What is Microsoft Teams Exploratory License

The Microsoft Teams Exploratory license is actually a longer-term trial until January 2021. That you can obtain within your Office 365 tenant and gives functionality similar to an Office 365 E3 license. Just read this article to know all about What is Microsoft Teams Exploratory License. Let’s begin!

It is designed to permit a user to self-assign Microsoft Teams licenses. If they do not have one, or to permit you as an administrator in order to assign a longer-term Teams trial license to users if you guys do not have Teams licenses (or Microsoft 365/Office 365 licenses) available to grant actually.

It is useful if you have to grant a set of Teams licenses to users, however, you only have a plan such as Exchange Online Plan 1 for those users. Or if you have to provide a Teams trial license to many other people in your business. Those who didn’t have an Office 365 license available, such as first-line workers.

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1 What is Microsoft Teams Exploratory License?

What is Microsoft Teams Exploratory License?

Microsoft Teams Exploratory is basically a license that can actually be used for Microsoft Teams premium access (trial) without even paying for it first. It’s design for the organizations that are part of the big Microsoft service called Azure AD as well. As explained via Microsoft, the Exploratory experience permits the users in an organization to start exploring Teams without even needing its paid license.

If an organization’s administrator turns on the Exploratory experience for users in their organization. The users in that organization are able to self-assign Teams licenses if they really don’t have one. Just like that, administrators can also assign a longer-term Teams trial license for those who neither have a Teams license nor a Microsoft 365/Office 365 license as well.

Can I use Teams Exploratory for free?

Yes. Microsoft is also offering the Teams Exploratory experience at no additional cost for organizations that actively use the Azure Active Directory (AAD) actually. The Exploratory experience is hence available for free till the next enterprise agreement anniversary. At which point users or the organization will also have to move to a paid license along with which Microsoft Teams can be used.

Services in Teams Exploratory?

The following list of services can be accessed via admins using the Teams Exploratory experience:

Microsoft Teams
Office Online
Office Mobile Apps for Office 365
PowerApps for Microsoft 365 or Office 365
Microsoft Forms (Plan E1)
Exchange Online (Plan 1)
Flow for Microsoft 365 or Office 365
Insights by MyAnalytics
Microsoft Search
Also, microsoft StaffHub
Microsoft Stream for Microsoft 365 and also Office 365 E1 SKUs
SharePoint Online (Plan 1)
Sway
To-Do (Plan 1)
Whiteboard (Plan 1)
Yammer Enterprise
Mobile Device Management for Microsoft 365 or Office 365

Am I eligible for getting Teams Exploratory?

You guys can get a Teams Exploratory license if you have not been assigned a Teams license currently. However, you have a managed Azure Active Directory (AAD) domain email address as well. This means that users who basically use Microsoft 365 Apps for business are also eligible for the Teams Exploratory experience. Plus, if you aren’t the administrator of an eligible organization. Then your account will need to enable to sign up for apps and trials via the Microsoft 365 admin center.

So, all licenses under the Teams Commercial Cloud Trial will be automatically converted to the new Teams Exploratory experience that offers before their trial ends. Users on an expired Teams Commercial Cloud Trial will only get the Exploratory experience license whenever they’re signing in for the very first time.

Microsoft also has clearly mentioned that users of Syndication Partner, GCC, GCC High, DoD, or EDU aren’t really eligible for the Teams Exploratory offer.

How can you sign up in Microsoft Teams exploratory trial?

If you’re eligible for signing up for Teams Exploratory experience, then you can set it up via heading over to Microsoft Teams webpage. And then signing in along with your Azure Active Directory (AAD) domain email address. Whenever you sign in, you will be automatically assign to the Team Exploratory experience. Your organization’s administrator will also be notified via email whenever someone logs in to the Exploratory experience for the first time as well.

If you’re, in fact, then the admin, you can also proceed to finalize your license. Through tapping on the ‘Finish setting up ‎Microsoft Teams Exploratory’ message on your Microsoft 365 admin center home screen as well.

If you guys cannot see the message, head to Billing > Products and Services. Then you should be able to locate the ‘Microsoft Teams Exploratory Trial’ license. Inside the license section, tap on the ‘Assign users’ option in order to start adding users of your organization who would get the Exploratory license as well.

Why can’t I sign up for a Microsoft Teams Exploratory license?

If you guys cannot sign up for a Microsoft Teams Exploratory license. Then chances are that you are facing any of the following issues actually:

Your organization doesn’t actually use Azure Active Directory (AAD).
Also, your organization is ineligible for Teams Exploratory experience as well.
Your tenant admin also hasn’t yet signed up for Teams Exploratory.
The admin also has disabled users from running the Team Exploratory experience within their organization. Request your tenant admin to turn on the license.
You guys already have a license that includes Microsoft Teams.
Your Team Exploratory license also has run out and you have to purchase a subscription that includes Teams.

How long can I use the Team Exploratory experience?

The Teams Exploratory license is also available for free until your next enterprise agreement anniversary or renewal date until January 2021. After which point your license will also terminate. What this actually means is, your Exploratory license will be valid for one entire year after the first end user’s activation date of the license.

Such as, if I activate the license on September 11, 2020. And then all eligible users in my organization will be able to use the Teams Exploratory license till September 11, 2021, as well.

After the license period, if you guys want to continue using the service. Then you will have to move to any of the paid Office 365 licenses that come with Microsoft Teams to continue to use the service. User data stored and saved on Teams will actually remain even after the license period is over. However, you can only re-access it whenever a new license is assigned.