Microsoft to Finalize Entra ID Name Change in 2024

Cloud Computing

Key takeaways:

  • Microsoft’s rebranding of Azure Active Directory to Entra ID is now expected to be finalized in 2024 for on-premises software.
  • This name change signifies Microsoft’s commitment to simplifying the differentiation between on-premises and multi-cloud identity solutions, ensuring a seamless transition without impacting Azure AD capabilities, pricing, or essential features.
  • Microsoft reaffirms its plans to keep supporting Windows Server Active Directory for on-premises identity and access management.

Microsoft unveiled its plans to rebrand Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to Entra ID back in July. Fast forward to today, and the company has provided an update on this transformative journey, with the name changes set to be finalized for on-premises customers in 2024.

Microsoft announced the launch of the Entra product family back in May this year. The new offering includes all of Microsoft’s identity and access management solutions, including Permissions Management and Verified ID as well as Azure AD. Since its launch, Microsoft added several new tools to the Entra suite such as Workload ID, ID Governance, Private Access, and Internet Access.

In a recent blog post, Microsoft detailed that enterprise customers can expect to see the service plan name changes on October 1. This means Azure AD Free, Azure AD Premium P1 or P2, and Azure AD External Identities will become Microsoft Entra ID Free, Microsoft Entra ID P1 or P2, and Microsoft Entra External ID, respectively.

Microsoft originally planned to complete the change in content and product experiences by the end of 2023. Now, the company says that the name switch is expected to be almost completed in mid-November. However, Microsoft expects to finalize the name switch for on-premises software in 2024.

“The rename of Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to Microsoft Entra ID is now rolling across content and product experiences from Microsoft, as per the implementation timeline outlined in the Azure AD rename announcement on July 11th. We expect the majority of text updates to be completed by mid-November of this year, and updates for on-premises software to be completed in 2024. Partners, analysts, and influencers have also started using the Microsoft Entra ID name in place of Azure AD,” Microsoft explained.

Microsoft also reminded customers that this change won’t impact Azure AD capabilities, login URLs, Azure AD capabilities, PowerShell cmdlets, tools, developer experiences, and Microsoft authentication libraries. Moreover, there would be no impact on licensing plans and pricing for organizations.

Microsoft continues to support Active Directory

Microsoft announced that it’s planning to end support for the Azure AD PowerShell module on March 30, 2024. The company recommends developers to switch to the Microsoft Graph PowerShell module for identity management tasks.

Lastly, Microsoft emphasized that the name change doesn’t indicate the end for Windows Server Active Directory used in on-premises environments. “We’ll continue to support and enhance Windows Server Active Directory for on-premises identity and access management and the connection to Azure and other clouds, as many organizations continue to rely on this solution,” Microsoft added.

Microsoft notes that the change is supposed to make it easier for customers to differentiate between on-premises and multi-cloud identity solutions. The company has also provided some tips for organizations planning to rename Azure AD across their content sites, and you can find more information on this support page.