Azure External Identities

In this lesson, we'll explore how Azure External Identities enable secure interactions with users outside your organization. Azure offers robust solutions for managing and collaborating with external identities, ensuring secure access to your resources.

Introduction to External Identities

An external identity refers to any person, device, or service that is not part of your organization. Microsoft Entra External ID encompasses all the methods you can use to securely interact with these external users. Whether you want to collaborate with partners, vendors, or customers, Azure provides the tools to share resources and manage access effectively.

Key Capabilities of External Identities

The capabilities of Azure External Identities include Business to Business (B2B) collaboration, B2B direct connect, and Microsoft Azure Active Directory Business to Customer (B2C).

Business to Business (B2B) Collaboration

B2B collaboration allows external users to use their preferred identity to sign in to your Microsoft applications or other enterprise applications. These users are typically represented in your directory as guest users. This feature is ideal for collaborating with partners, distributors, and suppliers.

B2B Direct Connect

B2B direct connect establishes a mutual, two-way trust with another Microsoft Entra organization, enabling seamless collaboration. Currently, this feature supports Teams shared channels, allowing external users to access your resources from within their home instances of Teams. These users are not represented in your directory but can be monitored in Teams admin center reports.

Microsoft Azure Active Directory Business to Customer (B2C)

Azure AD B2C is designed for developers creating consumer-facing apps. It allows you to manage your customers' identity experiences, letting them use their preferred identity providers like Google or Facebook to sign in. This service is ideal for publishing modern SaaS…