From ADFS to Entra: how IS4U supported Sanoma’s IAM upgrade
Sanoma, the largest media group in Finland and one of the most important education publisher in Europa, reached out to IS4U to transition their existing software (ADFS) to Microsoft’s Entra software.
Luckily, our experienced Entra-architect, Wouter Landuyt, was up for to tackle this challenge.
The entra way
Sanoma is an innovative and agile learning and media company.
The company has media businesses in Finland and an education business in twelve European countries, including Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Italy and Spain.
Sanoma previously relied on Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) to manage secure logins. While this setup was reliable, it required a lot of internal infrastructure, ongoing maintenance, and dedicated IT resources to keep everything running smoothly. By migrating to Microsoft Entra, Sanoma made the switch to a fully cloud-based solution.
The Entra platform is a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution. It operates in the Cloud and offers authentication and authorization services to various Microsoft services such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.
“The depth of applicable knowledge and the flexibility that Wouter and the entire IS4U team provided were truly outstanding. Their expertise proved invaluable, significantly simplifying our path and enabling us to successfully achieve the desired outcome.”
Dimitri Goos,
Chief Information Security Officer at Sanoma
From decision to execution: how the migration unfolded
The project began with an initial analysis to assess whether it was more advantageous for Sanoma to continue using its existing ADFS environment or to migrate to Microsoft Entra. Due to Entra’s simplified management, cloud-native architecture, and seamless integration with other Microsoft solutions, it quickly emerged as the most suitable option.
Once the strategic decisions were made, the technical migration was initiated. Several key business applications were transitioned to Microsoft Entra, each requiring a specific Single Sign-On (SSO) configuration. While many applications adhere to common standards, subtle differences often require custom configuration and thorough testing.
The migration process was carried out in close collaboration with Sanoma’s internal project management team. This cooperation ensured effective planning, smooth communication, and timely coordination across all stakeholders. The technical team focused on preparation, troubleshooting, and comprehensive documentation, aiming to minimize any impact on daily operations.
The project benefited greatly from the strong partnership and open communication between all parties involved, contributing to a smooth and successful migration.
The benefits of Entra software
Less maintenance
Because Entra is fully managed in the cloud, Sanoma no longer has to worry about maintaining servers or doing manual updates. It’s done for them.
Stronger security
With Cloud built-in features like real-time monitoring, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and smart threat detection, their security is top tier.
Reduced costs
Since Entra is a Cloud-based software, you have access to a complete ecosystem of tools with one license.
Conclusion: the Cloud matters
For Sanoma, moving identity management to the cloud was more than just a technical upgrade — it was a strategic move. With Microsoft Entra, they reduced their reliance on internal infrastructure, improved security, and gained the flexibility to grow and innovate.
Supported by IS4U, the migration shows how modern, cloud-native platforms can simplify operations and lower costs. Sanoma is now better equipped to focus on what matters most: delivering top-quality media and education across Europe.
Do you want to know what a cloud migration could mean for your business? Let’s talk.
