Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) E3/E5

Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) E3/E5
Name	Enterprise Mobility + Security E3/E5
Developer	Microsoft
Released	2014
Latest release version	E5 (subscription)
Operating system	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
Website	Microsoft

Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) E3/E5 Enterprise Mobility + Security E3/E5 are commercial subscription suites developed by Microsoft that bundle identity, access, device management, and information protection capabilities for enterprises. The suites position themselves within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem alongside Office 365 and Windows 10 (now Windows 11) offerings and are marketed toward organizations requiring centralized Azure Active Directory management, mobile device management, and advanced threat protection. EMS E3 and E5 differ mainly in advanced analytics, threat protection, and licensing rights.

Overview

EMS E3/E5 originated from Microsoft's consolidation of products such as Intune, Azure Active Directory, and Microsoft Identity Manager into a single commercial offering, aligning with strategic directions set out by Satya Nadella’s leadership and the cloud-first transition seen in industry shifts toward Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. The suites aim to provide unified controls over corporate identity, device posture, application access, and data protection to support remote work trends highlighted by events like the COVID-19 pandemic and regulatory contexts including the General Data Protection Regulation.

Licensing and Editions

Licensing for EMS E3/E5 is subscription-based and sold per user, comparable to licensing models used for Office 365 and Microsoft 365 Business SKUs. E3 is positioned as a mid-tier SKU offering core identity and management, while E5 adds advanced threat protection and analytics similar to how Windows 10 Enterprise E3 and Windows 10 Enterprise E5 relate. Organizations with enterprise agreements through Microsoft Volume Licensing or partners such as Accenture and Deloitte often negotiate enterprise-wide deployments and price tiers. SKU mapping and add-ons interact with entitlements from Enterprise Agreement and cloud solution providers like Rackspace.

Core Components and Features

Key components include Azure Active Directory Premium (P1/P2), Microsoft Intune, Azure Information Protection, and Microsoft Cloud App Security. Azure AD controls single sign-on to applications like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Workday, while Intune manages devices running iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows 10. Azure Information Protection implements labeling interoperable with SharePoint and Exchange Server, and Cloud App Security monitors shadow IT alongside integrations for Box, Dropbox, and Google Workspace.

Security and Compliance Capabilities

EMS E3/E5 provides conditional access, multi-factor authentication, identity protection, mobile application management, and data loss prevention. E5 augments these with advanced features such as Microsoft Defender for Identity (formerly Azure Advanced Threat Protection), risk-based conditional access from Azure AD Identity Protection, and cloud access security broker capabilities in Microsoft Cloud App Security comparable to third-party vendors like Netskope and Palo Alto Networks. Compliance workflows integrate with standards referenced by ISO/IEC 27001 and frameworks used in HIPAA compliance and SOC 2 reporting.

Integration with Microsoft 365 and Azure

EMS E3/E5 interoperate tightly with Microsoft 365 suites, extending identity and protection controls across Office 365 Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive for Business. Integration with Azure Active Directory enables conditional access policies that leverage signals from Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Azure Sentinel for security orchestration, while Azure Information Protection labels persist across content stored in Azure Blob Storage or processed by Power BI.

Deployment and Management

Deployment typically leverages Microsoft Endpoint Manager—the unified management plane that merges Intune and System Center Configuration Manager—supporting co-management scenarios and migration paths from on-premises solutions like Active Directory Federation Services and Group Policy. Management includes enrollment of corporate and BYOD devices, provisioning via Autopilot, application deployment through Microsoft Store for Business, and policy assignment coordinated with identity governance tools such as Azure AD Privileged Identity Management.

Comparison: E3 vs E5

E3 includes Azure AD Premium P1, Intune, and Azure Information Protection Plan 1, providing conditional access, device management, and basic information protection. E5 upgrades Azure AD to Premium P2, includes advanced identity protection and threat detection from Microsoft Defender for Identity, and bundles Cloud App Security and advanced analytics similar to functionality in Microsoft Defender for Office 365. The difference mirrors comparisons between Office 365 E3 and Office 365 E5 where E5 adds analytics, threat protection, and PSTN-related communications features.

Adoption, Licensing Costs, and Licensing Guidance

Adoption patterns vary across sectors represented by customers such as Accenture, Coca-Cola, and BP implementing cloud identity and device management at scale. Licensing cost decisions depend on user risk profiles and required capabilities; enterprises often perform cost-benefit analyses comparing EMS E3 plus add-ons versus EMS E5 flat licensing, referencing procurement routes through Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider partners, volume discounts under Enterprise Agreement, or consumption-based models used in public cloud procurement. Guidance typically recommends mapping business requirements—identity protection, information protection, endpoint detection—against SKU features and considering hybrid transition paths from legacy tools like IBM Tivoli or Symantec.

Category:Microsoft services