The state of apps by Microsoft identity

Azure AD app gallery apps that powered the way we work, learn and collaborate in 2020

2020 was an unprecedented year, to say the least. The COVID19 global pandemic drastically changed how we work, learn, and collaborate. Organizations had to find new ways to connect and maintain productivity while providing secure access to critical apps and resources. Our own Microsoft services, like Teams, served as the lifeline for remote and hybrid work and learning during the pandemic – growing rapidly from 44 million daily active users in March 2020 to 115 million daily active users this past October. But we know that businesses need many tools and apps to succeed, and our commitment is to ensure that solutions work seamlessly and securely across platforms and extend to all clouds and apps.

Recently, we analyzed enterprise cloud app usage and took a deeper look on how and what applications organizations are securing with Azure AD. In our analysis we looked at organizations’ application usage within our Azure AD app gallery, excluding Microsoft applications such as Azure, Dynamics, Office 365, and Teams. Our Azure AD app gallery enables organizations to quickly secure and manage apps of all types and includes thousands of pre-integrated apps. We’re seeing customers of all sizes integrate all their apps with Azure AD to give their workforce a more convenient and secure experience. Read on for insights into how app usage shifted in 2020 compared to the years prior.

The rise of security and collaboration apps to enable remote work

The challenges of 2020 forced leaders to rethink their priorities to ensure their teams can securely access apps from anywhere, anytime. The statistics reflect this. For example, the number of monthly active users of Azure AD app gallery apps has increased 109 percent year-over-year. And last year, when Microsoft surveyed 800 business leaders about their views of the pandemic threat landscape, they listed “Providing secure remote access to resources, apps, and data” as their #1 challenge.

Download the report to find out more.