I use Azure Active Directory for user credential login, control my users with end-user policies, and apply my conditions.
IT Manager at Mada Insurance
A stable and scalable a cloud-based identity and access management service that can be used on-premises
Pros and Cons
- "I like that you can run it on-premises. I also like that I can use Azure at any time as the main one."
- "Customer service and support are perfect, especially when I'm dealing with my local third-party Microsoft vendor, who always supports me at any time."
- "ESAE management, especially the admin tools, could be improved. It should be built in by the vendor, and I shouldn't have to add patches or updates to connect to my domain directly. It should be added by default. The price could be better."
- "ESAE management, especially the admin tools, could be improved. It should be built in by the vendor, and I shouldn't have to add patches or updates to connect to my domain directly."
What is our primary use case?
How has it helped my organization?
Active Directory helps me all the time. When users want to log in, it shows me this information with a time and date. It also shows me which computer they are going to use. I can track my users at any time.
What is most valuable?
I like that you can run it on-premises. I also like that I can use Azure at any time as the main one.
What needs improvement?
ESAE management, especially the admin tools, could be improved. It should be built in by the vendor, and I shouldn't have to add patches or updates to connect to my domain directly. It should be added by default. The price could be better.
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For how long have I used the solution?
I have been dealing with this product for almost 20 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Azure Active Directory is a stable product.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Azure Active Directory is a scalable product.
How are customer service and support?
Customer service and support are perfect, especially when I'm dealing with my local third-party Microsoft vendor, who always supports me at any time.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Azure Active Directory is expensive.
What other advice do I have?
I would recommend this solution to potential users.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Azure Active Directory a ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Security Manager at a construction company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Provides central authentication and allows us to manage user and computer objects with GPOs
Pros and Cons
- "The central authentication server is most valuable. GPOs are useful for user and computer policies."
- "The central authentication server is most valuable, and GPOs are useful for user and computer policies."
- "Its price should be improved. It is very expensive for Turkish people."
- "It is very expensive. Its price should be lower."
What is our primary use case?
We are using it for authentication. We are using GPOs for user and computer policies.
What is most valuable?
The central authentication server is most valuable. GPOs are useful for user and computer policies.
What needs improvement?
Its price should be improved. It is very expensive for Turkish people.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Azure Active Directory for about six months. This is a new company, and we started to use new IT solutions. We bought a lot of IT solutions, equipment, and tools.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
At the end of the project, about 1,200 people will use this solution. We don't have any plans to increase its usage.
How are customer service and support?
We didn't use Microsoft's support. We have mostly Turkish or local solution partners for any help.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't use any other solution.
How was the initial setup?
It was not easy. It was also not difficult. It took about a month.
What about the implementation team?
We used a solution partner for its deployment. For maintenance, we would have about 10 engineers for 1,200 people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is very expensive. Its price should be lower. Price is the most important factor for Turkish people.
What other advice do I have?
This is the best solution for authorization. I would rate it a nine out of 10.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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Manager, Technology Delivery at a educational organization with 11-50 employees
Useful cloud services, helpful support, and reliable
Pros and Cons
- "Having access to Azure Active Directory on the cloud gives us speed and use of the latest technology. The application services are very good, such as GitHub."
- "Having access to Azure Active Directory on the cloud gives us speed and use of the latest technology."
- "Azure Active Directory could be made easier to use. We have large amounts of data and storage. We are looking for video files and media content for applications, we will think about options, such as cloud storage or a CDN."
- "Azure Active Directory could be made easier to use."
What is our primary use case?
I have been working with a medication company and we are building an LMS system. We have an older version and we've decided to develop a new version of it. We are building the entire system on the cloud and using new technology. We started the process on Azure cloud, but we have later plans to try AWS, but for now, we are using Azure Active Directory.
What is most valuable?
Having access to Azure Active Directory on the cloud gives us speed and use of the latest technology. The application services are very good, such as GitHub.
What needs improvement?
Azure Active Directory could be made easier to use. We have large amounts of data and storage. We are looking for video files and media content for applications, we will think about options, such as cloud storage or a CDN.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Azure Active Directory for approximately three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not found any problems with the stability of Azure Active Directory.
How are customer service and support?
The support for Microsoft is good. We do have a developer support package with them. We create a ticket, they respond back, then there is some back and forth communication. They will have a call with you you and ask for a screenshot of the issue. If you have any issues, they help you. They will follow up with you, the service is not bad. There are times you have to keep following up with them but we were satisfied.
How was the initial setup?
The process of implementing Azure Active Directory is not straightforward. We are currently still setting it up because we are adding more services, setting up the pipelines, and many other things behind the scenes. It's not as simple, it is tough to implement.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Azure Active Directory and Amazon AWS, are almost the same, but most people prefer Amazon AWS because they find it's a little cheaper to some extent and an easier platform to use.
The prices we pay for the solution can vary because we are adding more services a lot of the time, the price keeps going up and down. The price has been one thousand before but we are still adding more services. The price depends on what services you are using.
We are paying for support to use this solution which is an additional cost.
What other advice do I have?
People have personal preferences in respect to choosing a cloud provider because there are many out there. In terms of support, you have to know exactly what you're looking for and get the pricing figured out. It is important to come up with a proper plan for the implementation.
I rate Azure Active Directory an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Senior Manager Compliance at Appalachian Group
Provides main authentication on our authorization platform to get access to our resources
Pros and Cons
- "We're using the whole suite: device management, user credentials, everything that's possible."
- "We're using the whole suite: device management, user credentials, everything that's possible."
- "I think something that is key would be the group policies replication over the cloud, in order to prevent or to avoid relying on the on-premise Active Directory servers and to manage group policies."
- "I think something that is key would be the group policies replication over the cloud, in order to prevent or to avoid relying on the on-premise Active Directory servers and to manage group policies."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is our main authentication on our authorization platform to get access to our resources.
The solution is deployed on cloud with Microsoft Azure as the provider. We have around 100 people using this solution in my organization.
What is most valuable?
We're using the whole suite: device management, user credentials, everything that's possible.
What needs improvement?
I would not recommend any changes or improvements right now, in terms of the organization. I think something that is key would be the group policies replication over the cloud, in order to prevent or to avoid relying on the on-premise Active Directory servers and to manage group policies.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is scalable.
We have plans to increase usage. We have been increasing over the past year. I believe we started with about 30 people, and now we have almost 100.
How are customer service and support?
We have only contacted technical support once or twice in the last year. They were very simple tasks.
How was the initial setup?
Setup was very simple initially. Deployment took no more than six weeks, and we only needed two people.
What about the implementation team?
We used a partner to help us and guide us on the deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The licensing costs are yearly. There is a standard fee per user.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 9 out of 10.
With a more complex environment, more complex tools are implemented. My thoughts are that they need to have a right and current inventory of applications that are compatible with single sign-on to properly implement that functionality, for example.
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: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Service Architect at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Adds a valuable extra layer to data security; very functional
Pros and Cons
- "The solution adds an extra layer of security."
- "I use this solution on a daily basis and it's a very functional app that adds an extra layer when it comes to securing the data owned by my company."
- "Lacks integration between applications and phones."
- "I'd like to see integration between applications and phones included in the solution."
What is our primary use case?
My primary use case is to access our company resources. I'm a solution architect and we are customers of Authenticator.
What is most valuable?
I use this solution on a daily basis and it's a very functional app. that adds an extra layer when it comes to securing the data owned by my company. It's quite easy to deploy.
What needs improvement?
I'd like to see integration between applications and phones included in the solution. It would also be helpful to have support for the kind of integration you see between Facebook and Google, support with protocols from one application on the internet or SaaS to another one. I've seen several kinds of applications in the area of risky behavior that are a little better in other solutions.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution always works, it's stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable, we have around 40,000 users in our company.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have previously used other products but Authenticator is included in the Microsoft license suite package so the decision to go with it was commercial.
How was the initial setup?
The solution is connected with Intune in the cloud so implementation is very easy and took me less than five minutes. Everything is updated via Microsoft cloud delivery.
What other advice do I have?
I rate this solution eight 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: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Managing Director at KRsolns LTD
Cloud-based, simple installation, and accessible from anywhere at any time
Pros and Cons
- "What I like is that I can go anywhere, at any time, and to any client premise, and I can simply log in to the admin panel and can serve any of my clients."
- "What I like is that I can go anywhere, at any time, and to any client premise, and I can simply log in to the admin panel and can serve any of my clients."
- "The main issue is that because Active Directory is in the cloud, it will inevitably be dependent on internet connectivity."
- "The main issue is that because Active Directory is in the cloud, it will inevitably be dependent on internet connectivity."
What is our primary use case?
The active directory on Microsoft Azure is similar to the corresponding system for an on-premise active directory.
What is most valuable?
I have no issues with Azure Active Directory.
Our users and clients are migrating from on-premises solutions to cloud-based solutions. As a result, they do not require on-premise service.
What I like is that I can go anywhere, at any time, and to any client premise, and I can simply log in to the admin panel and can serve any of my clients.
Instead of using Team Viewer, you connect to their local service, which is centralized. I have got the Microsoft exchange, and have access to Microsoft Azure. I can check the workstations, and perhaps soon I will be using Microsoft Intune and the Microsoft Defender enterprise. Even if I am not on the premises, I will be able to check and secure my workstations.
What needs improvement?
I don't have any major problems. I don't use it in a way that requires a lot of resources.
The main issue is that because Active Directory is in the cloud, it will inevitably be dependent on internet connectivity.
It would be beneficial if Microsoft could make it lighter so that it requires fewer resources.
Better pricing will help us market it more than having it on-premises.
For how long have I used the solution?
Azure Active Directory was implemented one year ago.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
For the time being it has been stable. I have a small number of clients, and no hybrid system. We chose those clients with a maximum of twenty users. We don't want large clients so that we can implement one system in one location, and roll it out the same way to all of the clients.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
In total, I have 10 clients, five of those are now users of Azure Active Directory.
By the end of the year, we hope to have all of our clients using Microsoft Azure.
New clients are immediately placed on Microsoft Azure.
How are customer service and support?
The Microsoft team in Mauritius has been extremely helpful in implementing systems and resolving issues. We have small clients who have not been faced with many issues.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We deploy the M365 business premium services and a couple of months ago we started to implement 365 Defender. It is a cloud-based solution.
We're new to it. For the time being, we are only using the antivirus component. We haven't used Intune yet. We are not using the entire package. We are only now going to put such solutions into action.
Microsoft Azure was implemented a year ago, and is only used for the creation of users and emails, group emails, and shared boxes, but my clients are mostly lawyers. So, the primary uses are online email exchange and word processing.
We are trying to implement Microsoft Azure more and more.
Azure is the central point. Microsoft Azure is replacing my on-premises service.
How was the initial setup?
The installation is rather straightforward.
What about the implementation team?
We had some assistance from the local Microsoft team.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are paid on a monthly basis.
When I calculated the price, it appeared to be nearly the same as the on-premise server.
Better pricing would attract customers to use the cloud.
What other advice do I have?
We haven't had to deal with any major recovery issues.
We have had Excel and Word files that were simply recoverable. We backup the server, but nothing more serious than that.
We are Microsoft centric solution providers.
We have very small clients, companies with 20 to 30 users of Excel, Word, and the internet. We deploy Microsoft 365 platforms, not much in the way of large software applications.
I would recommend this solution to others, and I am already promoting it.
I am suggesting that all of my clients migrate from on-premise active directory to a Microsoft view because, with the current COVID, many of our users work from home. I just wanted to point out that almost all of our users work from home. They are currently working on the roaster. Half of the company works from home, while the other half works on-site. Having active and SharePoint, is really assisting them in working from home.
I would rate Azure Active Directory a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Sr.Piping Engineer Construction at a energy/utilities company with 10,001+ employees
On-premise version comes with group policies and features like password writeback and MDM technology
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features in Active Directory are the password writeback product and the MDM technology."
- "This product is very nice."
- "In terms of connecting the web application, there is technology for single sign-on. When we use it, the solution opens very slowly. It might be a bandwidth issue, and some content will not work on that portal."
- "In terms of connecting the web application, there is technology for single sign-on. When we use it, the solution opens very slowly. It might be a bandwidth issue, and some content will not work on that portal."
What is our primary use case?
The solution is deployed on a public cloud. We are using Microsoft Azure.
How has it helped my organization?
There is on-premises AD and cloud AD. We are able to sync the solution and use the load technology and password management features.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features in Active Directory are the password writeback product and the MDM technology.
What needs improvement?
The on-premises AD comes with a lot of options and group policies. With the group policies, we are using screen saver a lot, and it is messing up Azure AD and isn't working effectively. We are also using MDM technology through Azure. For Android the MDM technology is okay, but it doesn't work properly on iPhones.
When we do a screen share and screenshots, it doesn't work on the iPhone. For Android, it will only work for Outlook, which is provided in the company portal.
I would like to see the group policies on the same platform on cloud.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this solution for almost two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and everything is working. In terms of connecting the web application, there is technology for single sign-on. When we use it, the solution opens very slowly. It might be a bandwidth issue, and some content will not work on that portal.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable. We haven't had any issues.
We have 500 people using this solution in our company. We have increased usage, and we have plans to increase more.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is very good. They work quickly to resolve any issues.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We are using an earlier non-premises AD, but we want to move to the cloud setup, which is easier for end users and everyone else due to the pandemic situation.
How was the initial setup?
Setup was straightforward. Implementation took three months.
For the deployment process, we had a technical team of two people who did everything. They are engineers.
What about the implementation team?
We used a consultant for deployment. I think we used a Microsoft partner.
It was a good experience and not very complicated. I think I realized that they are not seeing many implementations. There's a tool in Microsoft Azure called an endpoint security tool, and they don't know how to implement it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have a yearly license.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 9 out of 10.
This product is very nice. It's a legacy application, so the people using it are very familiar with it.
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: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Info Security Manager at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Allows us to keep everything on the cloud for business continuity
Pros and Cons
- "We haven't had any problems with stability. Everything works fine."
- "We are satisfied with this solution because we use all of its features."
- "Reading documentation could be simplified. Technical support could also be faster."
- "I'm not satisfied with technical support. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 2."
What is our primary use case?
We use Office 365. We have different licenses because our users are using mail, mail strategies, Microsoft Teams, and the Office package. We use a lot of different services. We use Microsoft Intune, which is connected to Azure and other services like Conditional Access, which we also use. Microsoft Defender is another one, which is also connected to Azure.
The solution is deployed fully in the cloud through Microsoft Azure. We are using the latest version. The solution is on cloud, so we cannot control the version we're using. That is controlled by Microsoft.
What is most valuable?
We are satisfied with this solution because we use all of its features.
What needs improvement?
Reading documentation could be simplified. Technical support could also be faster.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used Azure Active Directory for several years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any problems with stability. Everything works fine.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with scalability.
We have approximately 500 users in our organization. We have plans to increase the number of people in our company and products because we're fully integrated with Microsoft and we will continue to use this solution and new ones.
We are an IT company, so the people who are using this solution are software developers.
How are customer service and support?
I'm not satisfied with technical support. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a 2.
Sometimes it is the first-line support, and it takes a lot of time to explain the problem. One problem can be discussed in one month. I even have some examples in the past where I created a request, my problem wasn't resolved, I found solution on the internet. It was faster than receiving a reply from Microsoft.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously, we used Active Directory on-premise. We also used different products from different vendors.
We switched to Microsoft because it is in the cloud and because of business continuity. For our company, it is better to use everything on the cloud than to keep it on-premise.
It's also better to go to the cloud because of security reasons.
How was the initial setup?
On a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate the difficulty of setup as a 3. It's of medium difficulty.
With setup, sometimes there are difficulties with reading documentation because if you want to implement something, you have to go to Microsoft's instructions, and you will be redirected from one page to another. After reading about just one topic, you have to open 20 new tabs. Every time, you have to jump between instructions, from one instruction to another. I don't like this approach, personally. It should be done in one document, and the instructions could be a little bit simpler for the user.
We implemented Microsoft step-by-step, because first we only used the Office package. Then we started using the Intune solution. Later, we implemented Microsoft Defender, and continued working with Conditional Access. It is not like one setup, so it's a continuous process. It depends on organization scale and the needs from organization.
What about the implementation team?
We deployed the solution ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price is fine. It's a good value for the money compared with other solutions.
I cannot provide the exact numbers because we use a different type of licensing. For Azure, we have an Office 365 license. We also have a Microsoft Gold partnership and some products are included in one license.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.
The product is really good, but it's up to each company to decide.
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: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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