Microsoft CSP

The Microsoft CSP program is designed to provide businesses with easy access to Microsoft's cloud services, such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure, through certified partners.

Working with a CSP provider like SoftwareOne offers numerous benefits and ensures a smooth onboarding process. These include:

Tailored solutions - SoftwareOne can bundle Microsoft cloud services with additional offerings and services, creating customized solutions that meet specific business needs.
Expert support - Gain access to dedicated support from SoftwareOne's experts, who can help with everything from initial setup to ongoing management and technical issues.
Simplified billing - Enjoy the convenience of monthly billing and invoicing, making it easier to manage budgets and expenses.
Strategic guidance - SoftwareOne provides strategic guidance to help businesses optimize their use of Microsoft cloud services, ensuring they get the most value from their investment.
Scalability and flexibility - Easily scale services up or down based on business needs, with the flexibility to adapt to changing requirements.

CSP product types

In the CSP program, various product types (or service types) are available, each with unique benefits and constraints:

License-based products (online services) - Licenses for products such as Office 365 E3 are User Subscription Licenses; you need one license for each user. These products are also known as seat-based offers or license-based services and include all the Office 365, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Windows 365 products. When an order for a seat/license-based service is placed, a subscription is created. This is essentially a container that holds the licenses that have been ordered. A subscription may only contain a single license type (for example, Office 365 E3) associated with a single commitment term (for example, 1 year) and a single billing frequency (for example, annual).
Usage-based (Azure Plan and Entitlements) - The Azure Plan New Commerce experience gives CSP providers access to Azure services at pay-as-you-go (PAYG) rates for CSP clients under the Microsoft Customer Agreement. This plan simplifies the purchase experience. You can have multiple Azure subscriptions in an Azure plan. In this new commerce experience for Azure, Microsoft has aligned to a single global pricing principle, enabling CSP providers to offer Azure at the published prices.
Software subscriptions - Software Subscriptions are available for Windows Server and SQL Server, and for a fixed subscription term of either 1 or 3 years. They give access to the Azure Hybrid Benefit, which means that you may install the products on-premises or use them to license the products within an Azure virtual machine. See to learn more.
Perpetual software - Perpetual software licenses are licenses for on-premises Microsoft products that you acquire in perpetuity. In the CSP program, the software is license-only (L-only) and does not include the option to add Software Assurance (SA). See to learn more.
Government community cloud - Microsoft Government Community Cloud (GCC) is an elite, purpose-built cloud environment designed exclusively for US federal, state, local, and tribal governments, and contractors managing data on behalf of the US government. See to learn more.

CSP onboarding with SoftwareOne

The Marketplace Platform lets you manage your onboarding process for Microsoft cloud services, from creating a Microsoft organization tenant to accepting the Microsoft Customer Agreement, and more. You can also track your Microsoft subscription purchases and manage the entire subscription lifecycle through the Marketplace Platform.

The following steps are involved in your CSP onboarding with SoftwareOne:

Creating a Microsoft organization tenant

Consultation - SoftwareOne begins with a consultation to understand your business needs and goals.
Setup - SoftwareOne creates a Microsoft organization tenant for your business. This tenant acts as a dedicated instance within Microsoft's cloud, housing all users, resources, and data.
Configuration - SoftwareOne configures the tenant to align with your business requirements, ensuring optimal setup for security, compliance, and performance.

Accepting the Microsoft Customer Agreement

Understanding Terms - SoftwareOne guides you through the Microsoft Customer Agreement, explaining the terms and conditions for using Microsoft’s cloud services.
Agreement Acceptance - SoftwareOne assists you in accepting the agreement, which simplifies the purchasing process and provides clear terms regarding service usage, data privacy, and compliance.

Service provisioning and integration

Service Activation - Once the tenant is set up and the agreement is accepted, SoftwareOne provisions the required Microsoft cloud services for your business.
Integration - SoftwareOne integrates these services with your existing systems, ensuring seamless operation and minimal disruption to your business activities.
Customization - SoftwareOne can further customize the services to meet specific needs, such as setting up user roles, permissions, and additional configurations.

Ongoing support and management

Training - SoftwareOne provides training to ensure your team can effectively use the new services.
Continuous Support - SoftwareOne offers ongoing support to address any issues and provide updates, helping your business adapt and grow with the evolving cloud landscape.
Optimization - Regular reviews and optimization services are provided to ensure you continue to get the most out of your Microsoft cloud investment.

CSP support options

When you buy Microsoft licenses or Azure cloud services through SoftwareOne's Microsoft CSP agreement, you automatically gain access to SoftwareOne Services Support.

SoftwareOne Services Support is a comprehensive technical support ecosystem that accompanies Microsoft licenses and Azure cloud services purchased through SoftwareOne's Microsoft CSP Agreement. This support begins as soon as your license is activated and continues for the duration of your subscription.

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CSP product types

In the CSP program, various product types (or service types) are available, each with unique benefits and constraints:

License-based products (online services) - Licenses for products such as Office 365 E3 are User Subscription Licenses; you need one license for each user. These products are also known as seat-based offers or license-based services and include all the Office 365, Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, and Windows 365 products. When an order for a seat/license-based service is placed, a subscription is created. This is essentially a container that holds the licenses that have been ordered. A subscription may only contain a single license type (for example, Office 365 E3) associated with a single commitment term (for example, 1 year) and a single billing frequency (for example, annual).

Usage-based (Azure Plan and Entitlements) - The Azure Plan New Commerce experience gives CSP providers access to Azure services at pay-as-you-go (PAYG) rates for CSP clients under the Microsoft Customer Agreement. This plan simplifies the purchase experience. You can have multiple Azure subscriptions in an Azure plan. In this new commerce experience for Azure, Microsoft has aligned to a single global pricing principle, enabling CSP providers to offer Azure at the published prices.

Software subscriptions - Software Subscriptions are available for Windows Server and SQL Server, and for a fixed subscription term of either 1 or 3 years. They give access to the Azure Hybrid Benefit, which means that you may install the products on-premises or use them to license the products within an Azure virtual machine. See to learn more.

Perpetual software - Perpetual software licenses are licenses for on-premises Microsoft products that you acquire in perpetuity. In the CSP program, the software is license-only (L-only) and does not include the option to add Software Assurance (SA). See to learn more.

Government community cloud - Microsoft Government Community Cloud (GCC) is an elite, purpose-built cloud environment designed exclusively for US federal, state, local, and tribal governments, and contractors managing data on behalf of the US government. See to learn more.