{"id":43365,"date":"2023-12-11T11:25:52","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T16:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?p=43365"},"modified":"2023-12-11T11:25:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T16:25:53","slug":"rethink-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/blog\/rethink-ad","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s Time to Rethink Your AD Setup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a nearly 25-year-old tool, Microsoft Active Directory<\/a> (AD) has remained a persistent component of many SMEs. And as a Microsoft product and a core infrastructure component, it tends to put down stubborn roots. For IT teams, it can be easier to ignore or work around AD\u2019s faults than to confront the idea of modernizing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But AD has not sufficiently modernized to meet the modern business\u2019s needs on its own, and the longer you leave it unattended, the more its issues will compound. For many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), AD is restrictive and unwieldy. In addition, managing legacy technology is expensive and doesn\u2019t offer SMEs modern, cloud-based security. As cost-efficiency, security, and supporting decentralized work are poised to top SMEs\u2019 priority lists in 2024, IT teams can\u2019t afford to ignore these shortcomings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, modernizing AD isn\u2019t as hard as it may seem. There are many paths SMEs can take to modernize their AD instance. Making a change might be easier than you think \u2014 and the benefits may surprise you. Read on to learn how and why to modernize AD in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Modernize AD?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many SMEs don\u2019t realize how much an outdated AD setup can affect their business, from flexibility to security to cost-effectiveness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flexibility and Productivity <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In general, AD can be rigid, tedious and hard to navigate. This is due to a few factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n