Microsoft 365 brings together cloud-based productivity, communication, collaboration and security services used by organisations of all sizes. This A-Z glossary explains common Microsoft 365 terms in clear, practical language, including Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Exchange Online, Entra ID, Copilot, Planner and related administration concepts.
A
Admin Centre
A web portal used by authorised administrators to configure Microsoft 365 services, users, licences, security settings and organisation-wide policies.
Azure Active Directory
The former name for Microsoft Entra ID, the cloud identity and access service used across Microsoft 365 and Azure.
B
Bookings
A Microsoft 365 app that lets organisations offer appointment scheduling through a shared booking page and calendar.
Business Standard
A Microsoft 365 subscription plan for small and medium-sized organisations that includes desktop Office apps, email, Teams and cloud storage.
C
Channel
A dedicated space within a Microsoft Teams team for conversations, meetings, files and apps around a particular topic or workstream.
Copilot
Microsoft's AI assistant integrated into supported Microsoft 365 apps and services to help with drafting, summarising, analysing and working with organisational content, subject to licensing and permissions.
D
Data Loss Prevention (DLP)
Policies that help identify, monitor and protect sensitive information across Microsoft 365 services.
Delve
A former Microsoft 365 experience for discovering people and content. Its functionality has largely moved into newer Microsoft 365 search and profile experiences.
E
Entra ID
Microsoft's cloud identity and access management service, formerly called Azure Active Directory, used for authentication, single sign-on and access control.
Exchange Online
Microsoft's cloud-hosted email, calendar and mailbox service used by Outlook and other Microsoft 365 applications.
F
Forms
A Microsoft 365 app for creating surveys, quizzes, polls and forms, with responses collected online for review or analysis.
G
Guest Access
A feature that allows authorised external users to collaborate in services such as Teams and SharePoint without being full members of the organisation.
H
Hybrid Identity
An identity approach that connects on-premises directory services with Microsoft Entra ID so users can access both local and cloud resources.
I
Intune
Microsoft's cloud-based endpoint management service for managing devices, applications, compliance policies and access to organisational data.
Information Protection
Microsoft 365 capabilities for classifying, labelling and protecting sensitive information across documents, emails and other content.
J
Junk Email
Unwanted or suspicious email that Exchange Online and Outlook may automatically filter into the Junk Email folder.
K
Key Management
The processes and controls used to protect encryption keys that secure Microsoft 365 data and services.
L
Licence
A subscription entitlement assigned to a user or service that determines which Microsoft 365 applications and features are available.
Loop
A Microsoft 365 collaboration app and component framework that lets teams work together on live content across supported Microsoft apps.
M
Microsoft 365
Microsoft's subscription-based suite of productivity, collaboration, communication, identity and security services.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
A security method requiring users to verify their identity using more than one factor, such as a password plus an authenticator app.
N
New Outlook
Microsoft's newer Outlook experience designed to provide a more consistent email and calendar interface across Windows and the web.
O
OneDrive for Business
Cloud storage for individual work files, with synchronisation, sharing and collaboration features integrated across Microsoft 365.
Outlook
Microsoft's email and calendar application for accessing Exchange Online mailboxes, contacts, tasks and meetings.
P
Planner
A Microsoft 365 task management app for organising work into plans, buckets and assigned tasks, with integrations across Teams and other services.
Power Automate
A low-code automation service used to create workflows between Microsoft 365 apps, cloud services and data sources.
Q
Quarantine
A secure holding area for messages or files identified as suspicious or potentially harmful by Microsoft 365 security services.
R
Retention Policy
A Microsoft Purview rule that controls how long organisational content is retained or when it can be deleted.
Room Mailbox
An Exchange Online resource mailbox used to manage meeting room availability and bookings.
S
SharePoint Online
Microsoft's cloud collaboration and content management service for intranets, team sites, document libraries, lists and shared information.
Sensitivity Label
A Microsoft Purview label that can classify and protect content according to an organisation's information protection policies.
T
Teams
Microsoft's collaboration platform for chat, meetings, calls, file sharing, apps and teamwork.
Tenant
An organisation's dedicated Microsoft cloud environment containing its users, services, settings, identities and data.
U
Unified Audit Log
A central log of user and administrator activities across supported Microsoft 365 services, used for investigation and compliance purposes.
V
Viva
Microsoft's employee experience platform, bringing together communication, knowledge, learning, insights and engagement tools within Microsoft 365.
W
Whiteboard
A collaborative digital canvas for brainstorming, planning and visual teamwork, available within Microsoft 365 and Teams.
X
XML
A structured data format used behind many Microsoft technologies and file types, including several Office document formats.
Y
Yammer
The former name for Microsoft's enterprise social networking service, now incorporated into Viva Engage.
Z
Zero Trust
A security approach based on explicitly verifying users and devices, applying least privilege and assuming that breaches can occur.
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