Overview
Texas A&M Microsoft 365 provides A1 and A5 licensing to TAMU individuals depending on their affiliation with the university.
A1 vs A5 licenses
Microsoft 365 services are grouped into two license types for Texas A&M University members.
The A5 license includes more features and applications than the A1 license. Some notable applications included in the A5 license which are not included in the A1 are
- Copilot
- Microsoft Bookings
- Audio conferencing
- Phone system
- Power BI Pro
- My Analytics
- InTune for Education
A full list of features included in both the A5 and A1 licenses can be found on Microsoft's website.
A5 licenses are provided to active students, faculty, and staff in System Part 02, 09, 10, 23, and 28 with the following exceptions:
- TAMU Qatar
- Athletics
- College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
These units, along with retirees and affiliates, get A1 licenses for Microsoft 365.
Exchange mailboxes
All active students, faculty, and staff receive either an A5 or A1 license for Microsoft 365. The primary difference between the Exchange mailbox for an A5 or A1 license is the mailbox quota size:
Lifecycle
Once an Exchange mailbox has been provisioned, it stays provisioned for the life of the NetID. If the mailbox claim is dropped by a departmental Exchange administrator, the mailbox will not be deprovisioned. Exchange mailboxes are only deleted when the NetID is removed from the TAMU system. NetIDs are removed according to the NetID Account Lifecycle.
For Exchange email users who transition from an active position to an inactive position, including retiring, the user's license will switch from an A5 license to an A1 license. This means that the Exchange mailbox quota will decrease from 100GB to 50GB. If a retiree has more than 50GB of email in their Exchange mailbox when they transition, they may find that they are immediately over quota and unable to send or receive email.