Microsoft Entra

Microsoft Entra, identity that holds when attackers try the front door.

Microsoft
Microsoft
Entra
Cloud Solution Partner
  • 500+Entra tenants
  • Zero-trustBy default
  • AuditReady evidence
  • 24/7Coverage
Microsoft Entra ID
What Entra delivers

Six identity disciplines, one platform.

Entra is more than just AAD with a new logo. It is identity, governance, privileged access, external collaboration, and verification, all in one platform tuned to your environment.

Entra ID (formerly AAD)

Cloud identity for users, devices, and applications. SSO across SaaS, M365, custom apps. Hybrid sync with on-prem AD where you still have it.

MFA + passwordless

MFA enforcement across users, with risk-based step-up and passwordless options (Authenticator, FIDO2 keys, Windows Hello). Reduces phishing exposure and password reset volume.

Conditional access

Policy engine that evaluates user, device, location, and risk for every sign-in. Block, require MFA, or require compliant device based on context, not just credentials.

Privileged Identity Management

Just-in-time admin elevation, time-bound role assignments, approval workflows, audit logs. Removes standing-admin from the breach blast radius.

Entra ID Governance

Access reviews, lifecycle workflows, entitlement management. Joiner-mover-leaver automation, periodic access certifications, regulator-ready evidence of who has access to what.

External Identities

B2B collaboration with partners, B2C identity for customers, cross-tenant access policies. Secure external collaboration without distributing local accounts.

Why GR IT for Entra

Four reasons clients pick us for the deployment.

Entra deployments fail when conditional access is too strict (users locked out) or too loose (controls bypassed). Tuning is the work.

500+ Entra tenants

Pattern recognition matters. We have tuned conditional access for SMEs, regulated firms, and multi-tenant deployments without locking users out.

Zero-trust by default

Conditional access designed around device compliance, MFA, and risk signals from day one. Not "open until something breaks" then retrofit.

Audit-ready evidence

ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOX reviews answered with Entra audit logs, configuration history, and access-review evidence. Compliance-ready by default.

US-based engineers

Senior identity engineers based in the United States with CISSP and Entra certifications. Same team that deploys operates and supports.

Industries using Entra

Entra deployments by sector.

Six sectors where Entra provides material identity and security uplift.

Financial services

SEC- and NYDFS-regulated firms using Entra ID Governance for regulator-required access certifications and PIM for privileged-access controls.

Healthcare

Hospitals and clinics using Entra for clinical-system SSO, role-based access to patient records, audit-trailed identity for HIPAA compliance.

Professional services

Law firms and consultancies using Entra for matter-based access, ethical-wall enforcement, partner external collaboration via B2B.

Tech and SaaS

SaaS companies using Entra as their primary identity platform, customer B2C identity, dev environment SSO, secrets-management integration.

Retail and multi-location

Multi-store retail using Entra for store-staff authentication, POS device compliance, supplier portal access via B2B.

Education

Schools and universities using Entra for student SSO, parent portal access, faculty privileged identity, exam-system access controls.

Entra vs basic M365 identity

What Entra Premium adds over the free tier.

Free Entra (included with M365) covers basic identity. The licensed tiers are where the controls live. The honest comparison:
Feature
Free Entra
Included with M365
Entra ID P1/P2
Licensed tier
Cloud SSO
Basic MFA
Conditional access
Privileged Identity Management
P2
Identity Protection (risk signals)
P2
Access reviews
P2
Lifecycle workflows
P2 + Governance SKU
How a deployment runs

From tenant assessment to managed identity operations.

Every Entra engagement runs the same path. Documented, evidenced, deliverable on a fixed timeline.
  1. 1

    Assessment

    1-2 weeks

    Tenant audit, current-state identity assessment, licence review, threat-model workshop. Output: identity-posture report and deployment plan.

  2. 2

    Deployment

    3-6 weeks

    SSO, MFA, conditional access, PIM, access-review configuration. Phased rollout to minimise user impact, with help-desk preparation.

  3. 3

    Validation

    1-2 weeks

    Penetration test against the deployment, simulated phishing, simulated MFA bypass attempts. Findings closed before steady-state.

  4. 4

    Operate

    Continuous

    Quarterly access reviews, monthly identity reports, conditional-access tuning, audit evidence kept current. Same team that deployed operates.

We deployed Entra P2 ourselves and locked half our users out within a week of enabling conditional access. GR IT rebuilt the policies based on actual user behaviour, restored access without weakening the controls, and our help-desk volume on identity issues dropped 70% in the next quarter. Tuning is the discipline; we did not have it.
Lauren Reilly
IT Director · Mid-market financial services group, NYDFS Part 500
Help-desk identity volume down 70%, controls preserved
Common questions

Microsoft Entra, frequently asked.

Ready to deploy Entra properly?

Talk to an identity specialist.

Three-minute form. Our identity team gets back the same business day to schedule a discovery call. We will tell you which Entra tier fits your environment and risk before you commit to a deployment.