Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
Just-in-time elevation for Azure and Entra roles, bundled in Microsoft 365 E5 and Entra ID P2
Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) is the just-in-time elevation control bundled with Microsoft 365 E5 and Entra ID P2. PIM covers Azure RBAC roles, Entra directory roles, Azure resource roles and Privileged Access Groups with approval workflow, access reviews and audit logging. For UAE customers already on E5 or Entra ID P2, PIM is a strong starting point for Azure / Entra privilege governance at zero or near-zero incremental licence cost. It is not a replacement for a full PAM platform — most regulated buyers pair Entra PIM with CyberArk Privilege Cloud or Self-Hosted.
Bundling
Included in M365 E5 / Entra ID P2
Scope
Azure RBAC, Entra directory roles, Azure resources
Best for
Azure-centric estates already on E5 / Entra ID P2
Typical pairing
CyberArk for non-Azure privileged scope
Why it wins
What makes Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) a serious option
Zero or near-zero incremental licence cost
If you are already on Microsoft 365 E5 or Entra ID P2, PIM is bundled. No additional vendor relationship to procure, no separate SKU, no parallel infrastructure to operate.
Just-in-time elevation for Azure / Entra roles
PIM grants Azure RBAC and Entra directory role membership on a time-bound, approval-gated basis. Standing admin rights become eligible-but-not-active assignments, dramatically reducing standing privilege in the Microsoft estate.
Built-in approval and justification flows
Role elevation requires justification, optional MFA challenge and optional approver workflow. All events flow into the Entra audit log and into Sentinel for SOC visibility.
Recurring access reviews for privileged roles
Access Reviews drive recurring attestation of privileged role membership — useful for SOX, NESA and NCA ECC audit posture in Microsoft-centric estates.
Time-bound membership for sensitive Entra groups
PIM for Groups extends just-in-time elevation to membership of sensitive Entra groups — useful for Conditional Access exclusions, break-glass groups and high-privilege resource access patterns.
Who should put Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) on the shortlist
UAE customers already on Microsoft 365 E5 or Entra ID P2 contracts
Azure-centric estates where Microsoft is the dominant cloud and identity provider
Organisations needing just-in-time elevation for Azure RBAC and Entra directory roles
SME and mid-market customers without the full privileged surface that needs CyberArk-tier PAM
Buyers pairing PIM with CyberArk or Delinea for non-Azure privileged scope
Customers wanting a fast PAM quick-win without adding a new vendor to the contract estate
Microsoft-centric government and educational institutions standardised on the M365 stack
Product portfolio
Modules we deploy and manage
Picking the right SKU is as important as picking the right vendor. We size by privileged-user count, machine-identity surface, audit obligations and sovereignty posture, not by brochure tier.
What to consider
The honest watch-outs
Every platform has trade-offs. We would rather raise these now than have you discover them three months into a deployment.
Not a full PAM platform
PIM covers Azure and Entra. It does not vault SSH, Linux, network device or database credentials and does not record privileged sessions outside Azure. Most regulated UAE buyers pair Entra PIM with CyberArk Privilege Cloud or Self-Hosted for the wider privileged surface.
No session recording outside Azure
PIM logs elevation events but does not record session content. For audit obligations that require session recording across the full privileged surface (banks under SAMA, ministries under NESA), pair PIM with a Leader-tier PAM platform.
Requires Entra ID P2 prerequisites
PIM features depend on Entra ID P2 licensing (which is bundled inside E5 and Entra Suite). E3 / Business Premium customers must upgrade or buy Entra ID P2 separately.
Why Artiflex IT
Delivering Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) across the UAE
Artiflex IT delivers Microsoft Entra PIM as part of Azure / Entra security baselines for UAE customers already invested in M365 E5 or Entra Suite. Our team has hands-on experience with PIM rollouts, Privileged Access Groups, Conditional Access alignment and Sentinel telemetry. We are equally honest about PIM's scope: for regulated estates needing full PAM, we recommend pairing with CyberArk Privilege Cloud or Self-Hosted.
Frequently asked
Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM) questions we hear from UAE buyers
For Microsoft-centric SME and mid-market estates without significant non-Azure privileged scope — often yes. For regulated UAE banks, ministries and enterprises with SSH, Linux, network device and database admin scope, PIM is one component of a wider PAM picture and is typically paired with CyberArk Privilege Cloud or Self-Hosted.
Yes. PIM is gated by Entra ID P2 (bundled in M365 E5 and Entra Suite). E3 / Business Premium customers must upgrade or add Entra ID P2 separately to unlock PIM features.
Yes. PIM for Azure Resources extends just-in-time elevation to Azure RBAC at the subscription, resource group and resource level, in addition to Entra directory roles. Useful for hardening Azure landing-zone privileged access.
PIM governs Azure / Entra role elevation; CyberArk or Delinea governs the wider privileged surface (SSH, Linux, network devices, databases, machine identities). The two products complement rather than overlap. Many UAE banks run PIM for the Microsoft estate and CyberArk for the rest of the privileged surface.
Ready to evaluate Microsoft Entra Privileged Identity Management (PIM)?
Free PAM assessment, vendor-neutral sizing, and a written recommendation. We will tell you when another vendor is the better fit.