Octobits Blog – In the busy world of Managed Service Providers (MSPs), the Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a handy tool. Why is that?
As we all know, businesses are relying increasingly on the cloud. This means MSPs have to manage and secure lots of different client environments, often juggling lots of different tools and dashboards.
The Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a centralised platform designed to make it easier for MSPs to manage Microsoft 365 tenants.
This platform is designed to make things easier for MSPs, while also improving security and helping them to provide an even better service to their clients.
So, let’s see how Microsoft 365 Lighthouse lives up to the hype.
What is Microsoft 365 Lighthouse?
As we can see in Microsoft Learn article, “Overview of Microsoft 365 Lighthouse,” the Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is a management platform designed with MSPs in mind.
Lighthouse makes MSP oversee, secure and manage Microsoft 365 environments for their SMB customers at scale.
Lighthouse brings together all the key info from different tenants, so you can keep an eye on things, manage them and keep them secure, all in one place.
Lighthouse works with Microsoft’s security and management tools, so MSPs can set up standard configurations, keep an eye on security, and automate tasks for multiple customers.
It’s like a ‘single pane of glass’ showing you how all your managed tenants are doing in terms of health, security and compliance.
This multi-tenant management feature is especially useful for MSPs who need to maintain high standards of service across different customer environments without having to switch between multiple interfaces or log into each tenant individually.
Features of Microsoft 365 Lighthouse
Microsoft 365 Lighthouse has been designed with the specific needs of MSPs managing small to medium-sized business (SMB) customers in mind.
That’s why multi-tenant management is one of the main features. This feature lets MSPs bring all their customer environments together into one portal.
Another key feature is the standardised security baselines that have been created with SMBs in mind.
These baselines are there to make sure that all managed environments stick to a set of security standards that have been agreed in advance.
The automation and AI-driven SnSights feature uses AI to suggest ways to improve security, keep customers happy and help your business grow.
Simplified user and device management makes it easier for MSPs to handle common tasks like password resets, multi-factor authentication setup, and device compliance checks from a single interface.
Then, integrated threat management with Microsoft Defender for Business gives MSPs a single view of threats across all managed devices. This integration makes it easy to spot and fix any security problems.
For your reference on the frontline worker product, kindly read “Microsoft 365 F3 Price: Features, Tiers, Plans, & Difference With E3“
Benefits of Microsoft 365 Lighthouse for MSPs
As MSPs grow their customer base, Lighthouse can easily handle multiple customer environments from a single interface.
This scalability and capacity to manage lots of tenants without making things too complicated is exactly what’s needed in a region like Australia, where MSPs often work with clients spread across huge distances.
Security is another big plus for Microsoft 365 Lighthouse.
By setting the same security standards for all managed tenants, the platform makes it much less likely that any vulnerabilities will arise.
Lighthouse makes it much easier to manage your operations by putting all your management features in one place.
MSPs can get things done, like resetting passwords and onboarding users, for all their clients in one place.
And last but not least, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse is great value for money.
It’s part of the Microsoft 365 suite, so there are no extra licensing fees. That makes it a great option for MSPs who want to improve their service without spending more money on operations.
How Much Does Microsoft 365 Lighthouse Cost?
One of the best things about Lighthouse is you get it as part of your Microsoft 365 subscription.
So you don’t have to worry about any extra licence fees.
This makes it a great way to give your services a boost and deliver more value to your clients without spending more money.
It’s like getting a free upgrade that’ll make your business more competitive and profitable.
Requirements to Use Microsoft 365 Lighthouse
If you’re an MSP looking to use Microsoft 365 Lighthouse, there are a few key things you’ll need to get set up.
First and foremost, the MSP needs to be enrolled in the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) programme.
This includes both direct-bill partners and indirect resellers.
The customers themselves don’t need to be part of the programme, but their tenants must meet certain criteria to be managed via Lighthouse.
One of the main things you need to do to manage tenants is set up Delegated Admin Privileges (DAP) or Granular Delegated Admin Privileges (GDAP).
GDAP is a more secure, fine-tuned alternative to DAP. It offers time-bound and role-specific access to customer workloads.
This approach is in line with Microsoft’s Zero Trust cybersecurity model, which makes sure that MSPs only have the permissions they need for their tasks, which helps to reduce potential security risks.
When it comes to licensing, each customer tenant needs to have at least one qualifying Microsoft 365 subscription, like Business Premium or an Enterprise plan.
Also, the tenant can’t have more than 2,500 licensed users.
It’s also got to be the case that the MSP and the customer tenants have to be in the same region. For Australian MSPs, that’s the Asia-Pacific region.
These conditions make sure that MSPs can manage their clients using Microsoft 365 Lighthouse easily and safely, while also following Microsoft’s security and operational standards.
For more alternative insights, take a look at “Microsoft 365 F1 Price: Details, Features, & Plans Comparison.”
Integrating Octobits with Microsoft 365 Lighthouse for Better IT Management
As MSPs use Microsoft 365 Lighthouse to manage lots of different tenants easily, Octobits can really help you to do more.
Octobits is a license management software that works well with Lighthouse. Why? Octobits gives you a single place to manage Microsoft 365 and other important IT services like AWS and Azure.
This integration lets MSPs bring all their billing, reporting and device management together in one place, which makes things more efficient and secure for their clients.
With Octobits, you can keep an eye on all your IT services in one place, making it easier to manage complex IT ecosystems.
This integration is a great way for MSPs to make their operations more efficient, cut costs, and improve service delivery, all while keeping their Microsoft 365 Lighthouse security standards high.
In Closing
As you can see, Microsoft 365 Lighthouse brings all your operations together, makes sure everything is secure, and gives you the tools you need to provide amazing services.
So, if you’re an MSP looking to improve efficiency, boost security and increase client satisfaction, think about using Microsoft 365 Lighthouse and Octobits.
Integrating Microsoft 365 Lighthouse and Octobits could be a great move for your business. They make it easier for you to work more efficiently and improve the services you offer.
