Yes, it’s true. Microsoft is rebranding Azure AD to Microsoft Entra ID. The name change does not change the multi-tenant, cloud-based directory and identity management service. For years, Azure AD has helped employees sign up to multiple services and access them anywhere over the cloud with a single set of login credentials. And with Microsoft Entra ID, that remains the same!
A simple way to understand this cloud-based directory and identity management service is to think of a file server/domain controller as your information traffic police officer, as it processes all requests for access and only lets users gain access to the areas that their security allowed. With businesses adopting cloud-only environments with no local domain controllers, Microsoft Entra ID is leveraged to provide the same level of access controls that used to be provided by a domain controller.
Clients who are using Azure AD today or are currently deploying Azure AD in their organizations can continue to use the service without interruption. All existing deployments, configurations, and integrations will continue to function as they do today, as do all capabilities and features.
All licensing plans, pricing and service level agreements for Azure AD and Microsoft 365 plans that include Azure AD remain the same; only display names for the service plans are changing. To make the transition seamless, Microsoft is not changing any code that would impact functionality or your work.
For example, existing login URLs, APIs, PowerShell cmdlets, and libraries within the Microsoft identity platform such as Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) are not changing.
If you are interested in discussing this name change OR if you’re interested in hearing more about Microsoft Entra ID, reach out to Robbie Swiebel, Director of Engineering for Professional Services, at (877) 678-8080.