Getting started with the Microsoft Module

In This Article 

Here's how this works.... in a nutshell.

1. We connect to both your distributor and Microsoft
2. You let the Gradient app read each of customer's Microsoft data.
3. You tell us how to match up your accounts and products in your PSA with the information we pull
4. There are two ways to consent your customers. Use either one, or mix them.
5. Each customer needs a GDAP relationship. Your distributor almost always makes one for you.

We get Microsoft data from two places and why that's important

1. Your subscription data comes from two places. Each one tells you something the other cannot.

2. Your distributor is the main source. Because you resell through them, they know what you are billed for.

   1. That includes the subscriptions you sell

   2. How many of each

   3. The terms, and the cost

3. Microsoft fills in the detail inside each customer tenant. It shows:

   1. Who the subscribed users are

   2. Which licenses are assigned, and which ones sit unused.

4. On its own, each view has a gap. The distributor shows what is sold. Microsoft shows what is used. We bring both together so you can see the full picture. You can spot licenses you pay for but no one uses. You can catch bills that run too high or too low. And you get one clear view for each customer.

Easiest path to setup

Step 1: Pick your distributor

Step 2: Connect to Microsoft and Distributor

This is the first connection, to your own tenant.

1. Click Connect to your MSP's Microsoft tenant
2. Then authenticate to your Distributor.

Then the wizard shows GDAP status for each customer, with a Consent button where one is needed.

Once an account is successfully consented, it will turn to "Ready" You only need one customer marked as Ready to continue, but only customers consented and marked as ready will be available for reconciliation. 

Consenting your customers tenants - two methods

You consent each customer, one at a time.

There are two ways. Both give the same result. Pick the one that fits and you the customer in front of you. You can use a different way for each customer.

Option A: Consent using your customer's own admin account

• Consent by signing in with the customer's own admin account when the prompt shows.

• This is the simplest option. No special setup. You just need an admin account from that customer's Microsoft tenant.

• The trade-off is more logins. You do this once for each customer. It is slower if you have a lot of them.

Option B: Consent using one special account for all your customers (using GDAP)

If you are setup in a way to enable a special account to have the right permissions to your customers GDAP relationships - you can quickly consent all of your customers using just one account.

• Use one admin account with the right roles to consent every customer. You still go one at a time, but you use the same account for all. No more switching logins.

• This works best at scale, like when you have many customers to connect. Most partners pick this once they are set up.

• For this to work, your account and your GDAP relationships both need the Privileged Role Administrator and Application Administrator roles.

To check to see if your account can do this, you can review this in the Partner Center

Step 3: Match accounts

Match each Microsoft customer to its distributor account and PSA account. Exact name matches are done for you. The rest show as Unmapped. Match at least one to go on. You can fix the rest later.

Step 4: Match products

Match each Microsoft product to a PSA service. Monthly and yearly plans may use different services. Leave a product unmapped if you are not ready for it. Match at least one to go on.

Step 5: Settings

Check the billing, sync, and reconcile settings. The defaults are safe for most partners. You can change them later. Save, and you are done.