Microsoft Entra External ID Consulting
Customer identity and access management built on Microsoft's modern CIAM platform, purpose-designed for Australian organisations.
Book Free ConsultationWhat Is Entra External ID
Microsoft Entra External ID is the evolution of Azure AD B2C and the external identity capabilities previously spread across multiple Azure AD features. It provides a unified platform for managing customer, partner, and citizen identities outside your workforce directory.
Unlike Azure AD B2C, which operated as a separate tenant type with its own XML-based policy engine, External ID is natively integrated into the Entra platform. Organisations benefit from a single control plane for both workforce and customer identities, simplified licensing, and access to the full Microsoft Graph API surface for identity automation.
Read: External ID vs Azure B2CKey Platform Capabilities
Self-Service Sign-Up Flows
Customisable registration journeys with attribute collection and validation
Social Identity Federation
Google, Apple, Facebook, and any OIDC or SAML provider
Conditional Access for Customers
Risk-based MFA, location policies, and session management
Custom Authentication Extensions
Business logic via Azure Functions at every authentication event
Unified Admin Centre
Single control plane for workforce and external identities
Our CIAM Implementation Approach
Every Entraneer CIAM engagement follows a structured, iterative delivery model that gets working authentication flows into your hands early, then layers on complexity incrementally.
1
Discovery & Requirements
We map your customer identity requirements against External ID capabilities: authentication flows, attribute collection, branding, integration points, and compliance constraints.
2
Solution Design
A detailed design covering tenant configuration, custom authentication extensions, token enrichment, application registration patterns, and infrastructure-as-code strategy.
3
Iterative Build
We stand up a working flow early, then layer on custom attributes, conditional access, API-driven enrichment, and branded sign-up experiences sprint by sprint.
4
Harden & Handover
Production hardening, CI/CD pipeline deployment, as-built documentation, and knowledge transfer to your team for self-sufficient operation.
Patterns We Deliver
Proven CIAM architecture patterns tailored to Australian organisations
Invite-Only Models
Closed community portals for professional associations, member organisations, and regulated industries. Invitation workflows integrated with CRM and membership systems, branded redemption experiences, and automatic provisioning with correct group memberships and application assignments.
Read: Invite-Only ModelCustom Sign-Up Flows
Fully custom sign-up experiences using authentication extensions. Validate attributes against external systems, enrich tokens with claims from your APIs, block sign-ups by domain, and build multi-step onboarding flows that guide users through identity verification and terms acceptance.
Read: Signup TriggersPlatform Integrations
Seamless integration between External ID and your downstream applications and APIs. SCIM-based provisioning, Microsoft Graph automation, custom token claims, and API connectors that bridge identity events with your business systems. Azure Functions backed by managed identities with proper error handling and retry logic.
Microsoft Entra External ID B2B Collaboration & B2C
Formerly Azure AD B2B, Azure AD B2C, and Azure AD External Identities: Customer Identity Access Management (CIAM) Modernised
Microsoft Entra External ID unifies two previously separate capabilities under a single platform. Microsoft Entra External ID B2B Collaboration (formerly Azure AD B2B) enables secure sharing of applications and resources with guest users from partner organisations, while Microsoft Entra External ID B2C (formerly Azure AD B2C / Customer Identity Access Management / CIAM) provides consumer-facing identity flows including self-service sign-up, social login, and progressive profiling. Together, these capabilities replace what was previously known as Azure AD External Identities.
Entraneer helps Australian organisations migrate from legacy Azure AD B2B and Azure AD B2C tenants to the modern Entra External ID platform. Whether you are consolidating partner collaboration workflows or rebuilding customer-facing authentication journeys, we deliver production-ready implementations that take full advantage of the improved developer experience, native Microsoft Graph integration, and unified administration that Entra External ID provides.
Australian Data Residency Considerations
Data residency is a frequent concern for Australian organisations adopting cloud identity services. Entra External ID stores directory data in the region associated with the tenant's country selection at creation time. For Australian tenants, core directory data is stored within the Australia geography.
Entraneer helps clients understand exactly what data is stored where and how to document residency posture for compliance and risk teams.
- Core directory data stored in Australia geography
- Tenant country selection configured at creation time
- Australian Privacy Act compliance documentation
- APRA CPS 234 residency assessment and guidance
- State government data sovereignty alignment
- Feature-level data processing region mapping
- Tenant configuration for maximised in-region processing
- Detailed residency documentation for auditor review
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Entra External ID and Azure AD B2C?
Entra External ID is the successor to Azure AD B2C. It provides the same core CIAM capabilities, including self-service sign-up, social identity federation, and multi-factor authentication, but with a modern extensibility model, native integration into the Entra admin centre, and access to the full Microsoft Graph API. Azure AD B2C used XML-based custom policies for advanced scenarios, while External ID uses custom authentication extensions built on standard code deployed as Azure Functions.
Should we migrate from Azure AD B2C to Entra External ID now?
Microsoft has not announced an end-of-life date for Azure AD B2C, but new feature investment is focused on External ID. We recommend that organisations begin planning their migration now, starting with an assessment of existing B2C custom policies and their External ID equivalents. Early planning avoids a compressed migration timeline if a deprecation date is announced and allows you to take advantage of External ID's improved developer experience sooner.
Can Entra External ID support social login providers like Google and Apple?
Yes. Entra External ID supports federation with Google, Facebook, Apple, and any OpenID Connect or SAML-based identity provider. Social identity providers are configured at the tenant level and can be offered selectively on a per-application basis. Entraneer configures these federations with appropriate claim mapping so that social identities are correctly represented in your directory and downstream tokens.
How does Entra External ID handle multi-factor authentication for customers?
External ID supports email one-time passcode, SMS, and authenticator app as MFA methods for external users. Conditional access policies can be applied to external user flows, allowing you to require MFA based on risk signals, application sensitivity, or user attributes. Entraneer designs MFA policies that balance security with customer experience, typically reserving step-up authentication for high-value transactions rather than every login.
Is Entra External ID suitable for government citizen identity scenarios?
Yes, and several Australian government agencies are evaluating or adopting External ID for citizen-facing services. The platform supports the authentication and authorisation patterns required for government scenarios, including identity proofing integration, attribute-based access control, and audit logging. Entraneer has experience designing citizen identity architectures that align with the Australian Government's Digital Identity framework and TDIF requirements.
What does an Entra External ID engagement with Entraneer typically involve?
A typical engagement begins with a discovery workshop to understand your customer identity requirements, existing infrastructure, and compliance obligations. We then deliver a solution design covering tenant architecture, authentication flows, custom extensions, and application integration. Implementation follows iteratively, with working authentication flows delivered early and refined over subsequent sprints. We provide full documentation, infrastructure-as-code artefacts, and knowledge transfer to your team.
Ready to Get Started?
Book a free initial consultation to discuss how Entraneer can help your organisation with entra external id.
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