Share your experience using Microsoft Entra External ID

I am working on a project for a university where we are trying to create a digital twin of a coral reef restoration project in Saudi Arabia. This involves using a big data platform and developing a mobile web application for research purposes. As part of the project, we are widely using data analytics tools, data fabric, data lake, and other Azure services.

The most impactful feature of Microsoft Entra External ID for access management needs is the federated identities, which allows us to use single sign-on with different federated logins. This feature is valuable because many companies prefer to have a single sign-on solution. Additionally, integration using federated authentication or token keys is possible. However, I am not well-versed in the governance part. In our current setup, the initial setup process for Microsoft Entra External ID is based on the use case, and it is generally straightforward for simple tasks like user creation and management. However, it can become complex depending on the project requirements.

Some areas where Microsoft Entra External ID could improve include cost and enhanced security for integration with federated logins like LinkedIn and Gmail.

I have worked with Microsoft Entra External ID and similar solutions for approximately five years, depending on the projects.

I have not encountered any stability issues with Microsoft Entra External ID. I would rate its stability between eight and nine out of ten.

Microsoft Entra External ID is quite scalable, and I would rate its scalability between eight and nine out of ten.

The quality of Microsoft customer support varies. With an enterprise contract, good resources are usually provided, especially in regions like Saudi Arabia or UAE. However, we have faced challenges with support quality, especially in some subcontinent areas where the resources might not be as experienced. I would rate their technical support five to six out of ten.

At Safaricom, we used solutions like Splunk and Dynatrace, which were replaced with open-source solutions due to the company's strategy to move towards open-source platforms.

The initial setup process for Microsoft Entra External ID depends on the use case. It is generally straightforward for simple tasks but can become complex for more intricate scenarios.

Microsoft Entra External ID is a SaaS-based solution, primarily incurring operational OPEX costs. Companies can leverage it for setting up external identities without needing to develop their own solutions.

The cost can be a factor for Microsoft Entra External ID, but in general, it offers a scalable and efficient solution compared to deploying individual solutions.

The existing information details my personal experience, preferences, and potential areas for improvement with Microsoft Entra External ID. Based on this experience, I would recommend it due to its scalability and security features. Overall, I would rate the solution seven to eight out of ten.

Public Cloud

Microsoft Azure

We are a Microsoft Partner providing consultancy services for Power Automate implementations to our customers. We work with the entire Azure stack, including Azure AD and other Microsoft products, to facilitate a transition to cloud-based infrastructures.

Microsoft Entra External ID is more secure, offering a secure environment. It is crucial for hybrid environments, especially for integrating existing on-site infrastructures with cloud-based Active Directory, such as in Office 365 implementations. The solution's ability to handle large datasets and identify outliers effectively enhances security data processing.

Microsoft should normalize, simplify, and uniformly communicate pricing structures across products. More stability in the platform, fewer changes to authentication mechanisms, and increased integration across platforms to improve usability and security infrastructure are needed.

The scalability of compute performance is good. However, end-user workloads experience increased latency in a cloud environment compared to on-premises resources.

Microsoft technical support can be slow as they tend to validate the entire environment before proposing a solution, which can be frustrating.

Neutral

Clients have been using Active Directory for a long time, which creates confusion and challenges when transitioning to cloud-based environments like Microsoft Entra External ID.

Microsoft's pricing is complex and difficult to fathom due to a range of different licensing options. The transition toward cloud-based subscription pricing involves various configurations and conditions that make it hard to evaluate the cost to customers.

Clients typically migrate from Microsoft infrastructure. Other cloud providers have their own directory infrastructures, but they generally face similar general issues.

I rate Microsoft Entra External ID a seven out of ten. Latency is a consideration when sourcing computing resources remotely, impacting performance compared to on-premises solutions.

Hybrid Cloud

Microsoft Azure