The verdict in three sentences
For a 900-employee clinic group in Berlin already on Microsoft 365, a custom intranet with Microsoft Entra ID SSO costs EUR 30,000 to 60,000 in 2026, above the EUR 20,000 to 45,000 seen in Montpellier because of higher Berlin day rates and stricter works council requirements. An off-the-shelf intranet costs EUR 5 to 8 per user per month, i.e. EUR 54,000 to 86,400 a year for 900 accounts. Custom pays back within the first year, provided you scope per-site permissions and editorial governance before development.
What the quote covers
Entra ID SSO (formerly Azure AD) lets clinicians and administrative staff sign in with their usual Microsoft account, MFA included. The intranet reads Entra groups to show each person the content of their site and department.
| Module | Function | Indicative 2026 cost (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Entra ID SSO (OpenID Connect) | Single sign-on, inherited MFA, sign-out | 3,500 to 6,500 |
| Directory sync | Microsoft Graph: profiles, departments, photos, org chart | 4,500 to 9,000 |
| Per-site and per-role permissions | Entra groups mapped to 4 clinics and 12 departments | 5,000 to 10,000 |
| News and internal communication | Targeted publishing, approval, notifications | 5,000 to 9,500 |
| Documents and procedures | Quality protocols, versioning, search | 4,500 to 10,000 |
| Directory and staff finder | Search by department, on-call, phone | 2,500 to 5,000 |
| Accessibility, security and testing | BITV 2.0, light penetration testing, logging | 5,000 to 10,000 |
The low end (EUR 30,000) covers SSO, directory, news and simple permissions. The high end (EUR 60,000) adds quality document management, a dynamic org chart and fine-grained department permissions.
Custom, SharePoint or off-the-shelf intranet
A CIO already on Microsoft 365 has three options.
| Criterion | SharePoint Online only | Off-the-shelf intranet (SaaS) | Custom intranet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | EUR 7,000 to 20,000 setup | EUR 4,000 to 12,000 rollout | EUR 30,000 to 60,000 |
| Annual cost for 900 users | Included in M365, plus EUR 4,000 to 10,000 support | EUR 5 to 8 per user per month, i.e. 54,000 to 86,400 | Hosting and maintenance, EUR 6,500 to 11,000 |
| Entra ID SSO | Native | Included | Included |
| Mobile usability for clinicians | Average | Good | Designed for the floor |
| Per-site permissions | Hard to maintain | Standard | Tailored |
| Ownership and exit | Data at Microsoft | Vendor lock-in | Your code and data |
Over three years, custom comes to EUR 49,500 to 93,000 all-in, versus EUR 166,000 to 271,000 for per-user SaaS (2026 order of magnitude). SharePoint remains the cheapest, but healthcare organisations often report usage below 30% among clinical staff.
Security and compliance in a healthcare setting
An intranet should not hold patient data; if it does, it falls under stricter health data rules and the BSI C5 cloud requirements. Otherwise, plan for German or EU hosting (EUR 150 to 400 a month), Entra conditional access (P1, included in most M365 E3 and Business Premium licences), sign-in logging and a permissions review every 6 months. In Germany, any tool that could monitor employee behaviour requires works council (Betriebsrat) agreement: involve it from scoping to avoid a 2 to 3 month delay.
Mini case study
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Mr Weber, CIO of a group of 4 clinics in Berlin with 900 employees, compares a SaaS intranet at EUR 6 per user per month, or EUR 64,800 a year, with a custom intranet at EUR 45,000 plus EUR 8,500 a year. Over three years, SaaS costs EUR 194,400 versus EUR 70,500 for custom, a difference of EUR 123,900. On productivity, removing an extra password avoids about 150 reset requests a month at the help desk, at 12 minutes each: 30 hours a month, or 360 hours a year, roughly EUR 16,200 at a loaded cost of EUR 45 an hour. The investment is covered in about 7 months.
FAQ
How long does delivery take?
Allow 10 to 16 weeks, including 2 weeks of permission scoping, 2 weeks of testing with a pilot clinic and time for works council review.
Do we need Entra ID P1 or P2 licences?
SSO works with the free tier included in Microsoft 365. Conditional access requires P1, about EUR 5.60 per user per month if you do not already have it through E3 or Business Premium.
Can clinicians without a desk access it?
Yes, on smartphones with MFA via Microsoft Authenticator. A well-designed mobile interface often lifts usage from 30% to over 70% of active staff.
What happens when an employee leaves?
Disabling the account in Entra ID cuts intranet access within minutes, with no manual action. That is one of the main security gains of SSO.
Can HR modules be added later?
Yes, shift planning, leave requests or annual reviews can be added in lots of EUR 7,000 to 20,000, reusing the existing SSO and permissions.
Let's scope your project. Send us your headcount, number of sites and Microsoft 365 setup: we will price an Entra ID SSO intranet at EUR 30,000 to 60,000, delivered in 10 to 16 weeks. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
