 365 and Azure. Continuous threat hunting, DFIR, 24x7 on-call coverage or a full SOC require a dedicated service model.
Posture & incidents
Defender configuration, alert/incident review, recommendations and agreed remediation actions.
Data & compliance
Labels, DLP, retention, Audit, eDiscovery and data controls with change processes and accountable owners.
Cloud posture & guardrails
Azure Policy, RBAC, Defender for Cloud and posture remediation where included.
Azure requires platform, workload, security, continuity and cost operations
We can operate Azure from Management Groups, subscriptions and governance down to individual resources. The final service catalog depends on the customer architecture; not every environment runs the same Azure services or needs the same level of operational coverage.
Hierarchy, subscriptions, resource groups, roles, tags, locks, Azure Policy, budgets and platform guardrails.
VNets, peering, routing, NSGs, VPN/ExpressRoute, Firewall, Application Gateway, Private Endpoints and DNS.
Windows/Linux VMs, disks, sizing, availability, extensions, access, backup and patching coordination.
App Service, Functions, Container Apps, configuration, networking, scaling, certificates, identities and diagnostics.
Azure SQL and other data services: access, native backup, monitoring, capacity and platform configuration.
Storage Accounts, access, Private Link, lifecycle, capacity, redundancy, cost and alerts.
Day-2 operations where contracted: clusters, node pools, upgrades, capacity, observability and application coordination.
Azure Backup, Recovery Services, policies, jobs, alerts, restores and Site Recovery where part of the design.
Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, Service Health, Resource Health and operational diagnostics.
Observe, patch, recover and optimize: the work that keeps Azure healthy
Operations combine platform signals with human processes. Monitor and Service Health help explain what is happening; Update Manager controls patching; Policy maintains standards; Advisor surfaces recommendations; Backup protects workloads; and Cost Management supports FinOps.
Monitor & Service Health
Metrics, logs, traces, alerts and Application Insights, together with Service Health and Resource Health to separate platform incidents from resource-level problems.
Azure Update Manager
Windows/Linux update compliance, maintenance schedules and compatible hybrid servers through Azure Arc.
Azure Policy
Compliance evaluation, guardrails and remediation for regions, tags, logging, security and configuration.
Azure Advisor
Reliability, security, performance and cost recommendations turned into a backlog rather than applied without context.
Azure Backup
Jobs, policies, vaults, alerts and restore testing for supported workloads according to the continuity model.
Cost Management & FinOps
Budgets, anomalies, allocation, Reservations/Savings Plans and optimization opportunities.
Incidents, requests, changes and continuous improvement are different types of work
We classify activity so the right priority, approval, risk model and specialist are applied. A service outage, a new mail-flow rule and an architecture change should not be handled as equivalent tickets.
Detect
Alert, ticket, Microsoft 365 Service Health, Azure Service Health, Message Center or operational review.
Triage
Incident, service request, change, security event or recurring problem.
Resolve
Diagnosis, workaround, controlled change or vendor escalation where appropriate.
Validate
Technical verification, impact review, evidence and acceptance where required.
Improve
Update runbooks, document root cause and turn recurring issues into improvement work.
Standard change
Repeatable and pre-agreed work with a known procedure, low risk and execution evidence.
Approved change
Policies, routing, security, networking or configuration with potential impact and a defined owner.
Emergency change
Action required to restore service or contain risk, followed by retrospective review and documentation.
Operations
Tickets, alerts, incidents, requests and urgent changes.
Backlog
Outstanding work, recurring problems and planned changes.
Service review
Activity, priorities, posture, cost and improvement actions.
Roadmap
Microsoft changes, architecture, licensing, FinOps and planned decisions.
The platform should not only work; it should remain efficient
We review licensing, Azure consumption, capacity, telemetry and automation so the environment does not accumulate unnecessary cost and manual work over time.
Microsoft 365 licensing
Inactive users, persona fit, add-ons, paid capabilities that are not deployed and renewals that require review.
Azure cost
Budgets, anomalies, rightsizing, idle resources, Reservations, Savings Plans and spend trends.
Automation
PowerShell, Microsoft Graph, Azure CLI, runbooks and IaC where recurring work can be standardized safely.
Delegated, granular and revocable access instead of sharing a permanent Global Administrator
The access model is part of the service design. Microsoft provides mechanisms that allow partners and MSPs to manage customer environments while preserving customer visibility and control.
The customer retains control
For Microsoft 365 we can use GDAP and Microsoft 365 Lighthouse where eligibility and operating requirements are met. For Azure, Azure Lighthouse can delegate subscriptions or resource groups. The objective is to avoid broader or more permanent privileges than necessary.
- Named administrator accounts and MFA.
- Least privilege by workload.
- Defined duration and scope.
- Offboarding and access removal.
Before operating an environment, we need to understand what exists, what is broken and who decides
Onboarding prevents inherited access, alerts, policies and operational tasks from being accepted without context. We establish a technical and operational baseline before treating the environment as steady state.
Inventory
Tenants, subscriptions, workloads, licensing, integrations, third parties, owners and dependencies.
Access
GDAP/Lighthouse or agreed roles, MFA, accounts, groups, escalation contacts and removal of inherited access.
Baseline
Configuration, alerts, backup, security, cost, open tickets, technical debt and known exceptions.
Catalog & RACI
What is included, priorities, approvals, service hours, escalation and ownership.
Tooling
Ticketing, monitoring, alerts, documentation and automation required for operations.
Stabilization
Resolve critical gaps before moving into normal operations.
Operations
Incidents, requests, changes, maintenance, reporting and backlog.
Continuous improvement
Licensing, FinOps, automation, security and platform evolution.
Recurring operations do not mean turning every change into support
Clear boundaries avoid two extremes: hiding high-risk projects inside a monthly service fee or treating normal administration as separate projects.
Day-to-day administration, users, policies, workloads, troubleshooting, governance and standard changes.
Large migrations, full tenant redesigns, major rollouts or architecture transformation.
Operations for existing resources, monitoring, backup, patching, Policy, cost and controlled changes.
New Landing Zones, Azure migrations, major modernization programs or complex new platform builds.
Security-control administration, posture, alerts and incidents within the agreed coverage.
24x7 SOC, continuous threat hunting, DFIR, penetration testing or response retainers unless contracted.
Microsoft 365/Intune-related support when explicitly included.
Full workstation helpdesk, hardware, printers, onsite support or unrelated third-party applications.
Diagnosis and coordination at the Microsoft boundary where part of an incident.
Full administration of third-party platforms, carriers or infrastructure outside scope.
A mature managed service should leave more than a ticket queue
Operations should be traceable and transferable so the customer is not dependent on individual people.
Scope & RACI
Workloads, service hours, priorities, approvers, escalation paths, responsibilities and exclusions.
Inventory & baseline
Tenants, subscriptions, relevant configuration, alerts, owners and initial technical debt.
Runbooks
Operating procedures for recurring tasks, common incidents and standard changes.
Change record
What changed, why, who requested it, risk, validation and rollback where applicable.
Service reporting
Activity, trends, backlog, priorities and agreed service metrics.
Improvement backlog
Risk, automation, technical debt, licensing, security and optimization actions.
FinOps & licensing
Azure cost and Microsoft licensing actions where included in the service.
Exit plan
Access, documentation and transfer requirements if the service changes or ends.
Microsoft 365, Azure or a combined Microsoft Cloud operating model
The customer does not need to outsource everything. We can own specific workloads, operate alongside internal IT or become the specialist Microsoft Cloud layer.
Microsoft 365
Exchange, Teams, SharePoint/OneDrive, Entra, Intune, Defender/Purview and governance according to scope.
Microsoft Azure
Subscriptions, resources, networking, observability, backup, patching, Policy and cost.
M365 + Azure
Coordinated Microsoft 365 and Azure operations with shared identity, security, cost and reporting.
Alongside internal IT
MSAdvance covers specialist workloads, escalations or additional capacity without replacing the internal team.
Continuity between architecture, migration and operations
Operations improve when the team administering the platform understands architecture, identity, security, licensing and the dependencies between Microsoft 365 and Azure. We can transition directly from a project or take over an existing environment through onboarding and baseline assessment.
Microsoft Cloud with technical context
What we need to prepare a managed services proposal
A high-level view of the environment is enough to propose an operating model, coverage and onboarding approach while separating recurring operations from project work.
Do not send passwords or secrets. Access is designed during onboarding using appropriate delegated roles and mechanisms.
Managed Microsoft 365 and Azure services: questions to answer before signing
What are managed Microsoft 365 and Azure services?
An ongoing operating model for administration, technical support, security, governance and optimization. Scope is defined through workloads, RACI, service hours, priorities, change processes and reporting.
Which Microsoft 365 services can MSAdvance manage?
Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Entra ID, Intune, Defender, Purview, users, groups, licensing and other agreed Microsoft 365 capabilities.
What does Exchange Online administration include?
Mailboxes, shared/resource mailboxes, permissions, groups, domains, connectors, mail-flow rules, routing, calendars, archiving, message trace, NDR analysis and troubleshooting, depending on scope.
Do you manage Microsoft Teams, SharePoint and OneDrive?
Yes. Scope can include Teams and policies, SharePoint sites, ownership, sharing, storage, OneDrive, lifecycle and governance, while coordinating dependencies with Microsoft 365 Groups.
Can you manage Intune and Microsoft Entra ID?
Yes. Users, groups, roles, MFA, Conditional Access, enterprise apps, guests, MDM/MAM, compliance, configuration, applications, Autopilot and troubleshooting can all be included.
Which parts of Azure can you manage?
Management Groups, subscriptions, resource groups, RBAC, Policy, networking, VMs, App Service/Functions, Storage, Azure SQL and other data platforms, AKS, Monitor, Service Health, Backup, Update Manager, Defender for Cloud and cost management, depending on architecture.
Does the service include Azure monitoring and health?
It can include Azure Monitor, Log Analytics, Application Insights, Service Health and Resource Health. We define which alerts matter, who receives them and what action each alert requires.
Does it include patching Azure servers?
It can include Azure Update Manager for compatible machines, with assessment, maintenance windows and compliance tracking. Application and third-party-product patching is scoped separately.
Do you manage Azure Backup and restores?
Yes, where included: policies, vaults, jobs, alerts, restores and recovery testing for supported workloads. Site Recovery is included when contracted and designed for the workload.
Does it include Azure cost and Microsoft licensing optimization?
It can include Azure FinOps and Microsoft 365 license reviews: budgets, anomalies, rightsizing, idle resources, Reservations/Savings Plans, inactive users and add-ons. We do not promise a fixed savings percentage.
Does MSAdvance need permanent Global Administrator access?
That should not be the default model. We prioritize least privilege and mechanisms such as GDAP, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse, Azure Lighthouse and RBAC/PIM where appropriate.
Is this a 24x7 SOC?
Not automatically. Security-control and alert administration can be included; 24x7 SOC coverage, continuous threat hunting or DFIR require a specific security service.
Does it include end-user and workstation support?
Only when explicitly included. This service is focused on the Microsoft 365/Azure platform and specialist technical support. Hardware, printers, onsite support and unrelated third-party applications require separate scope.
Can we keep our internal IT team?
Yes. In a co-managed model the customer can retain the service desk and platform ownership while MSAdvance covers specialist workloads, escalations, Azure, security or additional capacity.
How do you take over an existing environment?
Through service transition: inventory, access, baseline, backlog, RACI, service catalog, tooling, alerts and stabilization before normal operations begin.
What are the service hours and SLA?
They are agreed contractually based on criticality, time zone, volume, workloads and coverage. We do not use one universal SLA for every environment.
Can you escalate incidents to Microsoft?
We can diagnose, gather evidence and coordinate or escalate cases where the available support path and commercial relationship allow it. Responsibilities are documented during onboarding.
Operations connected to architecture, security and platform evolution
Microsoft 365 Consulting
Assessment, architecture, governance, licensing and roadmap when the operating model needs to be redesigned first.
Explore Microsoft 365 consultingMicrosoft Azure Architecture
Landing Zones, migration, networking, workloads, Well-Architected, FinOps, backup and modernization.
Explore Azure architectureMicrosoft Security
Entra, Defender, Sentinel, Purview, Zero Trust and advanced security services.
Explore securityModern Workplace
Teams, SharePoint, Intune, Windows, Copilot readiness, governance and adoption.
Explore Modern WorkplaceTrust Center
Access, least privilege, GDAP, Azure Lighthouse, change management and offboarding.
View Trust CenterMSAdvance Methodology
Assessment, transition, operations, acceptance and continuous improvement.
View methodologyKeep Microsoft 365 and Azure under control after deployment
Tell us what your team manages today, which workloads you want to delegate, the coverage you need and where the main operational issues are. We will design a service with defined scope, responsibilities, access and metrics.
