As a partner in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program, you go beyond reselling licenses to providing managed services that are tailored to the unique needs of your customers.
Whether your customer has 20, 200, or 20,000 seats; provides gardening services, or designs fighter planes for the military; there is a Windows subscription to suit, with the flexibility of cloud-delivered, per user, per month billing.
From Microsoft 365 Business, an end-to-end security and productivity suite designed for small businesses, to Windows 10 Enterprise, the edition of Windows used by the US Department of Defense, there is a subscription for every customer and every scenario.
This document provides general technical guidance to help you sell, deploy, and manage these solutions.
The CSP program provides a pay-as-you-go subscription model with per-user, per-month pricing that enables businesses to scale up or down from month to month as their needs change. By working with an expert CSP partner, even companies with limited or no IT staff can stay secure, productive, and in control.
All subscriptions in the CSP program use Azure AD identity management for license activation.
Customers who adopt Windows in CSP subscriptions must use Azure AD, either by cloud domainjoining devices and authenticating with Azure AD credentials or by enabling Azure AD Connect to synchronize an on-premises Active Directory instance with Azure AD.
Azure AD Connect is the best way to connect an on-premises directory with Azure AD. Azure AD Connect is a service you can install on-premises or in an Azure Virtual Machine.
Customers unable to use Azure AD in any scenario will be unable to deploy Windows 10 subscriptions in the CSP program or via other programs that require Azure AD for license activation, and should therefore evaluate other licensing solutions.
As a CSP partner, you also benefit from new ways to grow your business. Through deeper engagement with customers, you get an insider's view of their businesses and the opportunity for additional revenue:
The CSP program currently enables subscriptions to Microsoft products and services. Windows subscriptions in CSP are for Windows editions and services that build on an existing installation of Windows 10 Pro (Anniversary Update, version 1607, also known as RS1). Windows is available in CSP as part of a Windows 10 Enterprise or Microsoft 365 subscription. Standalone, perpetual licensing and delivery of Windows 10 Pro and Home versions or Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) are not currently available through the CSP program.
There are two major Windows 10 Enterprise subscriptions and several options under the E3 subscription.
There are three major Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
The following table outlines all Windows CSP subscription options.
Subscription | Total concurrent installations (devices + virtual machines) | Maximum local device installations | Maximum virtual machines accessed from Windows Pro devices | Maximum virtual machines accessed from non-Windows Pro devices | |
Windows 10 Enterprise E3 (local only) | 5 | 5 | N/A | N/A | |
Windows 10 Enterprise E3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | N/A | |
Windows 10 Enterprise E3 with VDA | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
Windows 10 Enterprise E5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | N/A | |
Microsoft 365 Business | 5 | 5 | N/A | N/A | |
Microsoft 365 Enterprise E3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | N/A | |
Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | N/A | |
Microsoft 365 F1 | 5 | 5 | N/A | N/A |
To help determine which subscription is right for them, your customers can refer to these website resources:
The following steps outline the tasks necessary to deploy a Windows subscription in CSP, including the phases and additional resources you need to complete each task:
Microsoft 365 Business subscribers: Configure functionality specific to Microsoft 365 Business customers.
Windows 10 Enterprise subscribers: Configure new functionality now accessible on devices with active subscriptions.
Before purchasing a Windows subscription in CSP, you must prepare the customer's management environment:
Migrate to Azure AD or configure Azure AD Connect, as needed. (This excludes Microsoft 365 Business subscribers, who can use only Azure AD.)
For Microsoft 365 Business subscribers, verify or complete additional prerequisites.
Because all subscriptions in the CSP program use Azure AD identity management for license activation, end-user devices must authenticate against Azure AD to deploy a Windows subscription that is licensed using CSP. This authentication can be performed in one of two ways:
If the customer's identity management needs are incompatible with Azure AD, or the devices are not compatible with Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update or later, then the customer cannot adopt Windows subscriptions using CSP. For more information about authenticating against Azure AD, see The role of Azure Active Directory in Windows 10 cloud subscriptions.
If the AzureAdJoined status is YES, the device is Azure AD-joined.
For information about preparing the AD environment for Windows 10 subscriptions, review the following resources:
To integrate and synchronize on-premises AD with Azure AD, customers use the Azure AD Connect tool, which can be downloaded when using Azure or from the Microsoft Download Center. Azure AD Connect is a service you can install on-premises or in an Azure Virtual Machine.
Microsoft 365 Business subscribers can use only Azure AD.
Mobile devices must run Apple iOS 8.0 or later or Google Android 4.0 or later (including Samsung Knox Standard 4.0 or later), and you must remove all devices from any mobile management solutions to which they might be connected (for example, MobileIron or VMware AirWatch). These devices will be enrolled in Microsoft 365 Business mobile management.
To learn more about these requirements and other prerequisites for Microsoft 365 Business subscribers, review the following resources:
After preparing the customer environment for identity management and any other prerequisites, purchase subscriptions using Microsoft Partner Center for direct CSP partners or using an indirect provider's cloud marketplace.
Note: The screenshots in this section are only applicable for direct providers transacting through Microsoft Partner Center. Partners purchasing through an indirect provider will need to refer to that indirect provider's web site and guidance/documentation.
The necessary steps vary slightly depending on whether you are purchasing subscriptions for new or existing CSP customers. The general steps are outlined in this table and detailed in the following sections.
Task | Action | New CSP Customers | Existing CSP Customers |
A | Create tenant. | Must complete as part of subscription purchase process. | (Completed) |
B | Add and verify domains. | Optional as part of subscription purchase process. | (Completed) |
C | Create user accounts. | Must complete as part of subscription purchase process (import via Azure AD Connect, if applicable). | (Completed) |
D | Purchase subscriptions. | Must complete. | Must complete. |
E | Assign licenses to end user accounts. For Microsoft 365 Business subscribers: Configure functionality specific to Microsoft 365 Business. | Must complete. | Must complete. |
Note: The maximum number of licenses for Microsoft 365 Business is 300.
4. Complete the remaining steps to add the new customer:
After you add the subscription, it appears on the Subscriptions page.
Alternatively, you can add a subscription when you create a new customer.
Windows 10 licenses are included with Microsoft 365 subscriptions, so for Microsoft 365 subscribers, you do not need to assign Windows 10 licenses separately.
Note: To view current billing information for a customer (for example, current billing, billing history, and reconciliation files), in the Microsoft Partner Center portal dashboard, select the Billing panel.
Alternatively, you can use any of these methods to assign Windows 10 Enterprise licenses to users:
If the customer chooses Microsoft 365 Business, you must configure functionality now. Your configuration steps are likely to include the following:
Note: These configuration steps can be completed directly by a customer IT administrator. However, a Microsoft CSP partner must be the first point of contact for any technical support issues involving Windows 10 subscriptions in Microsoft 365 Business actions (see Microsoft 365 Business documentation and resources).
You will complete the following configuration steps in the Microsoft 365 Admin center.
The setup process includes the following four tasks:
Note: This phase is optional; if you use the .onmicrosoft.com domain, you can skip this step.
To deploy a Windows subscription using CSP, devices must run Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update (version 1607, also known as RS1) or later versions. This release is the first to enable cloud domain-join and device login using Azure AD user credentials, which are required for deployment and consumption of a Windows 10 subscription in CSP. For customers who are not already running Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update or later, you must upgrade or update devices to the current version of Windows 10.
Customers with devices that run an earlier release of Windows 10 Pro (for example, versions 1507 or 1511) must update those devices to Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update (version 1607) or later.
Customers with devices that run Windows 10 consumer editions such as Windows 10 Home must purchase an upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.
For active Windows subscribers in the CSP program, Windows 10 upgrade benefits are included at no extra cost for users with devices running Windows 7, Windows 8/ 8.1.
To determine which Windows version a device is running, follow these steps:
A message window appears, displaying the Windows 10 version number and detailed OS build information.
To determine whether a device can support an update to Windows 10 Pro Anniversary Update, see Windows 10 Specifications & Systems Requirements. For more information about upgrading devices to Windows 10, review the following resources:
Alternatively, you can manually update the device:
For more information about upgrading, see Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.
Determine the upgrade path:
Windows subscriptions licensed using CSP do not require any additional software downloads, installations, or product keys. When end users sign in with Azure AD credentials associated with the subscription license and authenticate devices against Azure AD, the operating system automatically updates to Windows 10 Enterprise and the appropriate Windows 10 Enterprise features are unlocked.
When a user's subscription expires or is transferred to another user, Windows 10 Enterprise features are frozen, and the device reverts seamlessly to Windows 10 Pro functionality (after a grace period of up to 90 days).
For details about various Windows 10 Enterprise E3 and E5 activation scenarios, see Windows 10 Subscription Activation.
Activating the functionality and benefits of Windows 10 subscriptions in CSP becomes even easier when organizational admins simplify device deployment using Windows AutoPilot. With a Windows AutoPilot deployment profile, you can provide a streamlined out-of-box experience (OOBE) for end users with only a few steps and decisions.
Windows AutoPilot can be used with any device that meets the following prerequisites:
For details about Windows AutoPilot and about creating, applying, and testing Windows AutoPilot profiles, review the following resources:
After you activate subscriptions, the features and functionality of Windows 10 become available to users when they sign on to their devices and join to Azure AD. If subscribers are using Windows AutoPilot, the process to join to Azure AD is simple. If subscribers are not using Windows AutoPilot, they must complete additional steps.
Users: To complete deployment from the device desktop using Windows AutoPilot
Device will now be enrolled into Azure Active Directory and applicable MDM policies applied including any functionality specific to M365B such as automatic installation of Office apps.
Users: To complete deployment and join Azure AD on a new device desktop without using Windows AutoPilot
Note: Do not use a BUILTIN/Administrator account.
Users: To complete deployment on an active device desktop without using Windows AutoPilot
1. Go to Settings and select Accounts.
Note: Do not use a BUILTIN/Administrator account.
To verify subscription activation
For Windows 10 Enterprise licenses, after Windows 10 Enterprise E3 or E5 is running on company devices, refer to the following articles to implement features unique to Windows 10 Enterprise editions:
For detailed information about the deployment process for these features, as well as additional resources for each feature, see Windows 10 Enterprise E3 in CSP, Deploy Windows 10 Enterprise features
Helping customers take advantage of Windows subscriptions is only one way to ensure your customers gain the full value of their investment in the CSP program. For more tips and information, see these resources: