Surface products are built to empower everyone on the planet to achieve more. When we develop inclusive products, we also create a more comfortable and empowering computing experience for everyone. Our journey involves continuous learning from the disability community, placing them at the heart of our design process to develop solutions that empower and support their potential.

Our accessible offerings are comprehensive, ranging from an ecosystem of adaptive accessories to adaptive features built into our hardware and software. With the new Copilot+ PCs from Surface, we have built adaptability into the fabric  of our hardware and software, resulting in products that are inclusive by design. We developed products and services that seamlessly integrate the power of Surface devices, Copilot and Windows 11 into a complete Microsoft Accessibility solution. Learn more about how of Copilot + PCs are thoughtfully designed to help everyone work, learn, play, and communicate in the way that is most natural to them.

Surface – Inclusive from concept to creation

Surface devices focus on empowering employees to be their most productive selves with features that allow them to adapt their device to their needs, and our latest devices are no exception. The Surface Laptop and Surface Pro are examples of how our inclusive design is creating better experiences for everyone.

Surface Laptop features the adaptive touch mode in the Surface Precision Haptic touchpad, the most inclusive touchpad on the market. We first launched the adaptive touch mode in the  Surface Laptop Studio 2, and now we are extending it to other products in the portfolio such as Laptop and Surface Pro Flex .

The Surface Precision Haptic touchpad empowers users with limited mobility and a wide range of dexterity capabilities to easily adjust the touchpad to their preference. Touchpads are difficult or impossible for people with limb differences, Cerebral l Palsy, or disabilities like arthritis given the touchpad in standard mode does not respond to limb different input.

With the precision haptic touchpad employees can now use the touchpad with different parts of their limbs, such as palms, feet, or even residual limbs. The software and haptic motors create realistic feedback when tapped or clicked, providing precise mouse control with imprecise contact. Haptic technology is revolutionizing the way we interact with our devices, and the Surface Precision Haptic touchpad is a top example of this innovation. By employing haptic motors, the touchpad delivers tactile feedback that simulates the sensation of physical clicks or taps, despite the touchpad itself remaining stationary.

This advanced technology creates viations that can be finely tuned to replicate a variety of textures and responses, providing users with a more intuitive and immersive experience. Users can easily turn on haptic settings in the Surface app with a simple toggle switch and customize the settings of the haptic touchpad to work for their specific needs. They can head to the Surface App, click on touchpad settings at the bottom of the list, and toggle Adaptive Touch on. With Adaptive Touch active, the touchpad responds to limb different input. Here, individuals can customize the touchpad settings to adjust the resize of the right click region, adjust the force required to register a click, and time between clicks to register a double click.

Additionally, Surface Pro, paired with the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard,1 transforms into the most inclusive 2-in-1 Surface device. The Surface Pro is lightweight and versatile. The kickstand allows for easy adjustment of the device’s angle and position for maximum comfort and convenience. This is a great benefit for users who need to accommodate the device to fit in different workspaces, for example, mounted to a wheelchair.2 Surface Pro’s adaptability enables users to use the device as a tablet with touch or pen input, which can be easier for some people than using a keyboard or a mouse. Surface Pro  also features high-quality microphones for dictation and multi-touch screens with digital ink for more natural and tactile interactions that enhance the accessibility experiences available in Windows 11.

Surface Pro Flex Keyboard: The most inclusive 2-in-1 keyboard

The Surface Pro Flex keyboard is another step forward into user-device interaction and inclusive design. The most inclusive 2-in-1 keyboard on the market today features the innovative precision haptic touchpad, attach and detach capabilities that give employees the flexibility to use their device and keyboard where it is most natural for them. Plus, options are available with bold keysets to make the keys more visible and easier to type. The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard3 with the optional bold keyset makes the keys easier to read, improving the readability of the keys and reducing eye strain.

Inclusive keyboard design: The optional bold keyset version of the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard 1,3 is a thoughtful addition that transforms the Surface Pro into a more inclusive 2-in-1 keyboard. The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard with bold keyset has subtle accessibility features such as larger and bold font, high contrast, and Surface Pro brighter backlighting illuminating the keys to improve visibility, especially in low-light environments that make the keys more visible and easier to type. The optional bold keyset is also available on the Surface Pro Keyboard with pen storage.
Flexibility that is most natural to you: The Surface Pro Flex Keyboard gives you the flexibility to use your keyboard separately from your device. 3 Empowering you to work more comfortably by having the freedom to place your device and keyboard where it is most natural for you.
Compatibility: Surface Pro Flex Keyboard is backwards compatible and works on your Surface Pro X/8/9/101 running Windows 11.

Elevate your productivity and creativity with Surface devices and Microsoft adaptive accessories

We’re also mindful of how we integrate our Surface devices with accessible accessories, Microsoft Copilot4 and Windows 11 accessibility features to create a complete Microsoft Accessibility solution.

The new Copilot+ PCs devices are inclusive of different work and input styles, empowering you to use your device in the most intuitive way to keep you in your flow. We all have different experiences, and preferences to interact with our devices. Some of us prefer to use touch gestures, typing and some of us like to use voice commands.  Whatever your preference, Surface and Windows have you covered. You can ink with the Slim Pen, use touch or voice commands to create content, navigate apps, and control settings in the way that’s most natural for you.

The new dedicated Copilot Key5 on your Surface Pro Flex and Surface Pro keyboard provides instant access to a suite of unique experiences in Windows 11. Employees can reduce the number of clicks or keystrokes needed to complete a task, a major benefit to users with limited mobility. A single key press can invoke Copilot’s features. When combined with voice input, this significantly reduces the physical effort and energy required to navigate menus, use shortcuts, or perform multiple clicks.

The Microsoft adaptive accessories are another way to interact with your device if you want to increase your productivity by replacing or augmenting a traditional mouse and keyboard. You can create customizable keyboard inputs via the Microsoft Adaptive Hub and Microsoft Adaptive Buttons, to interact with apps more easily in your device.

Statistics show that more than 2 billion people may require the use of assistive products by 2030.6 Microsoft’s adaptive accessories are among the products that are empowering users today to use their computers more easily and efficiently.

The Microsoft adaptive accessories have been available through Microsoft Online Stores for consumers since Fall 2022. We have heard positive feedback and excitement about these products from commercial customers. And this Spring, we made the Microsoft adaptive accessories available for our commercial customers through their preferred resellers.

The Microsoft adaptive accessories are a highly adaptable, easy-to-use accessories that lets you customize your own mouse, and augment your keyboard with button inputs, and shortcuts—empowering you to create your ideal setup, increase productivity, and use your favorite apps more effectively.  Plus, you can have extra customization with additional 3D print designs through Shapeways.7

One of the biggest benefits of adaptive accessories is that they are wireless, setting them apart from other assistive tech on the market today. The wireless option and the lightweight and slim design of the adaptive accessories make them very portable.

Microsoft adaptive accessories work with any Windows device that has Bluetooth, giving you more options and flexibility. The Adaptive Mouse and Adaptive Hub are easy to pair up to three devices. as your device, giving employees the flexibility to take them wherever they work.

The Microsoft Adaptive Mouse empowers you to customize your mouse by attaching the first-party Microsoft Adaptive Mouse Tail and Thumb Support for a traditional mouse experience, which can be switched for left-handed users. Alternatively, you can further customize the Adaptive mouse with 3D printed tails, available through Shapeways,7 and personalized it to your changing needs. The Adaptive Mouse is light and small, making it a perfect compact travel mouse.

To learn more, see How to use Microsoft Adaptive Mouse.

Next, we have the Microsoft Adaptive Hub and Adaptive Buttons, designed to replace or augment traditional keyboards. Employees can program the adaptive hub and buttons and use shortcuts and sequence macros to more easily interact or open apps. The Adaptive Buttons have eight button clicks underneath that can each be configured to perform an action allowing you to interact with the apps and settings more easily in your device. For example, sending emails, writing documents, gaming, or editing pictures in Photoshop can be done more easily with the press of a single button.

The Adaptive Buttons come in three different options that are sold separately: the Microsoft Adaptive D-pad button offers a button topper with an eight-button layout. The Microsoft Adaptive Joystick button is a digital joystick that uses a joystick steam to interact with the button options. Finally, the Microsoft Adaptive Dual button offers a button topper with a scroll up and down layout. In addition to our Microsoft adaptive buttons, the Adaptive Hub has five 3.5mm audio jack ports that allow you to connect to up to five external buttons or standard assistive tech switches, giving you the flexibility to expand your PC set up.

To learn more about the Microsoft Adaptive Hub and the Microsoft Adaptive Buttons, see Adaptive accessories help & learning (microsoft.com).

Microsoft’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility is evident in the design and development of our latest products. The introduction of Surface Laptop and Surface Pro, along with the Surface Pro Flex keyboard, showcases a dedication to creating solutions that cater to the needs of all users. The Surface Pro Flex keyboard with bold keyset, and the adaptive touch mode in the precision haptic touchpad reflect our inclusive design based in the diversity of our users, enabling individuals to interact with their devices in a most natural and comfortable way.

The integration of Copilot4 with Surface devices and Windows 11 further enhances the user experience, offering users one full Microsoft Accessibility solution. Microsoft’s journey of learning from people with disabilities and putting them at the center of the design process is a testament to the belief that technology should empower everyone.

As we look forward to the Spring release of these accessible solutions, it is clear that Microsoft is not only creating innovative technology but is thoughtfully considering how each feature can contribute to a more inclusive world providing users with the tools they need to work, learn, play, and communicate in the way that suits them best.

References

1. Surface Pro Flex keyboard and Surface Pro are sold separately.

2. Device mount required, sold separately.

3. Surface Pro Flex keyboard with bold keyset available only in US English layout.

4. Commercial: Copilot in Windows is rolling out gradually in preview within the latest update to Windows 11 in select global markets. To use Copilot with commercial data protection, see Your AI-powered chat for the Web with commercial data protection | Microsoft Copilot.

5. Use with supported devices; functionality varies by device and market, see aka.ms/WindowsAIFeatures.

6. Acumen Research and Consulting. Elderly and Disabled Assistive Devices Market Size Valued at $22,439 Million in 2021.

7. 3D print services provided and warrantied exclusively by Shapeways, Inc. subject to Shapeways Sales Terms and Conditions and Warranty. at: aka.ms/ShapewaysTermsConditions. Microsoft is not responsible for their performance or compliance with applicable regulatory, compliance, safety or any other requirements.

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Introduction

Microsoft Entra ID Tenant is a cloud-based identity and access management service that helps you manage your organization’s users, devices, applications, and resources[1]. It is a powerful and flexible solution that enables you to securely connect your employees, customers, and partners to the digital resources they need, while protecting your organization from unauthorized access and identity threats. In this guide, you will learn the basics of Microsoft Entra ID Tenant, how to access and use it, how to manage licenses for different Microsoft products and services, and how to address some common challenges and scenarios related to identity management and licensing.

What is Microsoft Entra ID Tenant?

Microsoft Entra ID Tenant is the new name for Azure Active Directory, the cloud-based identity and access management service that is part of the Microsoft cloud platform[2]. Microsoft Entra ID Tenant is more than just a directory service, it is a comprehensive identity platform that provides a range of features and capabilities, such as[3]:

User management: You can create and manage user accounts, either manually, through bulk import, or by synchronizing with your on-premises Active Directory. You can also assign roles and permissions to users, either directly or through groups, to control their access to resources and tasks.
Authentication and authorization: You can enable single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for your users, to simplify and secure their login experience[4]. You can also use conditional access policies to enforce context-aware and risk-based access rules, such as requiring MFA for certain locations, devices, or applications.
Application management: You can register and manage applications that use Microsoft Entra ID Tenant as their identity provider, either Microsoft or third-party applications[5]. You can also integrate with other identity providers, such as social media accounts, to allow your users to sign in with their existing credentials.
Identity protection: You can monitor and detect suspicious activities and identity risks, such as compromised credentials, sign-in anomalies, or malicious attacks[6]. You can also use identity governance features, such as access reviews, entitlement management, and privileged identity management, to ensure that your users have the right level of access at the right time[7].
Identity and access management (IAM) for developers: You can use Microsoft Entra ID Tenant as a platform to build secure and scalable applications that leverage the Microsoft identity ecosystem. You can use various tools and protocols, such as Microsoft Graph, OpenID Connect, OAuth 2.0, and SAML, to integrate with Microsoft Entra ID Tenant and access its APIs and data[8].

Microsoft Entra ID Tenant is the foundation of Microsoft 365, Azure, and Dynamics 365, and it also supports other Microsoft products and services, such as Power Platform, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint. By using Microsoft Entra ID Tenant, you can benefit from a unified and consistent identity experience across the Microsoft cloud, as well as a seamless integration with other cloud and on-premises solutions.

How to access Microsoft Entra ID Tenant?

You can access Microsoft Entra ID Tenant through three different portals, depending on your needs and preferences. These are:

The Microsoft 365 admin center: This is the main hub for managing your Microsoft 365 subscription, including users, groups, billing, and security[9]. You can use this portal to perform basic identity and access management tasks, such as creating and managing user accounts, assigning licenses, enabling SSO and MFA, and configuring domains and applications[10]. You can access the Microsoft 365 admin center at https://admin.microsoft.com
The Azure portal: This is the main hub for managing your Azure resources, including virtual machines, databases, storage, and networking[11]. You can use this portal to perform advanced identity and access management tasks, such as creating and managing custom roles, setting up conditional access policies, registering and managing applications, and using identity protection and governance features. You can access the Azure portal at https://portal.azure.com
The Entra admin center: This is the main hub for managing your Entra ID Tenant settings, including domains, applications, identity providers, and policies. You can use this portal to perform specific identity and access management tasks, such as adding and verifying domains, configuring SSO and MFA settings, managing application registrations and permissions, and configuring identity provider settings. You can access the Entra ID Tenant portal at https://entra.microsoft.com

To access any of these portals, you need to have a user account in your Entra ID Tenant, and you need to have the appropriate role and permission to perform the tasks you want to do[12]. You can sign in to any of these portals using your Entra ID Tenant credentials, which are usually in the format of username@domain.com, where domain.com is the domain name of your Entra ID Tenant. You can also use your Microsoft account, if you have one, to sign in to the Azure portal or the Entra ID Tenant portal, as long as your Microsoft account is associated with your Entra ID Tenant.

How to manage licenses with Microsoft Entra ID Tenant?

Microsoft Entra ID Tenant allows you to manage licenses for different Microsoft products and services that your organization uses. Licenses are the way that Microsoft charges you for using its cloud services, and they also determine the features and capabilities that you and your users can access. There are two types of licenses that you need to be aware of:

Office licenses: These are the licenses that enable you to use the Microsoft 365 suite of products and services, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. There are different plans and editions of Microsoft 365, such as E3 and E5, that offer different levels of functionality and security[13]. You can assign Office licenses to your users individually or in bulk, or you can use group-based licensing to automatically assign licenses to members of a group. You can also view and manage your Office license inventory, usage, and expiration, and purchase or cancel licenses as needed. You can use the Microsoft 365 admin center to manage Office licenses.
Entra ID Tenant licenses: These are the licenses that enable you to use the Microsoft Entra ID Tenant features and capabilities, such as conditional access, identity protection, identity governance, and IAM for developers. There are different plans and editions of Entra ID Tenant, such as free, P1, P2, and Entra ID Governance, that offer different levels of functionality and security[14]. You can assign Entra ID Tenant licenses to your users individually or in bulk, or you can use group-based licensing to automatically assign licenses to members of a group. You can also view and manage your Entra ID Tenant license inventory, usage, and expiration, and purchase or cancel licenses as needed. You can use the Azure portal or the Entra ID Tenant portal to manage Entra ID Tenant licenses.

It is important to note that Office licenses and Entra ID Tenant licenses are separate and independent from each other, and they have different pricing and billing models. You can have users who have only Office licenses, only Entra ID Tenant licenses, both, or neither. You can also have different combinations of Office and Entra ID Tenant licenses, depending on your needs and preferences. For example, you can have users who have Microsoft 365 E3 and Entra ID Tenant P1 licenses, or users who have Microsoft 365 E5 and Entra ID Tenant free licenses. You can also have users who have no Office licenses, but have Entra ID Tenant P2 licenses, or users who have no Entra ID Tenant licenses, but have Office licenses.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of having a multi-tenant setup?

A multi-tenant setup is when you have more than one Entra ID Tenant in your organization, and you use them to manage different sets of users, devices, applications, and resources. For example, you might have a main Entra ID Tenant for your corporate users and resources, and a separate Entra ID Tenant for your external partners and customers[15]. You might also have multiple Entra ID Tenants for different regions, divisions, or subsidiaries of your organization.

There are some benefits and drawbacks of having a multi-tenant setup, and you need to weigh them carefully before deciding whether to use it or not.

Some of the benefits are:

Increased isolation and security: You can use different Entra ID Tenants to isolate and protect different sets of users, devices, applications, and resources from each other, and to enforce different security policies and controls for each Entra ID Tenant. For example, you can use different MFA and conditional access settings for your corporate and external users, or you can use different identity protection and governance features for your different regions, divisions, or subsidiaries.
Increased flexibility and customization: You can use different Entra ID Tenants to tailor and customize different sets of users, devices, applications, and resources to meet your specific needs and preferences. For example, you can use different domains, applications, identity providers, and policies for each Entra ID Tenant, or you can use different plans and editions of Entra ID Tenant for each Entra ID Tenant.
Increased scalability and performance: You can use different Entra ID Tenants to scale and optimize different sets of users, devices, applications, and resources to handle different workloads and demands. For example, you can use different regions, availability zones, and service levels for each Entra ID Tenant, or you can use different resource quotas and limits for each Entra ID Tenant.

Some of the drawbacks are:

Increased complexity and overhead: You have to manage and maintain multiple Entra ID Tenants, which can increase the complexity and overhead of your identity and access management tasks. For example, you have to create and manage user accounts, assign licenses, register and manage applications, and configure settings and policies for each Entra ID Tenant, and you have to keep track of the different Entra ID Tenants and their relationships and dependencies.
Increased cost and inefficiency: You have to pay for and use multiple Entra ID Tenants, which can increase the cost and inefficiency of your identity and access management tasks. For example, you have to purchase and assign licenses, allocate and consume resources, and monitor and troubleshoot issues for each Entra ID Tenant, and you might have to deal with license and resource wastage, duplication, and inconsistency across different Entra ID Tenants.
Decreased user experience and collaboration: You have to use multiple Entra ID Tenants, which can decrease the user experience and collaboration of your identity and access management tasks. For example, you have to sign in and switch between different Entra ID Tenants, use different credentials and profiles, and access different applications and resources for each Entra ID Tenant, and you might have to deal with login and access issues, confusion, and frustration across different Entra ID Tenants.

How to best handle identities and access across tenants?

If you have a multi-tenant setup, you might need to handle identities and access across different Entra ID Tenants, depending on your scenarios and requirements. For example, you might need to allow your users to access applications and resources in different Entra ID Tenants, or you might need to share your applications and resources with users in different Entra ID Tenants. There are different ways to handle identities and access across tenants, and you need to choose the best one for your situation. Some of the ways are:

Guest users: You can invite users from other Entra ID Tenants to be guest users in your Entra ID Tenant, and you can assign them roles and permissions to access your applications and resources[16]. Guest users can use their own credentials and profiles to sign in to your Entra ID Tenant, and they can use SSO and MFA to access your applications and resources. Guest users can also use their own licenses and subscriptions to access your applications and resources, or you can assign them your licenses and subscriptions, depending on your settings and preferences. You can use the Azure portal or the Entra ID Tenant portal to invite and manage guest users.
B2B collaboration: You can use the business-to-business (B2B) collaboration feature of Entra ID Tenant to enable cross-tenant collaboration and access for your users and applications. B2B collaboration allows you to establish trust relationships between different Entra ID Tenants, and to use federation and SSO to enable seamless and secure access for your users and applications[17]. B2B collaboration also allows you to use conditional access and identity protection to enforce context-aware and risk-based access rules for your users and applications. You can use the Azure portal or the Entra ID Tenant portal to enable and manage B2B collaboration.

Figure 1 Securing the Future of B2B Collaboration: A Visual Representation of Enhanced Security Measures in Workforce and Business Partner Interactions

B2C identity: You can use the business-to-consumer (B2C) identity feature of Entra ID Tenant to enable cross-tenant identity and access for your customers and partners. B2C identity allows you to create and manage user accounts for your customers and partners in your Entra ID Tenant, and to use various identity providers, such as social media accounts, to allow them to sign in with their existing credentials[18]. B2C identity also allows you to use user flows and custom policies to customize and control the user experience and access for your customers and partners. You can use the Azure portal or the Entra ID Tenant portal to enable and manage B2C identity.
Azure Lighthouse: You can use the Azure Lighthouse feature of Azure to enable cross-tenant management and access for your resources and services. Azure Lighthouse allows you to delegate and manage access to your resources and services across different Entra ID Tenants, and to use a single pane of glass to view and manage your resources and services across different Entra ID Tenants[19]. Azure Lighthouse also allows you to use role-based access control (RBAC) and Azure Policy to enforce granular and consistent access rules for your resources and services. You can use the Azure portal or the Azure Lighthouse portal to enable and manage Azure Lighthouse.

Figure 2 Navigating the Azure Lighthouse: A Comprehensive Illustration of Multitenant Management, Delineating the Foundation, Control Plane, Options and Emerging Scenarios

Summary

In this guide, we have introduced the key concepts and features of Microsoft Entra ID Tenant, a cloud-based identity and access management service that helps you manage your organization’s users, devices, applications, and resources. We have explained the purpose and benefits of using Entra ID Tenant, the identity fundamentals, the trust relationships between Entra ID Tenant and Azure subscriptions, the licensing model for Entra ID Tenant, the benefits and drawbacks of having a multi-tenant setup, and the best practices for handling identities and access across tenants. We have also shown how to get a new tenant and how to use Azure Lighthouse to manage multiple tenants. We hope this guide has helped you understand and appreciate the power and flexibility of Microsoft Entra ID Tenant.

References

[1] What is Microsoft Entra ID? – Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn

[2] New name for Azure Active Directory – Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn

[3] Introduction to identity – Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn

[4] Authentication vs. authorization – Microsoft identity platform | Microsoft Learn

[5] Manage access to apps – Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn

[6] What is Microsoft Entra ID Protection? – Microsoft Entra ID Protection | Microsoft Learn

[7] Microsoft Entra ID Governance – Microsoft Entra ID Governance | Microsoft Learn

[8] What is identity and access management (IAM)? – Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn

[9] Microsoft 365 admin center – Overview – Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

[10] Microsoft Entra setup guides – Microsoft 365 admin | Microsoft Learn

[11] What is the Azure portal? – Azure portal | Microsoft Learn

[12] Microsoft Entra built-in roles – Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn

[13] Compare Office 365 Enterprise Pricing and Plans | Microsoft 365

[14] Microsoft Entra ID licensing – Microsoft Entra | Microsoft Learn

[15] Multitenant organization capabilities in Microsoft Entra ID – Microsoft Entra ID | Microsoft Learn

[16] Quickstart: Add a guest user and send an invitation – Microsoft Entra External ID | Microsoft Learn

[17] Overview – External ID in workforce tenants – Microsoft Entra External ID | Microsoft Learn

[18] What is Azure Active Directory B2C? | Microsoft Learn

[19] What is Azure Lighthouse? – Azure Lighthouse | Microsoft Learn

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