2nd Level Support for Microsoft 365 and Azure
As a Microsoft 365 Consulting Center of Excellence, Intellity takes over 2nd level support for your IT operations: technical root-cause analysis, platform administration, structured escalation and full documentation — backed by contractually defined SLAs.
What is 2nd level support?
2nd level support handles tickets that 1st level support cannot resolve independently. It analyzes root causes at system and platform level, performs administrative tasks, documents solutions and escalates to 3rd level or directly to vendors when required.
1st Level
Intake, qualification, standard solutions
Password reset, basic troubleshooting, routing
2nd Level
Technical analysis, platform administration, incident management
M365, Exchange, Teams, Entra ID, Intune, Azure
3rd Level
Specialist tier, architecture, vendor escalation
Complex platform errors, migrations, product bugs
When 2nd level support becomes relevant
Tickets remain open after 1st level
When standard solutions don't work and root-cause analysis at platform or configuration level is required.
Internal Microsoft platform expertise is limited
Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Exchange, Teams and Intune require deep product knowledge that not every internal IT team can maintain permanently.
Incidents recur without resolution
Recurring issues without proper root-cause analysis block operations and create ongoing pressure for internal teams.
Internal IT needs relief
When strategic IT projects suffer under operational support load, external 2nd level support creates plannable capacity.
What Intellity handles in 2nd level support
Intellity processes escalated tickets for Microsoft-based IT environments: analysis, administration, documentation, escalation and reporting.
Microsoft 365
Tenant administration, user and group management, licenses, roles, permissions
Exchange Online
Mailboxes, distribution lists, mail flow, spam/phishing, shared mailboxes, permissions
Microsoft Teams
Policies, permissions, app integrations as well as Teams telephony and Teams Rooms, where agreed
SharePoint & OneDrive
Permissions, sync, storage management, access analysis
Microsoft Entra ID
Sign-in analysis, Conditional Access, groups, roles, hybrid identities
Intune & Endpoint
Device management, compliance policies, app protection, enrollment (where agreed)
Azure & AVD
Resource management, subscriptions, monitoring, backup, Windows Server (where agreed)
- Analysis and handling of escalated tickets
- Incident management and root-cause analysis
- Service requests: users, groups, permissions, licenses
- Escalation to 3rd level or Microsoft support cases
- Documentation of solutions and knowledge base articles
- Regular reporting and service reviews as agreed
Agreed scope
Support applies to the contractually agreed systems, tenants, platforms and service modules.
Customer prerequisites
Required access, permissions and current information or documentation for the agreed systems must be available.
Optional operations services
Change enablement, monitoring, patch/update management, release/deployment management or mail gateway services can be added depending on the service module.
Typical prioritization in 2nd level support
In 2nd level support, requests are categorized by business impact, urgency and affected user group. The following values provide practical orientation for typical escalation windows in Microsoft 365 and Azure environments. Binding times, service windows and prioritization rules are defined in the respective service context.
| Priority | Typical scenario | Orientation until qualified handling |
|---|---|---|
P1 – Critical | Central service down, multiple users affected, critical mail flow disrupted | Within a few hours, typically around 1–4 hours |
P2 – High | Significant disruption for a user group, workaround only partially available | Same business day, typically around 4–8 hours |
P3 – Medium | Single user affected, minor issue or service request | Within 1–2 business days |
P4 – General | General inquiries, information requests, non-critical changes | Within a few business days, typically around 2–5 business days |
The timeframes describe an orientation until qualified handling begins or a support case is routed to the relevant specialist level. Specific response times, service hours, 24/7 coverage, escalation paths and prioritization rules are defined depending on the operating model and service agreement. Topics involving vendors, platforms or third parties can additionally depend on external response times.
In use at
Frequently asked questions about 2nd level support
What is 2nd level support for Microsoft 365 and Azure?
2nd level support for Microsoft 365 and Azure is the technical support tier for escalated tickets that cannot be resolved through standard 1st level solutions. It includes root-cause analysis, platform administration, documented handling and escalation to 3rd level, Microsoft or other vendors when required.
What is the difference between 1st level and 2nd level support?
1st level support receives tickets, qualifies them and resolves standard cases. 2nd level support handles technical analysis, platform administration, incident management and escalation — all cases requiring deeper system knowledge.
Which Microsoft platforms are covered in 2nd level support?
Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business, Microsoft Entra ID, Intune, Endpoint Management, Azure, Azure Virtual Desktop and Windows Server in Azure. The scope depends on the agreed service module.
Which escalation times are common in 2nd level support?
For critical incidents, escalation in the market is often very short-term, while less urgent tickets are handled in a planned way during defined business hours. Specific response times, service hours and 24/7 coverage are usually agreed individually.
Is 2nd level support suitable for smaller IT teams?
Yes. The service can complement internal IT teams when the relevant scope and supported platforms are agreed.
What is not included in 2nd level support?
Not automatically included are end-user training, complete migrations, custom development, SOC operations, 24/7 support and systems or tenants not covered by the agreement. During an onboarding phase, SLAs may be regulated differently. Vendor or third-party errors and their processing times are outside Intellity's direct sphere of influence.
How does the ticket process work?
Ticket intake → classification and prioritization → technical analysis → handling and communication → documentation → closure. Escalation to downstream support units, 3rd level, third parties or Microsoft support when required.
When is external 2nd level support useful for internal IT teams?
External 2nd level support is useful when internal IT teams should not permanently handle recurring or complex Microsoft 365, Azure, endpoint or security tickets themselves. It creates plannable capacity, documents solutions and complements internal knowledge with specialized operations experience.