Microsoft Entra ID is the future of identity management, so why is MIM persisting?

Since MIM was launched over 20 years ago, Oxford Computer Group companies have successfully delivered over 1,000 implementations and trained many thousands of IT professionals on how to use it effectively. Microsoft Entra ID is incredibly capable, and MIM is on the verge of retirement, yet MIM still remains a relevant and reliable solution for many organizations. Why is MIM not going away?

MIM has gone through a typical life cycle of adoption, from a small beginning to a peak of maturity and now it is on the down-ramp as organizations move their workloads to Microsoft Entra’s cloud-based identity services. There are many areas where Microsoft Entra ID can and should take over from MIM, but there are also some areas where – as yet – it cannot (for example in some complex environments, or where there are many legacy systems). Also in some cases, MIM has simply got its feet under the table and isn’t ready to leave!

There are good reasons why MIM is proving so persistent – and I expand on some of these in a series of blogs.

• Why are organizations continuing to implement MIM? The ongoing need for reliable, authoritative identity data, made even more important by the rollout of Microsoft Entra services in a Hybrid AD environment, is one of the key reasons why organizations are continuing to implement MIM.
• Do you feel you’re stuck with MIM and legacy systems? In our experience, a feeling of being stuck with legacy systems is one of the primary reasons why organizations are not moving away from MIM.
• Has your organization lost the skills to migrate from MIM? Many organizations have lost the skills to migrate away from MIM – for example, staff have moved on or skills have become rusty through lack of use.

Do any of these apply to you?

If you have any questions, we’re here to help!

Oxford Computer Group UK is part of an international family of companies that has been helping organizations with identity management across the world for over two decades.

• Our knowledge of MIM is unparalleled – but our expertise extends throughout the Microsoft identity stack, including Microsoft Entra.
• Our consultants have many decades of Microsoft identity management experience, and offer a safe and expert pair of hands to organizations from all industry sectors.
• Our directors were commissioned by Microsoft to write the training courses for MIM – and the latest versions of these are available from our sister company Oxford Computer Training along with staff mentoring and ad-hoc support services.

Contact us today and arrange a no-obligation chat with one of our expert architects.

This blog is the first in my ‘Why is MIM not going away’ series.

• Read the second blog Why are organizations continuing to implement MIM?
• Read the third blog Has your organization lost the skills to migrate from MIM? 
• Read the fourth blog Do you feel you’re stuck with MIM and legacy systems?