Microsoft 365
Find out what is compelling industry leaders to drive transformation, empower employees, and shift to a modern workplace experience.
Learn how to get more work done, from anywhere on any device with Microsoft 365. Discover how industry professionals leverage Microsoft 365 to communicate, collaborate, and improve productivity across the team and organization.
Evolving Microsoft 365 Certifications:
- The past couple of years have demonstrated that the future of work is fluid, dynamic, and cloud-powered. To keep up with this changing landscape, Microsoft regularly reviews and updates its portfolio of training and certification offerings.
- Here are some notable changes:
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Modern Desktop Administrator Associate is now renamed to Microsoft 365 Certified: Endpoint Administrator Associate. This change better reflects the focus of professionals in this role, as “endpoint” accurately characterizes the range of applicable devices they manage.
- The new Exam MD-102: Endpoint Administrator (beta available in May 2023) replaces both Exam MD-100: Windows Client and Exam MD-101: Managing Modern Desktops (both retiring on September 30, 2023).
- The Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert certification is now called Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert, with two exams consolidated into one.
- The Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Voice Engineer Expert certification is replaced by the new Microsoft 365 Certified: Collaboration Communications Systems Engineer Associate certification, which comes with a new exam.
- Two certifications, Microsoft 365 Certified: Teams Application Developer Associate and Microsoft 365 Certified: Security Administrator Associate, are being retired1.
- These changes ensure that certifications remain relevant and aligned with workplace needs.
Microsoft Credentials Roundup:
- In February 2024, Microsoft highlighted updates to its credentials portfolio. Staying current with technical skills is essential, and recent updates include:
- Dynamics 365 Business Central: New certification to validate skills in this area.
- Microsoft 365 Messaging Administrator Associate: The associated certification and exam (MS-203) will retire on December 31, 2023, as Microsoft invests in building new exams and certifications2.
- In February 2024, Microsoft highlighted updates to its credentials portfolio. Staying current with technical skills is essential, and recent updates include:
In this course, you’ll learn how to bring people together to create an optimal employee experience that enables your organization to improve productivity, develop empathetic leadership, and transform how employees feel about their work.
This training course will provide Microsoft Employee Experience Platform Specialists with a comprehensive overview of Microsoft Viva, as well as Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint. It will cover how to identify requirements for designing experiences for employee onboarding, career and skill development, rewards and recognition, compensation and benefits, employee wellbeing, and employee retention.
Exam MS-080T00: Employee Experience Platform Specialist
There is no exam associated with the course.
Let’s have a look at the details of the MS-080T00: Employee Experience Platform Specialist
Prerequisites: There are no particular prerequisites for the Employee Experience Platform Specialist but one should have a foundational understanding of Microsoft technologies, including Microsoft 365, Teams, SharePoint, and a deep understanding of Microsoft Viva features and capabilities. They may have experience in one or more of the following disciplines: human resources, people development, change management, information technology, or culture development.
This course introduces Microsoft 365, an integrated cloud platform that delivers industry-leading productivity apps along with intelligent cloud services, and world-class security. You’ll learn foundational knowledge on the considerations and benefits of adopting cloud services and the Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud model, with a specific focus on Microsoft 365 cloud service offerings. You will begin by learning about cloud fundamentals, including an overview of cloud computing. You will be introduced to Microsoft 365 and learn how Microsoft 365 solutions improve productivity, facilitate collaboration, and optimize communications. The course then analyzes how security, compliance, privacy, and trust are handled in Microsoft 365, and it concludes with a review of Microsoft 365 subscriptions, licenses, billing, and support.
Prerequisites
Students do not need to have any experience with Microsoft 365 before taking this course; however, a basic level of familiarity with computer technology and cloud computing is assumed.
This course covers the following key elements of Microsoft 365 administration: Microsoft 365 tenant management, Microsoft 365 identity synchronization, and Microsoft 365 security and compliance.
In Microsoft 365 tenant management, you learn how to configure your Microsoft 365 tenant, including your organizational profile, tenant subscription options, component services, user accounts and licenses, security groups, and administrative roles. You then transition to configuring Microsoft 365, with a primary focus on configuring Office client connectivity. Finally, you explore how to manage user-driven client installations of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise deployments.
The course then transitions to an in-depth examination of Microsoft 365 identity synchronization, with a focus on Azure Active Directory Connect and Connect Cloud Sync. You learn how to plan for and implement each of these directory synchronization options, how to manage synchronized identities, and how to implement password management in Microsoft 365 using multifactor authentication and self-service password management.
In Microsoft 365 security management, you begin examining the common types of threat vectors and data breaches facing organizations today. You then learn how Microsoft 365’s security solutions address each of these threats. You are introduced to the Microsoft Secure Score, as well as to Azure Active Directory Identity Protection. You then learn how to manage the Microsoft 365 security services, including Exchange Online Protection, Safe Attachments, and Safe Links. Finally, you are introduced to the various reports that monitor an organization’s security health. You then transition from security services to threat intelligence; specifically, using Microsoft 365 Defender, Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, and Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
Once you have this understanding of Microsoft 365’s security suite, you then examine the key components of Microsoft 365 compliance management. This begins with an overview of all key aspects of data governance, including data archiving and retention, Microsoft Purview message encryption, and data loss prevention (DLP). You then delve deeper into archiving and retention, paying particular attention to Microsoft Purview insider risk management, information barriers, and DLP policies. You then examine how to implement these compliance features by using data classification and sensitivity labels.
Certification Information
This course can help you prepare for the following Microsoft role-based certification exam — MS-102: Microsoft 365 Administrator.
Candidates for this exam are Microsoft 365 administrators who deploy and manage Microsoft 365. They perform Microsoft 365 tenant-level implementation and administration of cloud and hybrid environments.
Prerequisites
Before attending this course, students must have:
- Completed a role-based administrator course such as Messaging, Teamwork, Security, Compliance, or Collaboration.
- A proficient understanding of DNS and basic functional experience with Microsoft 365 services.
- A proficient understanding of general IT practices.
- A working knowledge of PowerShell.
Recommended prerequisites:
- M-MD102 – Managing Endpoints
- least one programming language supported by Azure.
Certification details
If you’re an administrator who deploys and manages Microsoft 365 and performs Microsoft 365 tenant-level implementation and administration of cloud and hybrid environments, this certification is designed for you.
As a Microsoft 365 administrator, you:
- Function as the integrating hub for all Microsoft 365 workloads.
- Coordinate across multiple Microsoft 365 workloads.
- Work with architects and other administrators responsible for workloads, infrastructure, identity, security, compliance, endpoints, and applications.
As a candidate for this certification, you have functional experience with all Microsoft 365 workloads and Microsoft Entra ID, and have administered at least one of these. You should also have a working knowledge of the following:
- Networking
- Server administration
- DNS
- PowerShell
Important
The English language version of this certification was updated on April 26, 2024. Review the study guide linked on the Exam MS-102 page for details about recent changes.
Skills measured
- Deploy and manage a Microsoft 365 tenant
- Implement and manage Microsoft Entra identity and access
- Manage security and threats by using Microsoft 365 Defender
- Manage compliance by using Microsoft Purview
Job role: Administrator
Prerequisites: 5 certifications
Overview
As a candidate for this certification, you have subject matter expertise deploying, configuring, protecting, managing, and monitoring devices and client applications in a Microsoft 365 environment. You’re responsible for:
- Managing identity, security, access, policies, updates, and apps for endpoints.
- Implementing solutions for efficient deployment and management of endpoints on various operating systems, platforms, and device types.
- Implementing and managing endpoints at scale by using Microsoft Intune, Windows 365, Windows Autopilot, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, and Microsoft Entra ID.
As an endpoint administrator, you collaborate with architects, Microsoft 365 administrators, security administrators, and other workload administrators to plan and implement a modern workplace strategy that meets the business needs of an organization.
You must have experience with Microsoft Entra ID and Microsoft 365 technologies, including Intune, as well as strong skills and experience in deploying, configuring, and maintaining Windows client and non-Windows devices.
Skills measured
- Deploy Windows client
- Manage identity and compliance
- Manage, maintain, and protect devices
- Manage applications
Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure own over 50% of the cloud infrastructure services market and customers in various sectors and industries. Having a Microsoft 365 Certification is likely to boost your career. It is a great way to validate your skills and differentiate yourself from others. You’ll also need practical, hands-on experience and knowledge to guide you in real-life environments.
Career options for this course.
- Service Desk Analyst
- Data Support Technician
- Help Desk Tech
- Desktop Support Administrator
- Technical Support Specialist
- End User Computing Technician
- Field Service Technician
- Associate Network Engineer
- System Support Specialist
Get Microsoft 365 Certified.
