Video Training

NOTE: Pluralsight is a paid resource unlike Channel9 and Microsoft Virtual Academy which are free. The quality they provide is also superior because of all the quality checks they go through, and the instructors are one of the best in the industry. The Pluralsight courses have a link to where you can get a free trial and decide for yourself if paying a subscription or not is worth it, but the 10-day free trial should allow you to view all those courses for free.

Instructor-led training (Microsoft Official Courses)

Articles / Blog Posts Per Objective

Understand Cloud Concepts (15%-20%)

• Detail and understand the benefits and considerations of using cloud services

1. What is cloud computing? [Microsoft – Azure]

• Understand the different types of cloud services available
  • May include but is not limited to: Position Microsoft 365 in a SaaS scenario, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, Public, Private, and Hybrid scenarios
    1. Cloud Service Models (IaaS, SaaS, PaaS) + How Microsoft Office 365, Azure Fit In [Blog Post]
    2. What is SaaS? [Microsoft – Azure]
    3. What is PaaS? [Microsoft – Azure]
    4. What is IaaS? [Microsoft – Azure]
    5. What are public, private, and hybrid clouds? [Microsoft – Azure]

Understand Core Microsoft 365 Services and Concepts (30-35%)

• Describe the core Microsoft 365 components
  • May include but is not limited to: Windows 10 Enterprise, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Skype for Business Online, Teams, Enterprise Mobility + Security products and technologies
    1. Compare Windows 10 editions [Microsoft – Windows]
    2. Exchange Online Service Description [Microsoft – Docs]
    3. SharePoint Online Service Description [Microsoft – Docs]
    4. Skype for Business Online Service Description [Microsoft – Docs]
    5. What is Microsoft Teams? [Youtube Video]
    6. Welcome to Microsoft Teams [Microsoft Docs]
    7. Enterprise Mobility + Security Overview [Microsoft]

• Compare core services in Microsoft 365 with corresponding on-premises services
  • May include but is not limited to: identify scenarios when usage of M365 services is more beneficial than on-premise services
    1. SharePoint Online – Feature availability across Office 365 plans [Microsoft Docs]
    2. Exchange Online – Feature availability across Office 365 plans [Microsoft Docs]
    3. Compare Skype for Business Online features across Office 365 plans [Microsoft Docs]
    4. Compare cloud services and on-premises services [Video]
• Understand the concept of Modern Management
  • May include but is not limited to: understand the Windows-as-a-Service (WaaS) model, describe the usage of the Microsoft 365 Admin Center and M365 user portal, understand the Microsoft deployment and release model for Windows and cloud business apps
    1. Overview of Windows as a service [Microsoft – Docs]
    2. Windows as a service [Microsoft – Docs]
    3. Quick guide to Windows as a service [Microsoft – Docs]
    4. About the Microsoft 365 admin center [Microsoft Docs]
    5. Deploy and update Windows 10 [Microsoft – Docs]
    6. Windows 10 release information [Microsoft – Docs]
    7. Plan your enterprise deployment of Office 365 Pro Plus [Microsoft – Docs]
    8. Overview of Update Channels for Pro Plus [Microsoft – Docs ]

• Understand Office 365 ProPlus
  • May include but is not limited to: compare with on-premise Office 2016 deployment
    1. About Office 365 ProPlus in the enterprise [Microsoft – Docs – Deploy Office]
    2. Comparing Office 2016 And Office365 Proplus [Blog]

• Understand collaboration and mobility with Microsoft 365
  • May include but is not limited to: understand the concept of effective collaboration with Microsoft 365, understand the concept of enterprise mobility, device management, and application management within an organization

1. Collaborate with Office 365 [Microsoft – Office]
2. A foundation for modern collaboration: Microsoft 365 bolsters teamwork [eBook – Microsoft]
3. What is Microsoft Enterprise Mobility Suite? [Blog]
4. What is Microsoft Intune? [Microsoft Docs]
5. Mobility [Microsoft – Services]

• Describe analytics capabilities in Microsoft 365

1. Microsoft 365 usage analytics [Microsoft – Docs – Office 365]
2. Microsoft MyAnalytics Build better work habits with productivity analytics in Office 365 [Microsoft]
3. What is Power BI? [Microsoft Docs]

Understand Security, Compliance, Privacy, and Trust in Microsoft 365 (30-35%)

• Understand security and compliance concepts with Microsoft 365
  • May include but is not limited to: understand key components that need to be protected within an organization’s cloud and on-premise infrastructure, understand key security pillars of protection, including identity, documents, network, and devices

1. Intelligent security for the modern workplace [Microsoft 365]
2. Azure identity management security overview [Microsoft – Azure – Security]

• Understand identity protection and management
  • May include but is not limited to: understand concepts of cloud identity, on-premise identity, and hybrid identity, understand document protection needs and capabilities of Azure Information Protection (AIP), understand Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

1. Understanding Office 365 identity and Azure Active Directory [Microsoft – Docs]
2. What is Azure Information Protection? [Microsoft – Docs]
3. What is Azure Active Directory Identity Protection? [Microsoft – Azure – Active Directory]
4. What is hybrid identity? [Microsoft – Azure – Active Directory]
5. How it works: Azure Multi-Factor Authentication [Microsoft – Azure – Active Directory]
6. Plan for multi-factor authentication for Office 365 Deployments [Microsoft – Docs]

• Understand security usage scenarios and services
  • May include but is not limited to: compare security usage scenarios and services available with Azure Active Directory P1, P2, and Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS), describe usage scenarios and capabilities for directory synchronization and authentication of on-premises AD with Azure AD, understand how Microsoft 365 services addresses the most common current threats

1. Azure Active Directory pricing and Feature Comparison [Azure]
2. Active Directory Domain Services Overview [Microsoft Docs]
3. What is Azure AD Connect? [Microsoft – Azure – Active Directory]
4. Integrate on-premises Active Directory domains with Azure Active Directory [Microsoft – Azure]
5. Office 365 threat investigation and response [Microsoft Docs]

• Understand the need for unified platform for device management
  • May include but is not limited to: understand Mobile Device Management (MDM), understand Mobile Application Management (MAM), understand capabilities of Intune

1. Overview of Mobile Device Management (MDM) for Office 365 [Office Support]
2. Definition: mobile application management (MAM) [Blog]
3. Frequently asked questions about MAM and app protection [Microsoft Docs]
4. What is Microsoft Intune? [Microsoft – Docs]
5. What can Intune do for my company? [Microsoft Docs]

• Understand the Service Trust Portal and Compliance Manager
  • May include but is not limited to: understand the trust relationship with Microsoft, service locations, confidence in data protection, how to address most common cloud adoption show stoppers

1. Microsoft Trust Center [Microsoft]
2. Global Datacenters [Microsoft]
3. Where is your data located? [Microsoft]
4. Service Trust Portal [Microsoft]
5. Get started with the Microsoft Service Trust Portal [Microsoft – Docs]
6. Microsoft 365 Adoption Guide [eBook – Microsoft]

Understand Microsoft 365 Pricing and Support (25-30%)

• Understand Licensing options available in Microsoft 365
  • May include but is not limited to: describe M365 subscriptions and management options, understand key selling points of M365 in segments of productivity, collaboration, security, and compliance, understand the different licensing and payment models available for M365, understand how to determine and implement best practices

1. Microsoft 365 Enterprise overview [Microsoft Docs]
2. Microsoft 365 Productivity Library [Microsoft Docs]
3. A foundation for modern collaboration: Microsoft 365 bolsters teamwork [eBook – Microsoft]
4. Understand cloud payment options [Microsoft Support]
5. Office 365 Plan Options [Microsoft Docs]
6. Microsoft 365 Business Frequently Asked Questions [Microsoft – Docs]

• Plan, predict, and compare pricing
  • May include but is not limited to: understand the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) pricing model for Windows and Microsoft cloud services, understand the basics of cost benefit analysis for on-premise vs. cloud, understand billing and bill management options available

1. What is the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program? [Microsoft]
2. Cloud Solution Provider program – selling in-demand cloud solutions [Microsoft Docs]
3. Modern Workplace Solution ROI Calculator [Microsoft]
4. The high cost and risk of On-Premise vs. Cloud [Blog]
5. Billing [Microsoft Docs]
6. View your bill or invoice [Microsoft Docs]
7. Azure CSP overview [Microsoft]
8. Cost comparison – cloud vs on-premise 2018/19 [Blog]

• Describe support offerings for Microsoft 365 services
  • May include but is not limited to: describe how to create a support request for Microsoft 365 services, describe Service Level Agreements (SLAs), understand how to determine service health status

1. Office 365 support [Microsoft – Office]
2. How To Create New Service Request On Office 365 Support For Business Support [Blog]
3. Find help and open a support ticket for Azure Active Directory [Microsoft Docs]
4. Support [Microsoft – Docs]
5. Service Level Agreement [Microsoft Docs]
6. SLA summary for Azure services [Microsoft – Azure]
7. SLA for Cloud Services [Microsoft – Azure]
8. Service Health and Continuity [Microsoft – Docs]
9. How do I check my online service health? [Microsoft – Docs]

• Understand the service lifecycle in Microsoft 365
  • May include but is not limited to: understand private, public preview, and General Availability (GA) and their correlation to support policy and pricing

1. Modern Lifecycle Policy [Microsoft support]
2. Microsoft Lifecycle Policy [Microsoft]
3. Software release life cycle (GA) [Wikipedia]
4. Access public and private preview features [Blog]

Additional Tips

I think the best thing that you can do after reading this, or even meanwhile, is to open up an E3 or an E5 trial subscription, and try out everything that you read about. Only when you try it, you hit some bugs you really understand how it works in a real life scenario!

Did I miss any cool links in this guide? Let me know in the comments!

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