In mid-2023, Microsoft rebranded Azure Active Directory to Microsoft Entra ID. More than a name change — here's what the Entra family means for identity and access management going forward.
Key takeaways
- 1Azure Active Directory Free → Microsoft Entra ID Free
- 2Azure AD P1 (included in Business Premium) → Microsoft Entra ID P1
- 3Azure AD P2 → Microsoft Entra ID P2
If you've been following Microsoft 365 news, you'll have noticed that Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is now called Microsoft Entra ID. The rebrand happened in July 2023, and while the underlying technology didn't change overnight, the strategic direction it signals is worth understanding.
What changed in the rebrand
The core service — cloud identity, authentication, Conditional Access, MFA, Single Sign-On — remains identical. What changed is the branding and the product family it sits within:
- Azure Active Directory Free → Microsoft Entra ID Free
- Azure AD P1 (included in Business Premium) → Microsoft Entra ID P1
- Azure AD P2 → Microsoft Entra ID P2
The Entra product family
Entra ID is now part of a broader Microsoft Entra family that includes:
- Microsoft Entra ID — core identity and access management
- Microsoft Entra ID Governance — identity lifecycle and access reviews
- Microsoft Entra External ID — managing external partner and customer identities
- Microsoft Entra Permissions Management — multicloud permissions governance
- Microsoft Entra Private Access — Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)
- Microsoft Entra Internet Access — Secure Web Gateway capabilities
What it means for Business Premium clients
For most SMBs on Business Premium, the immediate impact is nil — the features you're licenced for are the same. But the Entra roadmap signals where Microsoft is taking identity: tighter integration across multicloud environments, Zero Trust network access (replacing traditional VPN), and AI-driven anomaly detection. An MSP managing your tenant will ensure these capabilities are adopted as they mature and become relevant to your scale.
