The role of M365 groups in collaboration
In its purest form, an M365 group is similar to other groups in Azure AD. It is a set of people that can be attached to a set of resources. It provides a permission boundary that can determine access to our collaboration tools and data. Let’s compare the different types of groups that we might find in the M365 admin center and what makes M365 groups unique:
- Distribution groups: A way to send email to multiple users at once. In SharePoint, we’ve been able to use distribution lists for audience targeting, but this has nothing to do with security.
- Security groups: The traditional Active Directory (AD) group, which may be synced to on-premises AD or exist in Azure AD. This is solely concerned with granting access to resources.
- Mail-enabled security groups: A mix of granting access and sending email to users.
- M365 groups: People who are identified as owners, members, or guests that are connected to the suite of resources...
