7 Business benefits of Entra ID that you need to know

Microsoft Entra ID is one of the world’s most popular identity and access management (IAM) services for a reason.

In this article, we’ll be exploring the various ways in which the cloud-based service adds benefits across your entire organisation.

Read on and discover:

Reduce risks: Entra ID is the foundation of a secure IT estate

If your organisation is serious about security (and why wouldn’t it be?), then identity and access management needs to be at the heart of your strategy.

Entra ID comes with a range of features that enable you to create a secure, robust environment.

Keeping your data, users, and applications protected.

With Entra ID you can quickly and easily:

• Implement strong, user friendly verification processes
• Control and restrict access to data, based on risk signals
• Secure access to cloud and on-premises applications
• Protect identities and respond to compromised credentials

This is thanks to a suite of cutting-edge tools all built into the Entra ID platform, such as:

Central identity and access management reduces the strain on IT resource

Microsoft Entra ID is your complete ‘one-stop’ identity and access management tool.

It’s the control centre for your entire IT estate, letting you manage all users and permissions with ease.

All from a single location.

With Entra ID you can:

• Create and manage all user accounts
• Add users into groups (individually or through attribute driven rules)
• Assign and manage user permissions
• Manage user access to applications

This means a simplified process for your IT team.

Saving time, reducing resources, and minimising the risk of human error.

Identity governance and meeting compliance obligations with ease

We can’t really overstate the importance of good governance and how it helps you meet your compliance obligations. A single failure can come at severe costs to your organisation.

Punitive fines, reputational damage, client abandonment, and revenue loss are all very real outcomes. The results of which can threaten your very existence.

Entra ID provides access to a range of governance solutions within its P1 and P2 licences, such as:

• HR-drive provisioning and identity lifecycle management
• Entitlement management
• User provisioning to SaaS and on-premises apps
• Policy and role management tools

You also have the option of tapping into the full range of governance solutions within Entra ID Governance.

This means access to a comprehensive suite of cutting-edge tools designed to meet all modern governance challenges.

Such as:

• Machine learning access review recommendations
• No code / low code approach for extensibility
• Automated lifecycle workflows
• Entitlement management with Verified ID
• A comprehensive and actionable dashboard

Entra ID Governance can be switched on with ease with a simple, cost-effective extension of your Entra ID licence.

Providing a future-proof solution to your governance and compliance management. Simplifying processes, delivering laser-focused data and visibility, and automating essential tasks.

Entra ID improves productivity and user experience

Keeping data and resources secure is vital, of course. But it needn’t come at the cost of accessibility.

Users need and expect to be able to access accounts and resources with ease. The more hoops to jump through, or logins to navigate, the more time-consuming and frustrating the process becomes.

By utilising Single Sign-On (SSO) within Entra ID, users can access all of their applications and resources through one, simplified login.

Plus, it’s not just restricted to their Microsoft applications.

As Entra ID supports integrations with thousands of 3^rd party applications, users can also benefit by using the same credentials across the different apps they use in their work.

This simplified, secure process delivers a more satisfying user experience. Plus, by saving time and creating seamless navigation between applications, it also increases user productivity.

Simple, secure and, brand consistent customer experiences

Of course, it’s not just employees and external partners who engage within most organisations.

You also have to consider the experience and expectations of your customers.

The key components to any successful modern customer experience are:

• Brand consistency at every touchpoint
• Fast and simple access to services and user accounts
• A secure environment

Failure to meet any of these expectations risks diminishing returns on client trust.

Which invariably leads to lost revenue.

And this is another area that Entra ID can help your business shine.

By utilising the features in Microsoft Entra ID External ID, you can:

• Develop brand consistent sign-in pages that match the design of the main site
• Allow customers to sign-in with ease from existing accounts (e.g. Microsoft, Google, Facebook)
• Use authentication processes for peace of mind security

Ensuring a fully on-brand and satisfying experience that will foster customer trust, retention, and advocacy.

Find out how Kocho delivered one of the world’s largest external identity (B2C) deployments across the four brands of a global telecoms organisation.

Entra ID is the perfect platform for collaboration

When collaborating and sharing information with external partners, it’s vital that the balance is struck between rigorous security and ease of access.

Entra ID provides an easily managed solution to resolve this.

You have the facility to create invites to external users into your directory. However, the user credentials remain under the management of their own IT department.

Tools such as MFA and conditional access mean you can control their access to the appropriate levels, based on the level of risk you’re happy to accept.

This allows efficient and timely collaboration to take place, while ensuring access is controlled, monitored, and revoked when the project finishes.

Entra ID helps you control costs in your IT operations

At its core, Entra ID helps drive world-class productivity within a highly secure environment.

But it’s also a cost-effective solution that enables you to both scale and keep a tight control over your budget.

Not only can you select a licence that offers the right features for your business needs, but you only pay for what you use. Enabling you to get true value from every penny that you spend.

Download our comprehensive guide to Entra ID for more information about pricing and options.

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