We use Azure Active Directory to add authentication for users when they sign into the applications. We also use it to provide single sign-on (SSO) to applications.
Manager at UPL
IAM service with seamless installation; has good authentication and single sign-on features
Pros and Cons
- "Very stable and scalable IAM service with good SSO and authentication features."
- "Though the installation was seamless, it took longer than expected to be completed."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
What I like most about Azure Active Directory is its SSO (single sign-on) feature, as we have a community of users with different IDs and passwords, and this feature helps integrate all these.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Azure Active Directory since 2016.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Azure Active Directory is a very stable solution.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Azure Active Directory is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support for this solution is fine.
How was the initial setup?
Installing this solution was seamless, but it took time for it to complete. It took one month.
What about the implementation team?
We used an integrator to deploy Azure Active Directory.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Azure Active Directory has different licensing plans. We're on a yearly subscription. It is expensive, but if you look at the technical benefits it provides, the price for it is decent. If the cost of the license could be lowered, then it would be better.
What other advice do I have?
Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based solution in which we have done our integration with our applications.
We currently have five or six different teams using this solution. We have three people with admin rights, 3 technicians, and a technical team. Some users have admin rights, e.g. general admin rights, while some have basic rights.
Our plan to increase the usage of Azure Active Directory depends on how many new employees will join the company. It could happen.
I'm recommending Azure Active Directory to other people who want to start using it because it meets requirements.
I'm giving Azure Active Directory a score of 10 out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

Senior System Administrator at a financial services firm with 1,001-5,000 employees
Easy to manage, useful for single sign-on, and integrates well with on-prem Active Directory
Pros and Cons
- "It is easy to manage. I can manage systems with policies and automate our systems. Any professional system can be easily integrated with Azure Active Directory. It is widely used with Windows versions."
- "Four years ago, we had an issue with Azure AD. We wanted to reverse sync from Azure AD to on-prem Active Directory, but we couldn't achieve this. Azure AD could connect only in one way, for example, from your site to Azure. If you needed to do the reverse and connect from Azure to on-prem, there was no way to achieve it. We asked Microsoft, and they told us that they don't support it."
What is our primary use case?
We're using Azure Active Directory for MFA.
What is most valuable?
It is very usable and easy to use.
It is easy to manage. I can manage systems with policies and automate our systems. Any professional system can be easily integrated with Azure Active Directory. It is widely used with Windows versions.
What needs improvement?
Four years ago, we had an issue with Azure AD. We wanted to reverse sync from Azure AD to on-prem Active Directory, but we couldn't achieve this. Azure AD could connect only in one way, for example, from your site to Azure. If you needed to do the reverse and connect from Azure to on-prem, there was no way to achieve it. We asked Microsoft, and they told us that they don't support it.
Their support should be faster and more knowledgeable and customer-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for maybe four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very scalable. I don't know about the number of users that we have currently, but at the time I managed its synchronization, there were maybe 800 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
We're not satisfied with their support. We couldn't get support from Microsoft directly, and we made an agreement with a company. We weren't satisfied with their support. They were very slow and not friendly. They couldn't solve our problems because our program was very complex.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't use any other solution. I only use Active Directory and Azure AD.
How was the initial setup?
I installed hybrid Exchange. It was very easy for us. Its installation took a very short time. There was a connector system on Exchange, and we just had to set up the connection. It was very easy.
What about the implementation team?
I installed it myself.
Its maintenance is very cheap and easy. We have only two engineers to manage Azure AD and Azure Exchange.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an agreement with Microsoft, and my company pays yearly.
What other advice do I have?
It is a very good product. I plan to keep using it because it is very easy to manage.
If you use an application in Azure and you want single sign-on for Azure products, you should prefer using Azure AD. You should synchronize your on-premise Active Directory to Azure AD. We synchronized Active Directory with Azure AD for single sign-on. For example, if a worker wants to sign in on your computer with the same user ID and password, he or she can connect to Azure services. Azure AD provides support for this.
I would rate Azure Active Directory a nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Security Architect at a hospitality company with 10,001+ employees
Provides secure connections and authentication of people
Pros and Cons
- "Its ability to provide secure connections to people at all locations is the most valuable. It is mostly used by enterprises."
- "The onboarding process for new users can be improved. It can be made simpler for people who have never registered to Azure AD previously and need to create an account and enable the MFA. The initial setup can be made simpler for non-IT people. It should be a bit simpler to use. Unless you get certifications, such as AZ-300 and AZ-301, it is not a simple thing to use at the enterprise scale."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for the authentication of people in a hybrid configuration. In most cases,
Office 365 makes companies move to Azure Active Directory.
We have both on-premises and cloud deployments.
What is most valuable?
Its ability to provide secure connections to people at all locations is the most valuable. It is mostly used by enterprises.
What needs improvement?
The onboarding process for new users can be improved. It can be made simpler for people who have never registered to Azure AD previously and need to create an account and enable the MFA. The initial setup can be made simpler for non-IT people.
It should be a bit simpler to use. Unless you get certifications, such as AZ-300 and AZ-301, it is not a simple thing to use at the enterprise scale.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for four or five years.
How are customer service and technical support?
I never use technical support. I usually find the information on my own or through my friends at Microsoft.
How was the initial setup?
It is not complicated for me as an IT guy, but the feedback from the field or non-IT people is that it could be simpler.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
MFA and P2 licenses for two Azures for fully-enabled scenarios and features cost a lot of money. This is where Okta is trying to get the prices down.
What other advice do I have?
I have spent seven years at Microsoft, so I have a tendency to like Microsoft solutions because I know them and the philosophy behind them. Till now, Azure AD is probably the best solution for identity and security.
I also use Okta. For integration with Microsoft solutions, Office 365 Azure is just right. However, for some scenarios, such as consolidations, Okta seems to have a few advantages as compared to Active Directory. Okta also has a very interesting price.
I would rate Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium an eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Support desk representative at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Good support, has a helpful dashboard, and a seamless user experience
Pros and Cons
- "It's very good at not disrupting the user experience."
- "Having more training would be quite helpful."
What is our primary use case?
The solution grants users access to various apps built on the portal.
How has it helped my organization?
There was a lot of logic and a lot of improvement overall in terms of improvement. On the user access side, it improves the company a lot, specifically in regard to security. It really does help with access and protection.
What is most valuable?
My experience so far has been amazing. I'm in the intermediate phase of understanding it. Loading users and creating groups and so forth is very easy. We can also run multifactor authentication.
The dashboard is very good. It's outstanding.
It offers very good support.
The virtual machines you can run through it are great.
We are provided with a single pane of glass for managing user access. It helps provide more insights and creates consistency in the user experience. It works perfectly. Only admins can control access. That makes it safe. If a user requests something, only the admin would be able to assign the permissions.
My assessment of Active Directory's admin center managing all of your identities and access tasks is that it is very effective.
I do use the verified ID at this time to onboard employees. Onboarding new users is very easy. It's very quick and doesn't affect the users. It's simply sped up the process. It also helps with privacy and control of identity data for remote employees. It's good to have and it assists with security.
Permission management is quite good. The visibility and control in the clouds are good - at least over Microsoft.
The product has helped save time for our IT administrators and HR department. It's helped a lot of time. It might save around 70% of our time from an IT admin support perspective.
It's very good at not disrupting the user experience.
What needs improvement?
I'm still new to the solution. I need to look at the solution more before commenting on what to enhance.
I do not need any extra features from my side.
Having more training would be quite helpful.
Having a faster interface could be helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used the solution for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We use the solution across multiple locations. We have multiple systems and apps that we built that run through Azure. We have about five people actively using the solution. We only have about seven people in our organization.
The solution can scale well. I'd rate scalability nine out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I've never dealt with technical support. My colleagues have used it and I've heard from another user that the turnaround was almost immediate. My understanding is that it is quite good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We did not previously use a different solution.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It does not require any maintenance.
What was our ROI?
I'm not sure if we've saved money specifically using the solution, yet, if that wasn't the case, I'm not sure why we would use it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We have not evaluated other solutions.
What other advice do I have?
I'm a customer and end-user.
I don't use the conditional access feature.
I'd personally recommend the solution to anyone. I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Managing Director at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Provides greater clarity on business operations and enables devices to join Azure AD seamlessly
Pros and Cons
- "The benefits of using this solution were realized straightaway."
What is our primary use case?
Our primary use cases are to join devices to Azure AD.
How has it helped my organization?
Entra ID provides more clarity regarding what's happening in the business. The benefits of using this solution were realized straightaway.
It helped save time for our IT administrators or HR department. Azure ID has positively affected the employee user experience in our organization.
What is most valuable?
We use features like a single pane of glass for managing user access to a certain degree. The admin center for managing all identity and access tasks is also good.
Moreover, we also use the conditional access feature to enforce fine-tuned and adaptive access controls. Any new user would have to go through the MFA process due to the conditional access policy. So no one gets left out. This is because of the zero-trust strategy for verifying users.
The biggest benefit of using Azure AD is that it allows us to access the information on-premise servers and also for devices that just joined Azure AD.
What needs improvement?
In future releases, I would like to see an attack simulator incorporated, especially for some of the business plans.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been working with Azure AD for two years.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was complex, but we overcame the complexity.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is fine. It is what it is.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Compliance Consultant at a aerospace/defense firm with 1-10 employees
Stable and scalable solution with a well-documented site and good security features
Pros and Cons
- "The security and compliance features are very helpful. The online information on the site is well documented."
- "My problem with Azure AD is that it's designed for medium to large systems, and we're not that large."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Azure AD to assist a client with COCC level one and level two certifications. The primary use of the solution is its conditional access feature to enforce fine-tuned and adaptive access controls. The robustness of a zero-trust strategy to verify users has helped in implementing zero trust right now.
How has it helped my organization?
The client has to have a clone network storage and manage the services it provides to the handful of people he works for. The control and identify data do what it is supposed to do, as advertised, but the client is not utilizing those features.
What is most valuable?
The security and compliance features are very helpful. The online information on the site is well documented.
What needs improvement?
One thing I would like to see is when you're doing control measures if you could globally apply them instead of going through every user individually. I looked at this problem twenty years ago, and it has stayed the same. In twenty years, it's still the same one by one. The default is whether you get group permissions or role-based assignments, you still have to go in individually to everyone every time, which is cumbersome to me. My problem with Azure AD is that it's designed for medium to large systems, and we're not that large.
I rate it an eight out of ten.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for less than a year, and the client that I'm consulting with has been using it for about four and a half, five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is a stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Since we're starting with three people, it's probably not going to grow to more than ten people in the next five years. So the scalability is fine for my client's needs.
How are customer service and support?
We have not contacted Azure's technical support.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. The client has got three people working for him.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For a small business buying individual licenses, it is an affordable solution.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Cyber Security Specialist at TechForce Cyber
Effortless privilege management with good policies and restriction controls
Pros and Cons
- "The features I find most valuable are conditional access, privilege management, and dynamic groups."
- "Microsoft often changes settings, and many features are scattered."
What is our primary use case?
The primary use case for Microsoft Entra ID is enterprise or company-wide system management. It allows us to join most systems, regardless of their location, to the active directory of the company's domain. This is particularly useful for managing PCs for remote workers and securing their devices.
How has it helped my organization?
Microsoft Entra ID has made managing users easier, as well as sending out policies and implementing restrictions. It simplifies the management of IT infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
The features I find most valuable are conditional access, privilege management, and dynamic groups. Conditional access allows us to set specific policies for security purposes. Privilege management enables us to assign specific roles to users, such as user administration, without giving everyone admin rights.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft often changes settings, and many features are scattered. It would be helpful if settings were grouped under a specific category, like authentication, to make it easier for beginners. The platform can be overwhelming for new users, so consistent organization of features is needed.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Entra ID for a good part of five years, migrating over from when it was previously named Azure Active Directory.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There can be outages or times when the portal is unresponsive, which is why I would rate the stability a seven.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have not encountered any issues with scalability; it is for everyone. So, the scalability rating is ten out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't raised any tickets with technical support, as I was part of the Microsoft technical support group.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
No other solutions were used previously.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward due to my experience, however, I would rate it a six or seven out of ten for someone new. Issues arise if users make incorrect choices during the out-of-box experience.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment requires one person to create user profiles and assign relevant permissions, though two to three people may be needed for advanced features.
What was our ROI?
Business process-wise, Microsoft Entra ID makes managing users and IT infrastructure easier.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is fair compared to other products, and I would rate it a five out of ten for value for money.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
No other solutions were evaluated.
What other advice do I have?
For seamless integrations with other services, Microsoft Entra ID is likely the easiest tool. I would recommend it to others.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Last updated: Oct 22, 2024
Flag as inappropriateLead System Engineer at a media company with 501-1,000 employees
Conditional Access we can block Windows XP machines and legacy applications and preventing phishing by blocking regions
Pros and Cons
- "Two very important features in terms of security are governance and compliance through the Conditional Access policies and Azure Log Analytics."
- "From an admin perspective, I would like to see improvement in the Microsoft Graph API."
What is our primary use case?
We use Azure AD to implement Conditional Access policies and privileged access management.
How has it helped my organization?
There are plenty of benefits. First, as we had Microsoft AD on-premises, it was very easy to configure Azure AD. We are using the password hash sync for authentication, so authentication on the cloud is very seamless when users use applications on the cloud. That is very important.
Also, with the help of sign-in logs, we are getting information about every application, such as where a user is trying to log in and from which device, making things very crystal clear. We only get this type of transparency and accuracy only from Azure AD.
We use the Conditional Access feature to fine-tune access. We implement a lot of access policies. For example, we want to get rid of client machines with Windows XP and some legacy applications, so we created access policies to prevent logins from those devices and those applications. We have also created policies to prevent logins from certain areas around the world. These abilities are very helpful in preventing phishing and scams.
In addition, there are so many tasks and activities that are automated in Azure AD. For example, we have enabled the password reset self-service so that users can reset a password themselves and log in to their accounts. That is one way it saves time for our help desk team. It no longer requires the help desk. From an administrative perspective, it's very convenient for us to manage and maintain the users of the organization. Azure AD is saving us 10 to 12 hours per week, and that's for just one person who would otherwise be responsible for resetting passwords.
The solution has also prevented so many potential cyber attacks, and that has saved us money. And by saving man-hours, we have saved money. Thirdly, we have been able to reduce manpower. I would estimate it has saved us 20 percent in terms of costs.
Another benefit is that, from a user perspective, it is very smooth and easy to sign in to all the Microsoft applications with the Azure AD sign-in. The UI is very intuitive for Microsoft accounts, so it's very easy for them to log in. We also have single sign-on enabled for desktops, so whenever a user signs in to an application on their machine, they don't need to sign in again and again. With the help of the same token, all other applications can be opened easily.
What is most valuable?
Two very important features in terms of security are governance and compliance through the Conditional Access policies and Azure Log Analytics.
Also, Azure AD provides a single pane of glass for managing user access.
I mainly work with the Microsoft Security portal so I can get access and privileges to maintain all the security policies, including Conditional Access policies and privilege access management for just-in-time access, as well as Azure AD sign-in logs. These factors are very important.
When it comes to managing identity, we have E5 licenses. We are using every application from Office 365, so it is very easy for us to manage identity with the help of all those applications. We are also using third-party applications that are integrated with Azure AD and that makes access management easy.
What needs improvement?
From an admin perspective, I would like to see improvement in the Microsoft Graph API.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure Active Directory for six to seven years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
There are some bugs that we find monthly or quarterly, but all the bugs are fixed by Microsoft.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable.
We have it deployed in Europe and there are about 15,000 users.
How are customer service and support?
I received good technical support when syncing on-premises users to Azure AD. It was very smooth. But for help with Conditional Access, I got poor support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We had on-premises AD and then we introduced Azure AD. We synced all the users from on-premises to Azure AD. Then, with Office 365, we installed Exchange Online and Teams. For single sign-on we have ADFS [Active Directory Federation Services] on-premises, but now we are migrating our applications to Azure AD SSO for single sign-on.
How was the initial setup?
The initial deployment was very straightforward. It only took a day to deploy. The plan was first to get information about our on-premises Active Directory users, computers, and groups, and then we had to determine how many licenses and which types of licenses we needed for those. We also had to think about which type of authentication method we were going to use.
Our deployment involved three to four people.
Maintenance is just checking for updates.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Personally, I feel Microsoft is very costly compared to other products. That is also what management is thinking. But when we consider security and support, Microsoft is better than any other product. It is somehow justified, but I feel it is costly.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have worked with Okta but for single sign-on only. It does not provide all the features or meet all our demands.
What other advice do I have?
If you want secure data and secure identities, go for Microsoft Azure AD.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.

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