Service Delivery Manager at a computer software company with 5,001-10,000 employees
Reseller
Top 10
Sep 10, 2025
For the last four or five years, I have been in an IT manager function, focusing on making things happen and having technical persons execute tasks. In the last three months, I have transitioned to a project manager and service delivery manager function, guiding rather than executing tasks directly. The licensing model of Microsoft is rather abstract with different ways to handle it. Managing the licenses to use and sell to customers requires specialist knowledge.
Director of Technology at a hospitality company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5
Jul 30, 2025
I haven't utilized the adaptive authentication feature. We haven't used the customization capability for user journeys within the Microsoft Entra External ID. I don't have experience trying to create distinct policies for different user types. I haven't leveraged the analytics or reporting tools.
I have not utilized the adaptive authentication feature of Microsoft Entra External ID. Previously there was a question about adaptive authentication, and this is the first time I am hearing about it. I will go through some documentation and review it. I think the analytics and reporting tools are good, but when it comes to UI, it should be more user-friendly. Something similar to ServiceNow features or a Salesforce kind of UI would be good, as it currently looks more black and white. What I would to see in the future is that authentications and authorizations should be policy-level configurations and field-level configurations, rather than at the entry point. I see these features in their competitors, such as in other cloud features, ServiceNow and Salesforce.
Network Security Administrator at a retailer with 51-200 employees
Real User
Top 5
Jun 17, 2025
Where it could be improved beyond the previous pain points is that every software vendor should have SAML or SCIM integration, and if they don't, I believe they are doing a disservice. On the Microsoft Entra External ID side, they could improve by making more opportunities for open source software integration.
Integration could be improved when it comes to legacy tools.The support engineers are not as skilled as our engineers. When they say something would not work, or there is no solution, we usually hear that Microsoft would not support this. However, we have figured out ways to use open-source tools or alternative solutions to address those restrictions that Microsoft has and make things work.
Some areas where Microsoft Entra External ID could improve include cost and enhanced security for integration with federated logins like LinkedIn and Gmail.
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Entra External ID. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2025.
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.
Cloud Security Consultant at a manufacturing company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
Top 20
Mar 13, 2025
I would like to see a more detailed alert system that provides a summary of why alerts are generated, who is generating them, and the reasons behind it.
The most important issue is the cost. I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings. A common concern among the customers I visit is the unpredictability of Microsoft's costs at every renewal. This is particularly challenging during enterprise agreement renewals, as it's difficult for customers to review costs leading to lengthy negotiations. This is really bothersome for the customer, and I would say it is the worst element I have seen in these years.
The problem with Microsoft products is that they often cater to enterprise-level needs, which can be too costly for medium-sized businesses. When you move beyond a small team and start growing, the cost and scope of enterprise-class products might not align with your needs. Finding something that’s a good fit between enterprise-grade solutions and those designed for small offices or home offices is challenging.
Microsoft Entra External ID, part of Microsoft Entra, provides highly secure digital experiences for partners, customers, citizens, patients, or any users outside your organization with customization controls. Combine external identities and user directories in one portal to seamlessly manage access across the organization.
Microsoft Entra External ID refers to all the ways you can securely interact with users outside of your organization. If you want to collaborate with partners,...
For the last four or five years, I have been in an IT manager function, focusing on making things happen and having technical persons execute tasks. In the last three months, I have transitioned to a project manager and service delivery manager function, guiding rather than executing tasks directly. The licensing model of Microsoft is rather abstract with different ways to handle it. Managing the licenses to use and sell to customers requires specialist knowledge.
I haven't utilized the adaptive authentication feature. We haven't used the customization capability for user journeys within the Microsoft Entra External ID. I don't have experience trying to create distinct policies for different user types. I haven't leveraged the analytics or reporting tools.
I have not utilized the adaptive authentication feature of Microsoft Entra External ID. Previously there was a question about adaptive authentication, and this is the first time I am hearing about it. I will go through some documentation and review it. I think the analytics and reporting tools are good, but when it comes to UI, it should be more user-friendly. Something similar to ServiceNow features or a Salesforce kind of UI would be good, as it currently looks more black and white. What I would to see in the future is that authentications and authorizations should be policy-level configurations and field-level configurations, rather than at the entry point. I see these features in their competitors, such as in other cloud features, ServiceNow and Salesforce.
Where it could be improved beyond the previous pain points is that every software vendor should have SAML or SCIM integration, and if they don't, I believe they are doing a disservice. On the Microsoft Entra External ID side, they could improve by making more opportunities for open source software integration.
Integration could be improved when it comes to legacy tools.The support engineers are not as skilled as our engineers. When they say something would not work, or there is no solution, we usually hear that Microsoft would not support this. However, we have figured out ways to use open-source tools or alternative solutions to address those restrictions that Microsoft has and make things work.
Some areas where Microsoft Entra External ID could improve include cost and enhanced security for integration with federated logins like LinkedIn and Gmail.
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.
I would like to see a more detailed alert system that provides a summary of why alerts are generated, who is generating them, and the reasons behind it.
The most important issue is the cost. I generally find Microsoft solutions expensive, especially in specific offerings. A common concern among the customers I visit is the unpredictability of Microsoft's costs at every renewal. This is particularly challenging during enterprise agreement renewals, as it's difficult for customers to review costs leading to lengthy negotiations. This is really bothersome for the customer, and I would say it is the worst element I have seen in these years.
The problem with Microsoft products is that they often cater to enterprise-level needs, which can be too costly for medium-sized businesses. When you move beyond a small team and start growing, the cost and scope of enterprise-class products might not align with your needs. Finding something that’s a good fit between enterprise-grade solutions and those designed for small offices or home offices is challenging.
Technical support needs improvement.