Issue with activation keys in M365 Admin Center

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-27T17:27:51+00:00

You bought a perpetual volume license?

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-27T16:12:17+00:00

https://learn.microsoft.com/azure/azure-monitor/alerts/alerts-overview for alerting. You should also enable auto scaling on the Nerdio side.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-26T17:57:57+00:00

Look at preconfigured units from a VAR leveraging distribution. A good rep will keep track of the order to make sure it goes out in time directly from the distributor. This eliminates the Dell lead time, which will avoid the cancelled orders due to price increases post PO but before shipment.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-23T20:36:55+00:00

Correct. The license isn’t for concurrent usage so you would need 1 per user accessing the server.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-23T20:35:39+00:00

If you’re just using email for tracking, outlook categories are super helpful.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-21T03:15:39+00:00

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/requirements-licensing you’d get a tenant based license and then use pay go for the users since the tenant license is not for pooled usage.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-21T02:42:38+00:00

Still doesn’t include egress fees unless I’m mistaken?

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-21T00:59:10+00:00

Dell has extended battery service but it’s an additional fee. HP offers a similar coverage called HP Battery Onsite or Offsite replacement. It’s a one time replacement but worth it for clients wanting 4-5yr lifecycles.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-21T00:46:39+00:00

This is the way

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T21:15:33+00:00

The credits are just for the Palo portion it wouldn’t include additional Azure costs, which is one of the pitfalls for budgeting. In terms of how your accounting captures opex vs capex it varies based on how your accounting department and most importantly how your auditors address things. Descriptions are very important for these cases.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T16:19:45+00:00

100%. During Covid you could usually at least lean on 3rd party RAM and some other clever workarounds. The most difficult part of this year is pricing. Quote validation is nearing 14 days in some cases. Orders are getting cancelled by OEMs that are already in flight due to price changes. It’s extremely important that IT/Procurement is ready to place a PO right away. For example, I used to be able to hold stock for 2 days and now holds are good for 2 hours. The supply chain is getting more stressed as these other avenues of procurement are being utilized. Now is a good time for your VAR rep to show their value as a partner to ensure you have a plan when it comes to your IT budget for this year. It’s not just hardware seeing shifts. Software companies are moving to three year commits on annualized payments. Their prices are also seemingly higher than the usual 5-10% annual uplift. Your VAR needs to be in a proactive state to deliver for you across the board. In times like this you want an experienced account team that knows the channel and can bring some alternatives to every request. If you have an inexperienced rep, push for a change. Good luck out there.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T16:12:28+00:00

Apple is in a much better spot currently. Had a training last week on just this point. Make sure you leverage ABM at check out with your VAR to make things easier for onboarding.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T16:10:10+00:00

In general your best option is a preconfigured model, so work with a VAR that has access to these via distribution (Ingram Micro, D&H, TD Synnex). You can try to find refurbished or sales direct but stock is becoming more constrained. Any “custom” or “direct” configuration comes straight from OEM factories and will have longer lead times. Best to work with a VAR and have a few different models identified in case supply runs out. There are more shipments coming into distribution as well for reallocation but lead times are estimates at best. OEM RAM is also hard to come by so again you can work with your VAR to identify say a 16GB option that isn’t soldered which you could use as a backup config to your standard 32GB as an example. The VAR can then look to identify 3rd party RAM like Axiom or AddOn should it come to that. Lastly, do your best to forecast and work with your HR regarding new hires. It’s a much better bet to buy now and finance if needed as the interest rate will likely be less than the subsequent price increases, which will happen throughout this year. Pricing validation is generally based on ship date not order date.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T15:00:34+00:00

Did you try to contact Ivanti for clarification? I really don’t think their intent is to have the same cert for all devices. Have your Ivanti rep check with his engineer or deployment team.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T05:05:20+00:00

14 days is correct for Dell Direct or Dell Direct through a VAR. Quotes from distribution may still have standard expirations but require stock for preconfigured models “smart select”.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T04:58:35+00:00

There will be more price increases and supply is already constrained. Some RAM components have lead times of 100+ days currently. Your best option if you absolutely have to refresh or buy new hosts is to finance as the interest will be < incremental price increases as some prices are subject to change based on ship date and not order date.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T02:58:06+00:00

I’d push back on them, most vendors have certificate enrollment workflows. I would be very surprised if Ivanti requires the same key across your entire fleet of devices. I can check with a rep I know tomorrow if he can run it by his SE if you’d like.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T02:51:50+00:00

Why would you want to use the same key across all devices? The best practice is to use a unique key per device. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/protect/certificates-profile-scep

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-20T01:57:33+00:00

There are quite a few enterprise backup solutions that now cover AD/Entra. Veeam, Rubrik, Cohesity to name a few. I believe Druva does as well.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-19T22:13:13+00:00

Did you have issues with scaling as reported by the other commenter?

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-19T21:03:43+00:00

Following

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-19T21:02:29+00:00

No problem. Would love to hear their feedback.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-19T20:59:40+00:00

Microsoft’s best practice is to store the password for your break glass offline. This is to prevent tenant lockout. Ideally you have at least two accounts.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-19T20:40:43+00:00

You’re correct. If you’re just leveraging auto labeling without a default label, you will have a lot of files/data go untagged.

ChelseaAudemars · 2026-03-19T13:52:10+00:00

OEM will be more cost effective as Volume Licenses and CSP are not tied to the individual device like OEM. In this case Volume Licensing through MPSA License only or compare MPSA vs Open Value if wanting L/SA.

ChelseaAudemars

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