Acronym | Meaning |
AAD | Azure Active Directory - Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a cloud-based identity and access management service. This service helps employees access external resources, such as Microsoft 365, the Azure portal, and thousands of other SaaS applications |
AADDS | Azure Active Directory Domain Services - Azure-managed Active Directory. Designed to be a cloud extension of an on-premise AD environment. Significant restricted functionality, avoid if all possible. |
ABC | Acronis Backup Cloud |
AD | Active Directory - LDAP-based identity management system |
API | Application programming Interface |
ARM | Azure Resource Manager - Azure’s IaC templating language for deploying resources to Azure. It’s written in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). They contain all of the config options for the resources they are deploying - VMs, App Services, Storage etc. These templates can then be run via the Azure CLI or in an Azure DevOps pipeline. |
BSP | Business Service Provider |
BYOD | Bring your own device |
CAL | Client Access License |
CDS | Cloud Director Service |
CHP | CloudHealth Platform |
CMS | Cloud Management Services |
CPA | Customer program agreement, regarding PRISM |
CRM | Customer Relation Management |
CSP | Cloud Solution Provider |
DLA | Direct Line of Access |
DPOR | Direct partner of record |
DYN | Dynamics 365 |
EA | Enterprise Agreement - Agreement between customer and Microsoft for Azure & product licensing (not CSP) |
EA/SA | Enterprise Agreement/Software Agreement |
ERP | Estimated Retail Price |
EULA | End User License Agreement |
FPP | Full Packaged Product |
FTE | Full Time Equivalent - 40h/week |
GA | Global Admin |
GB | Gigabyte |
GSS | Global Support Services |
IaC | Infrastructure as Code - Cloud infrastructure where the resource configurations needed are recorded in templates which are then deployed. |
ISV | Independent Software Vendor - Software companies, who produce software or PaaS/SaaS products as their primary business. |
LM | License Mobility |
LSP | Microsoft License Solution Provider |
MBO | Monthly Billing Order |
MBSA | Microsoft Business Service Agreement |
MCS | Mission Critical Support |
MFA | Multi Factor Authentication |
MOPS | Managed Operations |
MPA | Microsoft Partner Agreement |
MPN | Microsoft Partner Network |
MRM | Messaging records management |
MS | Microsoft |
MSP | Managed service provider - A Company which provides technical services to clients, usually IT-related. |
NDA | Non-Disclosure Agreement |
NPS | Network Policy Server |
NSG | Network security group |
OST | Online Services Terms |
PAL | Partner Admin Link - A way to align Microsoft Partner Network ID to a customer’s subscription in order to be recognised for consumption of services |
PGA | Partner Global Account (Global MPN) |
PLA | Partner Location Account (Location MPN) |
PMC | Partner Membership Center |
PO | Purchase Order |
PPU | Price per Unit |
PSO | Professional Services Order |
QMTH | Qualified Multi Tenant Hosting |
RDS | Remote Desktop Server |
RI | Reserved Instances - Pre-paying Virtual Machine/Database/Server etc. costs to save money i.e. reserving them in advance. In contrast to PAYG (Pay as you go) |
RPO | Rhipe Program Operations |
RRP | Recommended Retails Price |
SAL | Standard Access License |
SKU | Stock Keeping Unit |
SP | Service Provider |
SPLA | Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement |
SPUR | Services Provider Use Rights |
UM | Usage Meter - vCloud Usage Meter is a virtual appliance that is installed on a vCenter Server instance. |
VAR | Value Added Reseller |
VM | Virtual Machine |
VOIP | Voice over IP |
vSAN | VMware Virtual Storage Area Network |
VSPP | VMware Service provider program - The VMware Service Provider Program (VSPP) is program that allows VMware Partner Network Program participants to offer VMware-based cloud services. |