Microsoft Entra ID

Not to be confused with Active Directory.

Microsoft Entra ID (formerly known as Microsoft Azure Active Directory or Azure AD) is a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution. It is a directory and identity management service that operates in the cloud and offers authentication and authorization services to various Microsoft services, such as Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Microsoft Azure and third-party services.^[1] Entra ID provides users with single sign-on experience, called "work or school accounts",^[2] regardless of whether their applications are cloud-based or on-premises.

Microsoft Entra ID

Developer	Microsoft
Type	Cloud-based identity management service
Launch date	October 27, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-10-27)
Platform(s)	Cross-platform
Status	Active
Website	Official Site

Entra ID offers various authentication methods, including password-based, multi-factor, smart card, and certificate-based authentication. It also includes several security features, such as conditional access policies, risk-based authentication, and identity protection.^[3]

On July 11, 2023, Microsoft announced the renaming of Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID to improve consistency with other Microsoft cloud products.^[4] The name change took place on July 15, 2023.^[5]

See also

• Microsoft Entra Connect
• Active Directory