Microsoft 365 User Templates vs. EasyEntra Virtual User Templates
User provisioning is one of the most critical tasks in any IT organization. Getting it right means new employees are productive from day one. Getting it wrong means frustrated users, security gaps, and wasted IT time.
Both Microsoft 365 and EasyEntra offer template-based solutions to standardize and automate user creation. But they work very differently. Understanding these differences is essential for choosing the right solution for your organization.
Understanding Microsoft 365 User Templates
Microsoft 365 User Templates are Microsoft’s built-in solution for standardizing user creation. They allow you to capture basic user settings – basic profile information, licensing, and domain settings – and apply them to new users during creation.
The concept is simple: create a template, and then use that template to create new users with the same basic settings. This eliminates the need to manually enter the same information repeatedly for each new hire.
Microsoft 365 User Templates work in the Microsoft 365 admin center only and are designed for organizations that need basic standardization without automation requirements.
Understanding EasyEntra Virtual User Templates
EasyEntra Virtual User Templates take the template concept much further. They are “virtual” objects that capture not just basic user settings, but the entire user provisioning workflow – from user identity generation to mailbox configuration, group memberships, organizational information and much more.
EasyEntra Virtual User Templates are designed for organizations that need comprehensive automation across multiple Microsoft 365 services. They support naming conventions, automatic user identity generation, group membership automation, deep mailbox configuration, and even hybrid Active Directory environments.
The key difference: Microsoft 365 User Templates are good for basic manual user creation. EasyEntra Virtual User Templates enable automation and advanced configuration of the user object.
Side-by-Side Comparison: What Each Template Can Capture
User Identity and Profile Information
| Attribute | Microsoft 365 User Templates | EasyEntra Virtual User Templates |
|---|---|---|
| User Identity and Profile Information | ||
| Domain | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Username (UPN) | ❌ Manual entry required | ✅ Automatic generation |
| Display Name | ✅ Generated from First and Last Name | ✅ Automatic generation |
| First Name | ❌ Manual entry required | ✅ Automatic generation |
| Last Name | ❌ Manual entry required | ✅ Automatic generation |
| Profile Picture | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Can be set during provisioning) |
| Password Settings | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| One-Time Password | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Organizational and Contact Information | ||
| Job Title | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Department | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Company | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Office | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Manager | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Direct Reports | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Employee ID | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Can be set during provisioning) |
| Employee Type | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Employee Hire Date | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (Can be set during provisioning) |
| Office Phone | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Mobile Phone | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Street Address | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| City | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| State/Province | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| ZIP or Postal Code | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Country/Region | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Licensing and Applications | ||
| Direct License Assignment | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| License Usage Location | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Application/Service Plans | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Group-Based Licensing | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Email and Mailbox Configuration | ||
| Primary Email Address | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Additional Email Aliases | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mail Nickname | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mailbox Type | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (User, Shared, Room, Equipment) |
| Email Forwarding | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Auto-Reply Message | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Delivery Restrictions | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mailbox Delegation (Send As) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mailbox Delegation (Send On Behalf) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mailbox Delegation (Full Access) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mailbox Archive | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Litigation Hold | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Regional Settings | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Localize Outlook Folders | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Calendar Delegation/Permissions | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Group Memberships | ||
| Distribution Lists | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Security Groups | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Microsoft 365 Groups | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Mail-Enabled Security Groups | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Active Directory Groups | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Dynamic Groups | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Hybrid and Advanced Features | ||
| On-Premises AD Synchronization | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Custom Attributes | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| PowerShell/Scripting Support | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| HR System Integration | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Which Do You Need?
Microsoft 365 User Templates offer a starting point for standardization, but they are not a true automation solution. They require manual data entry for user identities and lack the ability to automate group memberships, configure mailboxes, or support hybrid Active Directory environments.
For organizations seeking to fully automate user creation, EasyEntra Virtual User Templates are the definitive solution. EasyEntra handles everything from automatic user identity generation and group assignments to deep mailbox configuration and hybrid AD support. It’s designed for businesses that want to eliminate manual work, scale their onboarding process, and deploy new users in seconds, not hours.
How to Create an EasyEntra Virtual User Template
Creating an EasyEntra Virtual User Template is simple and takes just seconds. Here’s the process:
- Right-click an existing user that matches your template requirements and select “Create Template.”
- Name your template (e.g., “Sales Representative – US”) and add a description.
- Review all the user settings you want for the template, including:
– User Identity naming convention formats (UPN, email, aliases)
– Profile and Organizational Information (department, job title, manager, address, etc.)
– Microsoft 365 Licensing
– Active Directory and Cloud Group Memberships
– Mailbox settings
– Calendar permissions - Save your template – it’s now ready to use.
Watch this video to see the template creation process in action:
How to Create an EasyEntra Virtual User Template
How to Deploy New Users from an EasyEntra Virtual Template
Once you’ve created a template, deploying new users is incredibly fast – typically 30 seconds per user. Here’s how:
- Open EasyEntra and right-click your template, then select “Create User.”
- Enter the user’s display name. All other settings will be automatically generated based on the selected template.
- Review (if needed) all the settings that will be applied from the template:
– Microsoft 365 licenses
– Groups
– Mailbox configuration
– Profile and organizational information - Click “Create” – the user will be fully provisioned and ready to use in seconds.
Watch this video to see user deployment from a template in action:
How to Create a User from an EasyEntra Virtual User Template
Learn More About EasyEntra Virtual Templates
Ready to see EasyEntra Virtual Templates in action? Watch our comprehensive webinar where we demonstrate template creation, user deployment, and real-world use cases:
Nine-minute webinar on working with EasyEntra Virtual Templates
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