In this article, we will explain how Azure works in the CSP program.

Azure can be sold through various channels and programs.  If your company would like to purchase Azure, you can continue to purchase through a volume licensing agreement. If you’re a hosting provider and you would like to leverage Azure as your datacenter provider, you can also purchase it through volume licensing leveraging the Microsoft Hosting Exception found in the Online Services Terms (OST).  Last, if you are a solution provider, you can resell Azure to your end customers through the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program.   Let’s highlight how this would work operationally with links to the appropriate documents you should be aware of.

Azure in CSP Direct (Tier 1)

• The end customer is the licensee.  They are the one to sign off on the Microsoft Cloud Agreement and follow the Online Services Terms.  They would also sign your own support agreement with the customer with SLA’s and other terms.
• The CSP provider is the reseller.  As a CSP, you will sign the Cloud Reseller Agreement.  Your responsibility is to resell the licenses to your end customer, provide the support for the consumption, and provide proper billing services.
• CSP is the reseller in this model, each end customer would be required to have their own Azure tenant.

Azure in CSP Indirect (Tier 2)

Same rules apply as above, however the Tier 2 provider would provide the platform and support for CSP.  The managed service provider (or reseller) would be responsible for the billing and overall management of the end customer.

Azure in SPLA

If a service provider would like to run a multi-tenant hosted solution to their end customers, they could leverage SPLA for all user based applications and Azure through the volume licensing Hosted Exception found in the Online Services Terms.

Thanks for reading,

CSP Man