Exclusive Access: Members-Only Group Benefits

must be part of a specific member group to join

When it comes to online platforms and resources, certain groups and memberships are exclusive to those who are part of a specific member group. This can be seen in platforms such as Microsoft Entra and Google Cloud, where group membership is required to access and manage certain resources. In some cases, only members of a particular group are granted access to shared resources and applications, while non-members are restricted. This exclusivity is managed by resource or directory owners, who have the authority to grant or deny access to specific groups. Group membership can be based on various factors, including job functions, departments, and dynamic rules that automatically add or remove members. Understanding the dynamics of group membership is crucial for effective management and security within an organization.

Characteristics Values
Financial Institution Credit Union
Membership Type Field of Membership
Membership Criteria Common Bond
Charter Types Community/Residentially-Based, Single Common Bond, Multiple Common Bond
Common Bond Types Occupational, Associational, Geographic Area
Membership Parameters Clearly Stated on Website/Additional Material

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Group owners can manage members and their access

In Microsoft Entra, group owners can manage access by assigning roles to a group and adding members based on their job functions or departments. They can create Conditional Access policies and assign them to specific groups. Security groups, for instance, are used to manage access to shared resources, and members can include users, devices, and service principals. Microsoft 365 groups, on the other hand, are limited to users only. Group owners can also grant group management rights to individuals like department managers or help desk administrators, allowing them to add and remove members.

Google Groups also offer group owners various management capabilities. They can set organization-wide policies, control who can access, create, and participate in groups, and manage subscriptions and messages. Group owners can decide whether to allow external members and emails from outside the organization. They can also change default settings for individual groups, such as who can view and post to conversations, view members, and add, invite, or approve new members. Additionally, group owners can hide a group from the organization's Groups directory, making it invisible to everyone, including admins, members, and non-members.

It's important to note that in dynamic groups, managers or owners cannot manually add or remove users. Only administrators can change the dynamic group query using the Google Admin console or the Cloud Identity Groups API. If a manager or owner is removed and then readmitted to the group due to query changes, they rejoin with a member role rather than their previous role.

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Members can be added and removed based on rules

When it comes to managing members of a group, it's important to understand the rules and parameters that govern membership. This is true whether you're dealing with a credit union, a software application, or an online platform. Let's explore this concept in more detail:

Credit Unions

To join a credit union, an individual must be part of the credit union's "field of membership." This means that they must share a "common bond" with the other members of the financial institution. The nature of this common bond can vary depending on the credit union's charter type. For example, community or residentially-based credit unions serve a specific geographic area, while single common bond credit unions cater to occupational or associational groups. Multiple common bond credit unions may include more than one group, known as Select Employee Groups, along with underserved areas. It is the responsibility of credit unions to clearly state their membership criteria, allowing prospective members to understand their eligibility.

Software Applications

In the context of software applications, such as Microsoft Entra, managing members and access rights is crucial. Members of a Microsoft 365 group can include users, and both users and service principals can be owners of such a group. People outside the organization can also be members of a group. Dynamic membership groups allow for the automatic addition and removal of users based on predefined rules. If a member's attributes change and they no longer meet the rule requirements, they can be removed from the group.

Online Platforms

Online platforms, such as Google Groups and ArcGIS Online, also have their own mechanisms for managing members and groups. Google Groups, for example, offers advanced settings that allow owners or managers to control aspects like message moderation and email options. ArcGIS Online provides tools to edit group information, change group settings, and manage member groups. These settings can impact who can find, join, and contribute to a particular group. Additionally, ArcGIS Online allows for the invitation and removal of members, as well as updates to their roles within the group.

In summary, whether in the context of financial institutions, software applications, or online platforms, the addition and removal of members are guided by specific rules and parameters. These rules ensure that members share a common bond, have the appropriate access rights, and can contribute to the group in a meaningful way. By understanding and effectively managing these rules, organizations can foster collaboration, security, and a sense of community among their members.

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Teams can be public or private

Public teams are open for anyone to join and are often created for community-building, collaboration, or knowledge-sharing purposes. They usually have less restrictive joining processes, allowing anyone interested in the team's purpose or activities to become a member. Public teams can be found in online communities, social media groups, or even in-person meetup groups. These teams foster inclusivity, diversity, and the free exchange of ideas. They may be managed by a central administrator or by the members themselves, depending on the platform and the team's specific guidelines.

On the other hand, private teams are exclusive and require certain criteria to be met for membership. These teams often have a specific focus or goal and aim to maintain a level of privacy and security for their members and content. Joining a private team usually involves an invitation or application process, where prospective members may need to demonstrate their qualifications, interests, or alignment with the team's goals. Private teams are prevalent in organisations, businesses, or clubs where membership is restricted to those who share a common bond, such as employees of a specific company or members of a particular association.

The management of public and private teams differs as well. Public teams may have more relaxed management, with members joining and leaving at their discretion. They may have general guidelines and rules to maintain order and civility, but the level of moderation is typically lower compared to private teams. Private teams, on the other hand, tend to have more structured management practices. They often involve designated roles, such as owners, administrators, or managers, who are responsible for maintaining the team's privacy, curating membership, and enforcing team policies.

Additionally, the level of access to resources and information varies between public and private teams. Public teams often provide access to general information and resources that are appropriate for a wider audience. Private teams, however, may offer exclusive access to sensitive or proprietary resources that are only available to authorised members. This differentiation in access control is particularly important for maintaining the security and integrity of the team's data and systems.

In conclusion, the choice between a public or private team depends on the specific needs and objectives of the team. Public teams foster openness and inclusivity, while private teams provide exclusivity and privacy. By understanding the advantages and considerations of each type, team owners and members can make informed decisions about the level of privacy, management, and access control that best suits their goals and ensures a positive and productive team environment.

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Group naming policies can be applied

When creating a group, it is important to consider the group naming policies that can be applied. This is especially important when managing groups in the cloud. Here are some key points to keep in mind:

Group Naming Consistency

To maintain a structured and organised group naming system, consistency is key. Decide on a naming convention that aligns with your organisation's structure and stick to it. This could be based on departments, job functions, or any other relevant criteria.

Restricted Words

Certain words or phrases may be deemed inappropriate or unsuitable for group names. Apply a group naming policy to block the use of restricted words. This ensures that group names adhere to your organisation's standards and values.

Group Expiration Policies

Prevent inactive groups from lingering by implementing group expiration policies. This automatically deletes unused groups after a specified period unless renewed by a group owner. This helps maintain a tidy and up-to-date group list, reducing administrative clutter.

Group Access Configuration

Determine whether groups will automatically accept all users who join or require approval. This decision impacts the exclusivity of the group and the level of control you have over its membership.

Group Management Rights

The resource or directory owner can grant group management rights to specific individuals, such as department managers or help desk administrators. These individuals will have the authority to add and remove members from the group.

Group Settings and Privileges

Consider the settings and privileges associated with the group. This includes factors such as member privacy, posting policies, email options, and contribution permissions. Customise these settings according to the nature and purpose of the group.

By carefully considering and applying these group naming policies, you can create a well-organised and effectively managed group that aligns with your specific requirements and standards.

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Group expiration policies can be enabled

Group expiration policies are a useful way to manage the lifecycles of groups and maintain control of your Teams, SharePoint Sites, mailboxes and more. They can be enabled in Microsoft 365 to automatically remove unused Teams, Sites and mailboxes to keep your tenant clean and tidy. This is particularly useful given the increase in usage of Microsoft 365 groups and Microsoft Teams, where administrators and users need a way to clean up unused groups and teams.

To enable group expiration policies, go to Microsoft Entra ID > Groups > Expiration. Here, you can set the default group lifetime, which is specified in days and can be set to 180, 365 or a custom value of at least 30 days. You can set the policy for all of your groups, only selected groups (up to 500), or turn it off completely by selecting 'None'. When you select 'None', all groups that are active and pending verification will have no expiration date.

When a group expires, the group's mailbox conversations and files in the group site are retained in the retention container for the specific number of days defined in the retention policy. Users will no longer be able to see the group or its content. If the group was created via Planner, SharePoint, or any other app, the expiration notifications will come via email. If the group was created via Teams, the group owner will receive an email and a notification to renew through the activity section. It is important to note that it is not recommended to enable expiration on a group if the group owner does not have a valid email address.

Group owners will automatically be sent a notification before the expiration that allows them to renew the group for another expiration interval. Renewal notifications are sent by email on set days: 30 days, 15 days and 1 day before expiry. If these are ignored, the group and associated workspaces will be soft-deleted and then permanently deleted 30 days later.

Frequently asked questions

To create a group, click on "Create group" and wait for your new group to become active. You can then choose additional settings such as message moderation and email footers.

Group memberships can be managed in the Exchange admin center or the Microsoft 365 admin center. The resource owner can also grant group management rights to someone such as a department manager.

To add a member to a group, click on "Add to groups", find and select the group(s) to add them to, and click "Add to groups". To remove a member, click on the "Remove member from group" link and then click "Remove".

If your query returns a "PERMISSION_DENIED" error, it is likely that you do not have the correct permissions for one of the nested groups, especially if it is owned by another organization.

Yes, people outside your organization can be members of a group.

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