What is an External User from the Portal's Perspective?

[rdaudt]

Greetings, everyone. I need to advise on the licensing model for Power App Portal for a non-profit organization. We want to understand what an external user is. This article indicates that users that exist as guests in Azure AD need to acquire D365/PowerApps licenses in order to use the Portal. 

https://www.engineeredcode.com/blog/power-apps-portals-my-interpretation-of-the-new-licensing-rules

That would be on the top of the amount paid for the Portal itself, based on the number of monthly logins. I appreciate the author sharing its views, but I have a hard time contemplating the key argument, as it would significantly increase the cost of so many projects in which organizations legitimately want to collaborate with Partners. In particular, in this case, this client would cancel the project. 

My question to the community is: is this also your understanding about the matter? Is this the mainstream understanding about it? I tried to get in touch with Microsoft about it but so far no luck.

I appreciate any input on it.

Thanks.

@MarkBiggerstaf 

[Fubar · Accepted solution]

The general definition of External user will be in the PowerApps Licencing Guide (get the latest version as the doc regularly changes) - but it is roughly what is in the link you provided,

For a Guest in AD to use CRM data would need a CRM Licence applied - however unlike direct access to CRM, with the Portal you have other options outside of Azure AD for external users (i.e. they do not have to be a Guest in your AD) such as other Identity Providers (including Facebook etc and Azure B2C) or Local login (note: local login may get removed at sometime MSFT are pushing Azure B2C or other identity providers)

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/portals/configure/configure-portal-authentication

The main principle is Microsoft are trying to stop internal people accessing the data without paying the appropriate licencing fee (i.e. if they are an internal user don't give them access as an external user without paying for the internal licence even if they just use the external login mechanism).

[rdaudt]

Hi Fubar.

I appreciate you taking the time to help with this.

I get the idea that internal users should be treated as such when using the Portal, I find it fair. What troubles me is how far this concept of internal user goes. In this particular case, this not-for-profit business organizes itself in terms of local Affiliates that collaborate with the national organization. Affiliates are distinct legal entities, they have their own staff, directors, internal processes, supporting IT systems, etc. It would be appropriate, I think, to have them coming to the portal through B2C and then save on D365 licenses. However, they also collaborate over SharePoint and for this reason they already exist as guests in AD. So, at this point I think that B2C would not be a choice. Would you think so?

Again, thanks for helping.