Avatier vs Microsoft Azure AD

You’re considering Avatier vs. Microsoft Azure Active Directory. Which identity management solution is right for your needs? It’s not as simple as choosing a familiar brand. You need to take a closer look at some of the specific capabilities.

Use this product comparison to develop your software solution shortlist. Once you have a few products in mind, consider developing a business case to win support for your implementation.

1) International Support

Your employees, contractors and vendors are likely based all around the world. To support them effectively without establishing local support help desks, you need a multi-language product. In comparing Avatier vs. Microsoft Azure Active Directory, here is what we found.

Avatier’s International Options

Avatier is currently available in more than 25 languages including Chinese. That means you can provide access to users around the world.

Microsoft Azure Active Directory International Options

In reviewing Microsoft’s documentation, there is one significant gap in the company’s documentation. As of January 2020, “Azure Active Directory Premium P1 and Premium P2 are not currently supported in China.”  That is a significant limitation to keep in mind if you operate a global company with a Chinese presence.

2) What Does The Pricing Structure Look Like?

Buying technology products is sometimes a complicated process. There are multiple factors to consider such as licenses, professional services, implementation and technical support. If you are looking to create a business case for identity management, simple pricing makes your life easier.

Avatier has a simple pricing model. In essence, you pay a set price per user per month. For example, you can look at the pricing page and quickly estimate your pricing. Of course, the final price you pay will depend upon the specific situation and mix of products.

In contrast, Microsoft Azure Active Directory pricing is less clear. For example, the product comparison page Avatier vs. Microsoft Azure Active Directory shows no pricing information. When we examine the Microsoft website, we do see four pricing tiers that range from free to $9 per user per month. There are significant differences in features between the Microsoft tiers. That means more work for you to understand the pricing.

Avatier has the advantage in terms of simple, easy-to-understand pricing in identity management. That’s important because it means you can develop your business case faster.

3) What Does The Free Trial Offer To Users?

In modern software, most users first experience a new software tool through a demo or a free trial. Given the technical complexity of identity and access management, a free trial is a better approach. Let’s look at how the two products compare.

Avatier’s free trial is straightforward and comprehensive. When you sign up for a free trial, you get access to four capabilities. Your Avatier free trial includes lifecycle management, password management, single sign-on and access governance. With all of these capabilities, you design a detailed pilot test. There is no other software required.

In contrast, Microsoft Azure Active Directory requires an Azure account before you sign up for the Active Directory free trial. In essence, that means you have two free trial accounts to manage. That makes life more difficult for users who do not already use Azure.

Avatier’s free trial offering is less complex to access. That matters when you have limited time and resources to select an identity and access management solution.

4) Automation Capabilities For End Users

Manually configuring identity and access management systems are a significant pain point for IT departments. That’s why we are seeing products providing automation capabilities and other time-saving features. Now, let’s look at Avatier vs. Microsoft Azure Active Directory when it comes to automation.

For Avatier, you have access to a specialized IT security chatbot called Apollo. This product empowers your users to request password resets whenever they want. Even better, they don’t even have to use the corporate intranet. Apollo also supports chat sessions, traditional phones and smartphone access. That’s important because employees who travel or need access outside of the office need flexibility.

With Microsoft Azure Active Directory, there is a different approach to automation. The Microsoft data sheet for the product refers to machine learning. However, there is no information provided on what this means for the end-user. So there is machine learning happening somewhere. It is unclear whether that capability will help your end-users.

Avatier has the advantage when it comes to empowering your end-users to get automated assistance. That’s a valuable benefit if you are looking to ease the burden on your help desk.

5) Technical Specialization

In choosing applications for your environment, specialization is an essential factor to consider. With Avatier, you get the specialist experience. That means a tight focus on identity and access management technology. That level of attention means you can expect a steady stream of new products and features like the Apollo chatbot for IT security administration.

Microsoft is a different kind of organization. The company has dozens of different product lines for businesses and consumers. In some ways, that broad range of products has some appeal. However, one can question whether Microsoft will continue to support identity and access management in the future. After all, the company’s leadership has many different product groups to consider.

Avatier stands out as the winning company when it comes to technical specialization in identity and access management.

6) Microsoft Directory Support vs. Other Platforms

On a technical level, your identity management solution must function smoothly with your current technology. As a Microsoft product, Microsoft Azure is designed to operate with Active Directory. That’s helpful if you exclusively run a Microsoft environment. However, you might need to support other platforms.

What Else Do You Need To Make A Smart Decision?Comparing two products is a good step. Your next step is to build a robust vendor selection process.