Entra ID

Formerly known as Azure Active Directory (Azure AD), the service forms part of the Microsoft Entra product family and provides directory services, conditional access policies, multi-factor authentication, and federated identity management. It supports authentication for Microsoft 365, Azure resources, and thousands of third-party software-as-a-service applications through standards such as SAML, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect.

Administrators can configure role-based access control, manage user and group provisioning, and apply risk-based access policies that respond to sign-in signals such as device state, location, and user behaviour. In educational settings, Microsoft Entra ID is commonly deployed to manage staff and student identities, enable single sign-on to learning platforms, and integrate with on-premises Active Directory environments through Entra Connect.

The service includes features for external collaboration via business-to-business (B2B) guest access, self-service password reset, and lifecycle management for joiners, movers, and leavers. Reporting and monitoring tools provide audit logs, sign-in activity data, and identity protection alerts.

Microsoft Entra ID is offered in tiered editions, with additional capabilities such as Privileged Identity Management and Identity Governance available in higher-licensed plans.