Maximizing Microsoft 365 Business Premium: Training & Resources for Admins and End Users

bp1

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is a comprehensive productivity and security suite for small and medium businesses. To help your organization make the most of it, Microsoft provides a range of training programs and resources tailored for both administrators and end-users. Below is a detailed overview of key resources (documentation, courses, guides, and more) that will empower admins to manage Business Premium effectively and help end-users use its tools to their fullest potential.


Resources for Administrators (IT Pros and Admins)

Administrators of Microsoft 365 Business Premium should be well-versed in deployment, management, security configuration, and integration of the service. Here are training and resource options to build those skills:

  • Official Microsoft 365 Business Premium Documentation (Microsoft Learn) – Microsoft’s own documentation is the first stop for admins. It includes step-by-step guides for setting up and managing Business Premium (user management, device setup, security configuration, etc.)[1]. You’ll find articles on advanced security features, integration with Azure AD/Intune, and service administration. For example, Microsoft Learn provides guidance on tasks like enabling multi-factor authentication, protecting admin accounts, and guarding against malware as part of Business Premium’s security setup. These docs ensure you follow best practices and fully leverage included features.

  • Free Online Training Courses for Admins – Microsoft offers free training materials specifically for Office 365/M365 administrators. Notably, there are multi-hour training collections for different admin audiences:

    • Small Business Admins – A set of 7 courses with 30 video lessons covers the fundamentals of setting up Microsoft 365 (Business Premium) for your business, including configuring email, cloud file storage, online meetings, and administering the service via the Admin Center[2]. This training is tailored for smaller organizations and new admins, walking through real-world scenarios (e.g. signing up your domain, managing users, using Teams and SharePoint). (Accessible via the link aka.ms/365smallbiz)

    • Enterprise/IT Pros – For more advanced IT administrators, there is over 7 hours of premium video training focusing on deployment, advanced administration, and internal helpdesk support[2]. This content is offered through LinkedIn Learning – Microsoft has made it free for admins to access via the Microsoft 365 admin center. It dives deeper into topics like Exchange Online management, security policies, device management with Intune, and troubleshooting. (Link via aka.ms/365enterprise)

    • Microsoft Learn Role-Based Training – In addition to the above, Microsoft Learn provides structured learning paths such as “Become a Microsoft 365 Administrator” or specific modules (e.g. managing identities, implementing device management). These self-paced interactive tutorials and labs help admins build expertise on administering M365 services. For instance, the MS-102 Microsoft 365 Administrator course on Microsoft Learn covers tenant configuration, user/license management, security, and more – aligning with certification paths.
  • Security Feature Guides and Best Practices – Business Premium includes advanced security tools (like Microsoft Defender for Business, Azure AD Premium P1, etc.). Microsoft has published detailed guidance to help admins understand and deploy these security features correctly. Key resources include:

    • Configuration guides – For example, “Configure your security protection in Microsoft 365 Business Premium” on Microsoft Learn provides a checklist for admins to harden their environment. It walks you through enabling multi-factor auth, setting up threat protection policies (Defender for Office 365), device protection via Intune, and compliance features – all tailored to Business Premium.

    • Security Best Practice documentation – Microsoft’s documentation also outlines service-level security best practices that Business Premium adheres to (and that you as admin should enforce). This includes principles like defense-in-depth, role-based access control (least privilege), security hardening of settings, and more[3]. Following these will help you align with Microsoft’s recommended security posture for small businesses. Additionally, Microsoft’s Trust Center resources linked from the docs provide info on privacy, data protection, and compliance for Business Premium[3].

    • Practical guides and checklists – Microsoft’s tech community has published e-books and blog posts (often authored by experts/MVPs) that act as practical security checklists for Business Premium. For example, the “Practical Guide to Security using Microsoft 365 Business Premium” and the Microsoft 365 Security Checklist e-book (available on Microsoft’s community) break down configuration steps and best practices in a checklist format. These cover everything from enabling mailbox auditing, to configuring email threat policies, to enforcing device compliance – useful as a day-to-day admin reference.
  • Administration Webinars and Videos – Microsoft and its partners host webinars that are extremely useful for admins looking to deepen their understanding or stay up-to-date:

    • Microsoft webinars: Microsoft periodically runs live “partner webinar series” focusing on Business Premium for IT professionals. These webinars often highlight new features, security tips, and integration how-tos. For instance, a recent series covered how to secure hybrid work with Business Premium, Microsoft Defender for Business, and Lighthouse (a tool for managing multiple Business Premium tenants)[1]. Keep an eye on the Microsoft 365 admin center announcements or the Microsoft Learn blog for upcoming webinar events.

    • On-demand crash courses: There are also on-demand videos available. As an example, “Microsoft 365 Business Premium: The What, The Why, and The How” is a recorded webinar (by a Microsoft partner) that provides a crash-course on Business Premium. It goes over the plan’s benefits, licensing options, and demonstrates how to configure and deploy Business Premium in real-world scenarios. Such videos can give you a concise overview or serve as training material for new IT staff.
  • Microsoft 365 Admin Center Help & FastTrack – Within your tenant’s Admin Center, Microsoft has built-in help and training resources. In the Admin Center’s left pane, under “Training” or “Setup Guides,” you’ll find quickstart checklists and recommended how-to articles (e.g. setting up conditional access, adding a custom domain, or training your users). The Admin Center’s “Train yourself” option links out to many of the resources mentioned (like the Microsoft 365 learning page for admins)[4]. Additionally, if your organization qualifies, Microsoft FastTrack assistance can provide personalized guidance for deploying Business Premium – including migrating data or enabling security features – at no extra cost. This can be accessed through the Admin Center (under FastTrack) and is a great resource for admins tackling large rollouts.

  • Community Forums and Support for Admins – Beyond official documentation, it’s helpful to engage with the IT community:

    • Microsoft Tech Community: The Microsoft 365 Tech Community has forums and blog sections for Small and Medium Business IT as well as specific products (Exchange, Teams, Defender, etc.). Here, admins can ask questions, share best practices, and learn from experts’ experiences. You’ll find discussions on topics like optimal Business Premium security setup, PowerShell scripts for automation, or integrating third-party solutions. Microsoft employees and MVPs often participate, making it a valuable crowd-sourced support resource.

    • Microsoft 365 Support and Learning Center: Microsoft’s official support site (support.microsoft.com) has a section for Microsoft 365 for business with troubleshooting guides and “how-to” articles. If you run into issues or need stepwise tutorials (e.g., how to add a domain or set up DNS for Exchange Online), these articles complement the Learn docs.

    • User Groups/Webinars: Consider joining online user groups or communities (many operate via LinkedIn or local tech groups) focused on Microsoft 365 administration. They sometimes host free webinars or meetups where IT pros share insights on utilizing Business Premium’s features effectively (for example, sessions on leveraging Intune for device management or using Microsoft 365 Lighthouse for multi-tenant management if you are a service provider).

(Key takeaway for admins: Utilize the free Microsoft-provided training videos and courses to ramp up on administering Business Premium, refer to Microsoft Learn documentation for in-depth guidance (especially on security and device management), and leverage community and support channels for real-world tips.)


Resources for End Users (Employees and Business Users)

End-users (employees, team members) need training to use the productivity tools and services in Microsoft 365 Business Premium efficiently. Business Premium gives users access to Office apps, Teams, SharePoint/OneDrive, and more – unlocking productivity and collaboration. Here are resources to help train your staff and educate users so they can get the most out of these tools:

  • Microsoft 365 Training Center (Office Training) – Microsoft provides an official online training center for end users of its Office 365/M365 apps[5]. This is a hub of self-paced learning content for all the main applications included in Business Premium:

    • Office Apps Tutorials: Comprehensive tutorial libraries for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, OneDrive, Teams, and more. Users can watch short how-to videos and follow step-by-step instructions to learn both basics and advanced tips. For example, there are beginner guides like “Excel 101: Create your first spreadsheet” up to advanced topics like “Excel PivotTable deep dive.” Similarly, Teams has guides on scheduling meetings, using channels effectively, etc.

    • Quick Start Guides & PDFs: Many products have one-page Quick Start PDF guides (with visuals) that can be downloaded. These are great for new users – e.g., a “Microsoft Teams Quick Start” that covers how to start chats, join meetings, and collaborate, or a “OneDrive Quick Start” showing how to share files securely.

    • Infographics & Cheat Sheets: The training center also offers cheat sheets and infographics – for instance, a one-page infographic on “Top 10 Tips to get started with OneDrive” or keyboard shortcut cheat sheets for Outlook. These help users pick up productivity tricks at a glance.

    • Templates and Demos: Users can find pre-built templates (for Word, Excel, PowerPoint) to kickstart their work, as well as interactive demos that allow them to try features in their browser.

    How to access: You can send your users to the Office Training Center website, or from any Office app or Office.com, clicking the “Help” -> “Training” link usually directs them there. Microsoft has 130+ free training videos and content items for end-users on Office 365 technologies[2], so there’s a wealth of information to explore.

  • “Train Your People” – Admin-curated Training via Admin Center – As an admin, you can also curate end-user training. The Microsoft 365 Admin Center has a “Train your people” option (as noted in Microsoft’s training blog)[4]. Selecting this takes you to resources specifically meant for educating employees. Microsoft provides ready-made training packages for end-users on common Business Premium apps. For example, you might push out a link to “Teams training for new users” or share the “Working remotely with Microsoft 365” tutorial series with your organization. All the content is Microsoft-produced, so it’s accurate and up to date. This makes it easy to onboard users – you can simply point them to these resources.

  • Microsoft Adoption Hub (On-Demand Videos & Live Training) – The Microsoft Adoption site is designed to help organizations drive usage of Microsoft 365. It offers:

    • Foundational Video Training: Microsoft has partnered with their Global Learning partners to provide free live and on-demand training webinars for end-users[6]. These typically run about an hour and cover specific tools. For example, there are sessions like “Get started with Microsoft Teams”, “OneDrive and SharePoint for collaboration”, “Intro to Power BI”, and more[6]. They often have Q&A with experts. Users can join live (schedule is on the Adoption site) or watch recordings at any time. These videos are great for interactive learning, and they’re available in multiple languages.

    • Day-in-the-Life Guides & Scenarios: The Adoption site also provides downloadable scenario-based guides (a kind of “a day in the life” using M365 apps). These show practical workflows – e.g., how a sales person can use Teams + SharePoint + Planner together in a workday. It helps end-users understand how the tools integrate and can be used in combination to streamline their tasks.

    • Learning Pathways: Microsoft 365 Learning Pathways is a customizable on-demand training portal that your organization can deploy (it’s a SharePoint template available for free)[5]. It comes pre-loaded with Microsoft’s top user training content (videos, articles) for Office apps and allows admins to add custom content too. This is a more advanced option, but if you want an internal site where all user training lives, Learning Pathways is the way to go. Microsoft provides instructions to set it up and keep content updated.
  • Specialized End-User Resources: Business Premium users might need guidance on certain features:

    • Security & Compliance Awareness: Since Business Premium includes advanced security, it’s wise to educate end-users on topics like phishing prevention, using multi-factor authentication, and handling data safely. Microsoft provides security awareness training materials that admins can pass on. For example, Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Awareness Kit offers end-user training modules on recognizing phishing emails and securing work accounts. These modules can be accessed by any Microsoft 365 user on Microsoft’s security training portal, and admins can also download deployment kits to roll out awareness campaigns in the organization. Additionally, simple guides like “How to securely share files with OneDrive” or “Best practices for Teams meetings security” (available on support.microsoft.com) are useful to share with staff.

    • Productivity Tips & News: Microsoft’s support site has an “Office Tips” section (also accessible via aka.ms/learn365) which regularly publishes short tips for end-users. Subscribing to these tips or highlighting a “tip of the week” in company newsletters can gradually increase users’ mastery of Business Premium tools. Topics range from Outlook scheduling tricks, Excel data visualization tips, to new Teams features – helping users stay updated on capabilities they might not discover on their own[2].

    • Mobile Apps Training: Don’t forget mobile usage – Business Premium allows users to use Office apps and Teams on mobile devices. The Office Training Center includes guidance for using Microsoft 365 on mobile (Android/iOS)[5]. This covers things like scanning documents with the OneDrive app, scheduling meetings on the Outlook mobile app, or joining Teams calls on a phone – ensuring users remain productive on the go.
  • Community Forums and Peer Help for Users – Encourage users to utilize communities for help as well (beyond your internal helpdesk):

    • Microsoft Answers Community: Microsoft’s Answers forum has sections for each Office application and Teams, where users can ask questions (e.g., “How do I do X in Excel?”) and get answers from experts or moderators. It’s a friendly place for end-users to seek help on specific “how to” problems.

    • Internal Champions: Identify power users or “Office champions” within your company. Microsoft even offers an Adoption Champion program playbook – training certain staff to become go-to experts. These champions can host lunch-and-learn sessions, share their favorite tips, and help peers one-on-one. This internal resource can greatly increase overall adoption and proficient use of Business Premium tools.

(Key takeaway for end-users: Leverage Microsoft’s rich library of tutorials, videos, and guides so every employee can confidently use email, Office apps, Teams, and the cloud services. By investing time in these training resources – whether self-service or guided by IT – your team will work smarter and take full advantage of Business Premium’s productivity features.)


Additional Tips & Best Practices

To round out the training resources, here are a few best-practice recommendations for making the most of Business Premium across your organization:

  • Mix Training Formats – People learn in different ways. Use a mix of the above resources: interactive videos for those who prefer visuals, written guides or PDFs for those who like to read, and live Q&A sessions (or internal workshops) for hands-on learning. Microsoft 365’s ecosystem is always evolving, so continuous learning is key. Consider setting up a regular cadence (monthly or quarterly) of sending out a “What’s New in Microsoft 365” update with relevant new feature training links.

  • Focus on Security for Admins and Users – Business Premium’s extra value is its security. Make sure administrators complete the security configuration trainings (to enable features like Defender for Business, conditional access, data loss prevention etc.), and at the same time ensure end-users receive security awareness education. Safe usage practices (like recognizing phishing emails, using strong passwords with MFA, storing data in OneDrive instead of local disks) should be part of user training. Microsoft provides content for both audiences: e.g., admins have a Zero Trust deployment guide for Business Premium, and users have phishing simulation training – use both in tandem[3].

  • Utilize Integration Capabilities – “Integration with other services” is often about getting different apps to work together. Business Premium users can connect third-party services via Teams or Power Automate, and admins can integrate on-premises resources via Azure AD Connect. Look for specific guidance on these: Microsoft Learn has tutorials on, say, integrating GitHub or Adobe Sign with Teams, and on setting up hybrid identity (AD integration) for Business Premium. By training your IT staff on these integration points, you ensure your Business Premium deployment plays nicely with other tools in your workflow.

  • Stay Updated with Microsoft Learn – Microsoft frequently updates its Learn content and documentation as new features roll out (for example, new Teams capabilities or security enhancements in Defender). Encourage your IT team to subscribe to the Microsoft 365 Blog or Release Notes, and periodically check Microsoft Learn’s Business Premium section for “What’s New” articles[1]. This way your training remains up-to-date, and you can pass new tips to end-users. Microsoft 365 is evergreen, so an ongoing learning mindset is important.

  • Leverage Microsoft Support and FastTrack – If you run into challenges despite all the training (for instance, a tricky integration issue or a deployment question not covered in generic training), remember that as a Business Premium customer you can reach out to Microsoft Support. Also, for onboarding large numbers of users or complex setups, FastTrack (as mentioned) can provide direct assistance and even custom user training materials. Don’t hesitate to use these resources – they are part of the subscription benefits.

By combining these resources and approaches, administrators will be well-equipped to deploy and manage Microsoft 365 Business Premium effectively, and end-users will be empowered to use all its apps and services to boost productivity. Training is an ongoing process, but Microsoft’s ecosystem of documentation, tutorials, and community support makes it easier to continuously learn and maximize the value of Business Premium for your organization.

References

[1] Microsoft 365 Business Premium resources | Microsoft Learn

[2] Free Office 365 training for IT pros, small businesses, and end users

[3] Security, privacy, and compliance – Microsoft 365 Business Premium

[4] New: Office 365 and Microsoft 365 training for your business

[5] Train your users on Office and Microsoft 365

[6] Foundational user training – Microsoft Adoption

Exploring AI’s New Capabilities by Troubleshooting Microsoft 365

A while ago I wrote an article titled

The impact of AI on the MSP business model

In there I spoke I spoke about how AI would be more and more integrated with the services used today like Microsoft 365, especially when it comes to the administration.

I think a perfect illustration of what we can expected to see in the not to distant future is what I created this video about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Y-8AzE2bw

In it I used Google AI Studio to troubleshoot an email issue in Microsoft 365. I was able to use the AI to converse with me and see what was displayed on screen and then stpe me through various steps to resolve my issues. Very impressive I must admit.

Imagine a world where this type of AI agent is built into every Microsoft 365 tenant or desktop, able to assist the user 24/7 with any issues or any errors that occur.

AI is changing everything.

Copilot for M365 Administration

image

A while back, I spoke about the fact that Microsoft was bringing Copilot to many of the administration portals in Microsoft 365. As you can see above I now have Copilot in my Microsoft 365 admin center.

image

You can see that it provides a pretty comprehensive answer when I ask it a common administration task such as resetting a users password.

All of this is available to all administrators provided there is just ONE full license of Microsoft 365 Copilot in a tenant! You can read more at :

Copilot in Microsoft 365 admin centers

I would expect to see Copilot for M365 administrator start to appear in more and more places in the future. How much easier will email troubleshooting appear when it arrives there?

Why I can NOW delete a Power Platform PAYG billing plan

About a month ago I discovered that I couldn’t delete a Power Platform PAYG billing plan. It turns out that now I can.

Screenshot 2025-02-05 201444

As you can see in the above screen shot the Delete billing plan button isnow available. Seems that because the paint was still wet on the features for this the team at Microsoft was making adjustments. However, I am now told this has been all sorted so you can delete your billing plans as you wish.

Enabling Microsoft Syntex PAYG

There are lots of great new features coming to Microsoft Syntex (or SharePoint Premium) and many of these can be used in a PAYG manner tied to an Azure subscription. This is much like the Power Platform PAYG configuration I have detailed previously.

Before you configure anything in Microsoft 365, you’ll need an Azure subscription to bill against that is in the same tenant as Microsoft 365. I would also suggest you create a new unique Resource Group which you can target for Syntex PAYG services. This will make it much easier to determine the costs of the Syntex services that you consume. I’m not going to cover how to add a resource group to Azure here, but make sure you have the subscription in place before proceeding.

image

To enable Syntex PAYG you need to login to the Microsoft 365 portal as an administrator and navigate to the Admin center as shown above. Select Setup from the menu on the left. On the right enter “use con” into the search box as shown in step two above. This will filter out all the other options except the one you want which is:

Use content AI with Microsoft Syntex

as shown in step 3 above. Select this.

image

You should see the screen shown above. If you have not yet configured the PAYG billing for Syntex the only option available will be the Set up billing option on the left, as shown, which you should select.

image

A dialog will appear from the right hand side with a number of options as shown above. Here you’ll need to select your Azure information from the drop down menus presented.

image

When you have completed all the fields (including the Resource Group which I suggest you create just for this purpose), select the I accept Microsoft pay-as-you-go billing terms of service. Finally, select the Save button at the bottom of the dialog.

image

The system will then display the above screen for a few minutes (be patient, it takes a little while to fully configure).

image

All going well, you should receive a confirmation of success at the top of the page as shown above. You can now close this dialog.

image

With the billing complete you should now be able to select the Manage Microsoft Syntex option on the right as shown above.

image

You should now see the current list of services that can be utilised with Syntex PAYG. More will be added over time, so don’t forget to check back regularly. To configure any of these simply select that service.

image

In this case, the Archive option was selected and you can see the Turn on button on the bottom of the dialog you would need to select to enable SharePoint Site archiving in your Microsoft 365 tenant. There are more configuration steps required to enable the service and all this really does is bill the service in a PAYG manner to your Azure subscription.

You can now close out of all these windows and leave everything turned off for now, ready for when you do want to start using those capabilities. There will be no costs until you actually start using these services (i.e. PAYG. Don’t use, don’t pay!)

It is really good that these advanced options are being made available in a PAYG manner, allowing greater access to such capabilities, without necessarily having to pay high monthly fees with a lock in contract. A very SMB friendly option in my opinion!

I look forward to seeing more services appear here for Syntex which I can star using, including eSignatures which is coming real soon. Stay tuned.

Need to Know podcast–Episode 288

I focus on the most important announcements from Microsoft Ignite 2022. There are updates across the complete range of Microsoft cloud services as well as new devices. I am super excited about both the new Surface Pro 9 as well as the new Intune premium licenses coming in March 2023. Listen in for all the latest information.

You can listen directly to this episode at:

https://ciaops.podbean.com/e/episode-288-ignite-2022-update/

Subscribe via iTunes at:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/ciaops-need-to-know-podcasts/id406891445?mt=2

The podcast is also available on Stitcher at:

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/ciaops/need-to-know-podcast?refid=stpr

Don’t forget to give the show a rating as well as send me any feedback or suggestions you may have for the show.

This episode was recorded using Microsoft Teams and produced with Camtasia 2022.

Brought to you by www.ciaopspatron.com

Resources

@directorcia

Youtube version of podcast

Introducing new Surface devices

Microsoft Ignite

Ignite 2022 book of news

Microsoft and Meta partner to deliver immersive experiences for the future of work and play

Announcements for files experiences in Microsoft 365 at Microsoft Ignite

Introducing the Microsoft Intune product family

Reduce your overall TCO with a new Microsoft Intune plan

Strengthen security and cut costs with an endpoint management you can count on

No More Local Admins – Ignite Special with Microsoft VP Steve Dispensa

Security best practices for managing across platforms with Endpoint Manager

What’s new for Microsoft 365 admins at Microsoft Ignite 2022

New Microsoft 365 App

Do more with video in Microsoft 365

Experience the Windows 365 app: public preview available now

Loop app waitlist

Microsoft Designer

Microsoft Creator

What’s new in Security and Management in SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams – Microsoft Ignite 2022

Empower partners and SMB customers to achieve more with Microsoft 365

Stories from DART: Taking the ware out of ransomware

What’s new in XDR at Microsoft Ignite

Save 50% on Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

The future of low-code governance with Managed Environments for Power Platform

New tenant admin app in Microsoft Teams

image

If you search the apps available in Microsoft Teams you’ll find a new one from Microsoft called Admin as shown above.

image

When you add the Admin app to your Microsoft Teams environment you see a number of basic administration options you can alter as shown above.

image

You can, for example, set some basic meeting settings as shown above.

At this stage the app is pretty basic but it is handy to have many of the common admin settings inside Microsoft Teams overcoming the need to switch out to the admin console. Over time I’d guess that more options will be added to this app to make Microsoft 365 management easier.

Get your Azure invoice emailed to you

image

If you need a copy of the Azure invoice emailed to you then you can configure that inside your Azure portal be navigating firstly to the Cost Management + Billing.

image

Then select Invoices from the menu on the left.

image

Finally, select Invoice email preferences from the menu on the right then enter the desired email address on the right in the dialog that appears. Remember to save your changes and from now on that email address will receive a copy of your Azure invoice monthly.