Secure your multi-tenant applications with Microsoft Entra ID
As an ISV, delivering a secure and seamless experience for your customers is essential—but managing identity and access across multiple tenants can be complex. Microsoft Entra ID simplifies this challenge, offering powerful tools to enhance security, streamline authentication, and protect customer data. Learn more in this guide, we’ll explore key strategies for building secure multi-tenant applications and provide valuable resources to help you get started. Discover how Entra ID can help you build with confidence! Building secure multi-tenant applications with Microsoft Entra ID: A guide for ISVsBuilding secure multi-tenant applications with Microsoft Entra ID: A guide for ISVs
In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) face the significant challenge of developing secure, multi-tenant applications that seamlessly integrate with their customers' existing infrastructure. Microsoft Entra ID offers a robust solution for managing user identities, providing ISVs with tools to enhance security and streamline the user authentication process. In this blog post, we'll explore key security strategies for ISVs and provide additional resources to help you get started. Context As the demand for SaaS applications grows, ISVs must ensure their applications are not only functional but also secure. Multi-tenant applications, which serve multiple customers from a single instance, present unique security challenges. One of the primary concerns is managing user identities securely across different tenants. Microsoft Entra ID addresses these challenges by offering a comprehensive identity management platform that simplifies authentication and authorization while enhancing security. Figure 1 – Single Sign On for seamless user experience Key Security Strategies for ISVs Utilize Microsoft Entra ID for Identity Management Microsoft Entra ID provides a secure, scalable identity management solution that handles user authentication, authorization, and access management. By leveraging Entra ID, ISVs can avoid the complexities and risks associated with building their own identity systems. Adopt Standard Protocols A well-maintained library like MSAL should be the first choice instead of implementing a protocol. Microsoft Entra ID supports industry-standard protocols like OAuth 2.0, OpenID Connect, and SAML, which facilitate secure authentication and authorization. As the last and most expensive choice, ISVs can implement a protocol but must ensure they stay up to date with the protocol. Design for Data Separation In a multi-tenant environment, it is crucial to maintain data separation between tenants to prevent unauthorized access. ISVs should implement robust authorization models and leverage Entra ID's capabilities to ensure data integrity and confidentiality. Become a Verified App Publisher To build trust with customers, ISVs can become verified app publishers. This process involves joining the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program and undergoing a vetting process, assuring customers of the application's authenticity and security. Take action: Set up your multitenant identity today For ISVs looking to deepen their understanding of Microsoft Entra ID and its capabilities, here are some valuable resources: Microsoft Entra ID Documentation – Explore comprehensive guides and tutorials on implementing Entra ID in your applications. Microsoft Identity Platform Developer Guide – Learn how to integrate authentication and authorization into applications. aka.ms/UpcomingIDLOBDev - Curated content for Microsoft Identity platform training workshops By adopting these strategies and utilizing the resources provided, ISVs can build secure, scalable, and efficient multi-tenant applications that meet the growing demands of their customers. Embracing Microsoft Entra ID not only enhances security but also simplifies the development process, allowing ISVs to focus on delivering innovative solutions. Want to learn more: 📅 Join our ISV Security sessions to stay updated on the latest best practices 🔗 Subscribe to Azure Security Updates for continuous learning 📞 Connect with your Microsoft account representative for tailored security guidance Let’s work together to build a more secure digital future. 🚀Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini
Yesterday, Microsoft announced Phi-4-multimodal and Phi-4-mini, the newest models in Microsoft’s Phi family of small language models (SLMs) that empower developers with advanced AI capabilities. Phi-4-multimodal can process speech, vision, and text simultaneously and opens up new possibilities for innovation and context-aware applications, and Phi-4-mini excels in text-based tasks, providing high accuracy and scalability in a compact form. Learn more about this announcement and the exciting impact it can have for developing apps for the marketplace: Empowering innovation: The next generation of the Phi family | Microsoft Azure BlogReinventing the online shopping experience with GenAI: Preezie’s AI transformation
Preezie recently had the opportunity to be featured in an episode of Microsoft SaaS Stories with Jason Young to share our journey of transforming our business by developing a cutting-edge GenAI Shopping Assistant for eCommerce and retail. We provide insights into how we identified an opportunity to pivot, tackled the challenges of moving from concept to product, and built a commercially viable solution in an entirely new market. Here are some key takeaways from our discussion: Pivoting with Purpose: How we evolved from interactive eCommerce quizzes to a fully AI-driven shopping assistant. From Idea to Execution: The process of building an AI solution from the ground up, including overcoming technical challenges with Microsoft’s support. Reimagining Retail with AI: How our assistant bridges the gap between in-store and online shopping, driving higher conversions and a better customer experience. Business Model Evolution: Why we’re shifting from a traditional SaaS model to a usage-based approach. Scalability & Affordability Challenges: What we’re learning as we refine our AI solution for long-term growth. If you're interested in the future of AI in retail and how innovation can redefine customer experiences, this discussion provides insights and best practices to aid in the journey. Watch now to learn more about Preezie’s journey and the impact of GenAI on the shopping experience. Microsoft SaaS Stories | Learn from Software Experts | Episode 13 PreezieBuild and extend your own agents using pro-code capabilities
On-demand session Microsoft Copilot Studio and building custom agents. Agents are AI-powered productivity tools designed to enhance everyday tasks by leveraging large language models (LLMs). Are you a developer interested in exploring advanced aspects of using Microsoft 365 Copilot, Microsoft Copilot Studio, and building custom agents using professional coding techniques? Join our on-demand workshop to learn how to leverage pro-code capabilities and build intelligent agents that assist users across various domains. On-Demand Workshop Agenda Day 1: Extend Microsoft 365 Copilot with declarative agents Build custom engine agents with Teams AI library and Microsoft 365 Agents SDK Day 2: Develop your own agents in Azure AI Foundry Day 3: Build your own agents with Semantic Kernel for a fully controlled end-to-end AI experience Secure and govern copilots Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and build powerful agents with pro-code capabilities. Register now and take the next step in your development journey! For more training opportunities, visit us at the Partner Skilling Hub.Azure AI Foundry Labs = new possibilities for ISVs
Last week, Microsoft announced Azure AI Foundry Labs, which unites cutting-edge research with real-world applications to enable developers and creators across industries to discover new possibilities, solve complex problems, and share insights to shape the future of AI. Microsoft also announced its newest AI breakthrough—Muse, a first-of-its-kind World and Human Action Model (WHAM), available today in Azure AI Foundry. Azure AI Foundry Labs gives developers, startups, and enterprises the opportunity to explore groundbreaking innovations from research at Microsoft, including: Aurora: A large-scale atmospheric model providing high-resolution weather forecasts and air pollution predictions, outperforming traditional tools. ExACT: An open-source project enabling agents to learn from past interactions and improve search efficiency dynamically. Magentic-One: A multi-agent system solving complex problems by orchestrating multiple agents, built on the AutoGen framework. MatterSim: A deep learning model for atomistic simulations, predicting material properties with high precision. OmniParser v2: A vision-based module converting UI screenshots into structured elements, enhancing agents’ action generation. TamGen: A generative AI model for drug design, using a GPT-like chemical language model for target-aware molecule generation and refinement. The opportunity for ISVs: Azure AI Foundry Labs provides a single access point for developers and the broader AI community to experiment with new models, explore the latest frameworks, and be at the forefront of innovation. Developers can create prototypes using experimental research in Azure AI Foundry Labs, collaborate with researchers and engineering teams by sharing feedback, and help speed up the time to market for technologies that ISVs may be leveraging in their development for the marketplace. Learn more: Introducing Azure AI Foundry Labs: A hub for the latest AI research and experiments at Microsoft | Microsoft Azure Blog Visit Azure AI Foundry Labs.Security for ISV Series: Join Our Session on Securing Multi-Tenant Solutions!
Hi Security enthusiasts, In the upcoming session of the Security for ISV series, we have an exciting topic on securing multi-tenant solutions. This session will dive deep into identity and access management specifically for ISVs. We’ll discuss key considerations, the unique challenges faced by ISVs, and how to design and configure identity to address these challenges effectively. Join us for insights from industry experts and get your questions answered in our interactive Q&A session. Here are some questions to ponder as you prepare for the session: What are the best practices for managing authentication and authorization in multi-tenant environments? How can you ensure secure and seamless identity management across multiple tenants? What strategies can be implemented to prevent data leakage between tenants? Don’t miss out on this opportunity to boost your security knowledge. When: Tuesday, 25th of February, 2pm Sydney, Australia time (AEDT). Register now at https://aka.ms/asiaisvsecurity. Looking forward to your participation!Leveraging Microsoft Security to secure DeepSeek and other AI systems
As an ISV building apps for the Microsoft commercial marketplace, securing your AI applications is crucial. Microsoft Security offers comprehensive solutions to protect your AI workloads, including the DeepSeek R1 model. With tools like Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Azure AI Foundry, you can manage your security posture, ensure data security, and comply with governance standards. These solutions help you identify and mitigate cyberattack surfaces and vulnerabilities, ensuring your AI applications are secure and trustworthy. By leveraging Microsoft's security capabilities, you can confidently develop and deploy AI solutions that meet the highest security standards. Learn more about how to leverage Microsoft Security while app building: Securing DeepSeek and other AI systems with Microsoft Security | Microsoft Security Blog
Empowering AI innovation with Azure AI Foundry
In a recent meeting at the Azure AI Foundry Partner Council, we delved deep into the capabilities and future of Azure AI Foundry, highlighting its unified AI platform, extensive model catalog, and the innovative services and tools it offers. With a rising trend in the use of multiple AI models and the evolving capabilities of AI agents, Azure AI Foundry is at the forefront of streamlining the AI development process. The highlight of the meeting was the announcement of the Foundry SDK, bringing with it a unified inferencing API and support for multiple languages. This SDK promises to revolutionize how developers approach AI projects, offering templates for quick starts and a host of upcoming features and improvements. Additionally, new tools and integrations with GitHub and Visual Studio Code were introduced, enhancing the developer experience and providing seamless transitions between different platforms. A particularly exciting development is the upcoming launch of Sora, a new visual experience within Azure Open AI services. This launch is set to redefine how users interact with AI models, making the process more intuitive and visually engaging. As probably some of the readers are also evaluating, participants were keen to understand the scalability of low-code solutions and the transition to pro-code. For more complex capabilities, Foundry provides a seamless integration experience, ensuring that developers can easily transition between different SDKs and platforms. It doesn’t matter which dev tools you are using we’ll provide you with what you need wherever you are. Looking ahead, future developments such as the Foundry Canvas, observability suite, and management center were discussed, along with new products like Catalog NextGen and Foundry Copilot. These innovations promise to further enhance the capabilities of Azure AI Foundry, making it an indispensable tool for AI developers. Learn more about Azure AI Foundry: Azure AI Foundry | Microsoft Learn Join upcoming Azure AI Foundry Partner Council sessions to continue learning about the Azure AI Platform. February 13: Hello to the AI agentic world February 19: Build your first agent with Azure OpenAI Agent Service workshop February 20: GenAIOps lifecycle and best practices February 27: Managing and optimizing GenAI costs- updated FinOps approach For more information, please contact aipartnerteam@microsoft.com. Links and Resources: Evaluation of generative AI applications with Azure AI Foundry - Azure AI Foundry - Microsoft Learn Microsoft’s Agentic AI Frameworks: AutoGen and Semantic Kernel - Semantic Kernel
