How to Assign Exchange Online Plan 2 License

Assigning Exchange Online Plan 2 licenses can seem daunting, but with the right approach, it becomes straightforward. This guide will walk you through the step-by-step process to ensure your users have access to all the features and benefits of Exchange Online Plan 2. Whether you’re an IT administrator managing licenses for a large organization or a small business owner setting up your IT infrastructure, these steps will help you efficiently assign and manage licenses.

To begin, you’ll need administrative access to the Microsoft 365 admin center. Follow these detailed steps to assign a license:

1. Sign in to Microsoft 365 Admin Center: Open your web browser and go to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center. Sign in with your admin account credentials.

2. Navigate to Users: In the left-hand menu, select "Users," then click on "Active users." This will display a list of all users within your organization.

3. Select a User: Find and click on the user to whom you want to assign the Exchange Online Plan 2 license. This action will open the user’s details pane.

4. Manage Licenses: Within the user’s details pane, click on the "Licenses and Apps" tab. Here, you will see a list of available licenses.

5. Assign License: Locate the Exchange Online Plan 2 license in the list. Toggle the switch next to this license to enable it. Ensure that the checkbox for Exchange Online Plan 2 is checked.

6. Save Changes: Click "Save changes" to apply the new license settings to the selected user. The user will now have access to Exchange Online Plan 2 features.

7. Verify Assignment: It’s a good practice to verify that the license has been assigned correctly. Return to the "Active users" list, select the user again, and check the "Licenses and Apps" tab to confirm that Exchange Online Plan 2 is listed as assigned.

In addition to assigning licenses through the admin center, you can use PowerShell for bulk assignments. This method is especially useful if you need to assign licenses to multiple users simultaneously.

PowerShell Method:

1. Open PowerShell: Launch PowerShell as an administrator on your computer.

2. Connect to Microsoft Online Services: Use the command Connect-MsolService and enter your admin credentials when prompted.

3. Check Available Licenses: Run Get-MsolAccountSku to view the available licenses.

4. Assign Licenses: Use the command Set-MsolUserLicense -UserPrincipalName [email protected] -AddLicenses "yourtenant:EXCHANGEPREMIUM" to assign the Exchange Online Plan 2 license to a specific user. Replace [email protected] with the user's email and yourtenant:EXCHANGEPREMIUM with the appropriate license SKU.

5. Verify Assignment: Run Get-MsolUser -UserPrincipalName [email protected] | Select-Object -Property DisplayName,Licenses to confirm that the license has been successfully assigned.

Troubleshooting:

• License Not Available: Ensure that your organization has purchased enough Exchange Online Plan 2 licenses. If you don’t have enough licenses, you’ll need to acquire more.
• User Cannot Access Features: Sometimes, it may take a short period for changes to take effect. If the user still cannot access features after a few hours, double-check the license assignment.

By following these steps, you can effectively manage and assign Exchange Online Plan 2 licenses within your organization, ensuring that users have the necessary tools and features for their email and collaboration needs.