Ping Identity → Microsoft Entra ID migration playbook
Migrate from Ping Identity to Microsoft Entra ID — typically driven by Microsoft 365 consolidation, M365 E5 license value, or convergence on the Microsoft stack.
TL;DR
Ping → Entra is a common consolidation move for enterprises already heavily invested in Microsoft 365 / Azure. The economic argument is strong (Entra P1/P2 is bundled with M365 E3/E5) but feature parity needs careful comparison.
Ping Identity
Microsoft Entra ID
Typical timeline
6-12 months for mid-large enterprises
Why teams move
- Microsoft 365 / E5 license already covers Entra ID P1/P2 — eliminate Ping spend
- Convergence on Microsoft stack for unified support
- Conditional Access + Defender for Identity integration value
- Retire on-prem PingFederate infrastructure
The migration in 4 phases.
1. Phase 1 — Discovery
6-8 weeks
- Ping stack inventory (PingFederate / PingAccess / PingOne / PingID)
- M365 / Azure footprint assessment
- Conditional Access policy design
2. Phase 2 — Entra foundation
4-6 weeks
- Entra tenant configuration + branding
- AD Connect / Entra Cloud Sync setup
- Conditional Access policies in report-only mode
3. Phase 3 — Cohort migration
4-8 months
- Apps re-federated to Entra
- MFA re-enrollment per cohort
4. Phase 4 — Decommission Ping
1-2 months
- Ping infrastructure retired
What lives where.
| Capability | Source (Ping) | Target (Microsoft) |
|---|---|---|
| IdP | PingFederate | Entra ID |
| Conditional access | PingOne / custom rules | Entra Conditional Access |
| MFA | PingID | Microsoft Authenticator |
| Reverse proxy | PingAccess | Entra Application Proxy |
| B2B | PingOne for Customers | Entra External ID |
What moves, what doesn’t.
Users
AD Connect / Entra Cloud Sync from on-prem AD. No direct Ping user migration.
PingID enrollments
Users re-enroll Microsoft Authenticator during cohort cutover.
The 7-step cutover.
- 01Cohort-by-cohort federation swap
- 02MFA re-enrollment communicated in advance
- 03Conditional Access enforced after report-only phase
- 04Ping retired post-decommission
What teams find out the hard way.
PingAccess legacy apps
Apps fronted by PingAccess need Entra Application Proxy or app modernization. Entra Application Proxy doesn't cover every scenario PingAccess did.
Conditional Access learning curve
Conditional Access is powerful but has its own conceptual model. Plan time for policy design + testing.
Questions we get on this migration.
Is the M365 license argument decisive?
It's the dominant driver. If you have M365 E5 enterprise-wide, the marginal cost of Entra ID is essentially zero — making Ping spend redundant.
We’ve led this migration. More than once.
Engagement starts with a 90-minute discovery call — we tell you what we’d actually do, with timeline + risk register. No commitment.