Microsoft Account Controls Access to Critical IT Services

The Microsoft account service authenticates users to Microsoft services that are important to organizations, such as the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center and the Microsoft Developer Network, not just consumer-focused services such as Outlook.com and Xbox Live. To reduce the likelihood of problems accessing these services, organizations may want to identify and properly manage all Microsoft accounts employees use to access the services.

Where Is Microsoft Account Used?

Before an organization can determine how to manage critical Microsoft accounts, it is necessary to understand where and how in the organization Microsoft accounts might be used. The Microsoft account service, formerly Windows Live ID or Passport, is a Microsoft-hosted directory service for managing information about the following:

• Users, including user names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses
• Devices running Windows 8, Windows RT, and Windows Phone.

As a directory service, Microsoft account is used to authenticate access to a variety of Microsoft and third-party Web sites and services. In addition, the Microsoft account service plays a role in managing Windows Modern Applications, particularly applications purchased from the Windows Store, which allow installation on more than one device. In some cases, the actual information about applications or the usage of the services may actually be stored in an application or service-specific database, rather than as part of the Microsoft account directory, and only the authentication to access the information is controlled by the Microsoft account service. (For more information on directory aspects of Microsoft account, see the chart “Basic Microsoft Account Attributes“.)