From SAP IdM to Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft provides initial answers

In our blog post “SAP and Microsoft: Close partners in Identity & Access Management” from February 2024, we discuss the strategic partnership between SAP and Microsoft in Identity & Access Management. Moreover, we examine SAP’s recommendation for Microsoft ID Entra Governance as the successor to SAP Identity Management (IdM). After the official announcement of the partnership, things have been quiet on this topic – until now. SAP and Microsoft published new details at the SAP Sapphire customer conference in June 2024. The information available to date is summarized in the Microsoft blog post “SAP Identity Management to Microsoft Entra ID Migration Guidance Now Available”.

Is Microsoft Entra ID Governance the right successor for your SAP IdM?

Microsoft draws on our SAP IdM expertise

We are in close contact with Microsoft to provide a detailed description of the market and customer situation regarding SAP Identity Management. Microsoft values our extensive SAP know-how and, thanks to our input, is in a better position not only to understand the SAP language, but also to obtain reliable guidance on SAP IdM and its various deployment scenarios. Our broad SAP IdM customer base and our many years of experience enable Microsoft to capture the various maturity levels of SAP Identity Management.

IBsolution is official Microsoft partner

IBsolution is now an official Microsoft partner – making it one of twelve companies worldwide that Microsoft recommends for the implementation of Microsoft Entra ID Governance in SAP environments. Of course, we are still in the early stages of Microsoft Entra ID Governance, but it is an important signal for our customers that we are following SAP strategically and have the opportunity to help shape the future path. This is where we benefit from our holistic portfolio, which also includes the topics of integration and platform, for example. After all, modern, future-oriented IT architectures are characterized by hybrid scenarios and not by thinking in silos and vendors.

There are still many unanswered questions

A survey we conducted among existing SAP IdM customers revealed that it is still very unclear what the exact role of Microsoft will be and what relevance the partnership between SAP and Microsoft will have for whom. Companies are very interested in finding out exactly what the SAP recommendation for Microsoft Entra ID Governance means and what the next steps are in this regard. Concerning these and other questions, the blog post linked above is a starting point. Microsoft will gradually provide additional information. It is therefore worth checking back regularly to see if there is anything new.

Who should consider Microsoft Entra ID Governance?

In its current version, the blog post explains and sorts areas and terms from the IAM worlds of SAP and Microsoft. It also provides initial insights into possible architectures. When replacing SAP IdM, it is important to understand and consider the role of Microsoft. It is not about what Microsoft Entra ID Governance cannot do, but about what it can do today and what it will be able to do in one to two years’ time.

SAP IdM customers can also help shape what the future range of functions will look like. However, it is very likely that the Microsoft Entra ID Governance product will not be an option for some SAP IdM customers in two years’ time to replace their complex, highly automated SAP IdM landscape. However, it is also not Microsoft’s claim or goal to offer a solution for everyone. In this respect, the initial information that has now been published and its continuous supplementation are elementary so that every SAP IdM customer can make the right decision for their individual level of maturity.

Competent support for SAP IdM replacement

IBsolution accompanies existing SAP IdM customers on this challenging journey. We deliberately do not start with tools and technologies, but focus on the company. We look “inwards” and ask where the company wants to go and what its process landscape and organization will need in the future before we address the question of the right tool. The Transformation Package for SAP IdM Replacement serves as a reliable guide for the replacement of SAP Identity Management.