Single-Sign-On (SSO) with SAML & LDAP for Business emails

Last year, we introduced a fully functional Single-Sign-On (SSO) authentication solution for users of Inbox.eu Business Email. This feature allows medium and large organisations to use their existing authentication systems, enabling simpler, safer, and more centralised user management.

We believe SSO is a fundamental requirement for modern email services and cloud software. It improves usability, strengthens security, and increases productivity. That’s why Inbox.eu does not charge extra for SSO — it’s included as part of our Business Email offering.

Here’s why SSO is essential

1. Convenience and better User Experience

• Fewer passwords to remember: Users no longer need separate credentials for each SaaS application, reducing frustration and login-related issues.
• One login for multiple services: A single set of credentials provides seamless access to multiple tools.
• Faster access: Eliminating repeated logins saves time, especially in work environments that rely on several cloud services.

2. Enhanced security

• Reduced password fatigue: Fewer passwords mean less reuse of weak or insecure credentials.
• Centralised authentication: SSO integrates with trusted identity providers such as Google Workspace and Microsoft Azure AD, allowing IT teams to enforce strong security policies, including multi-factor authentication (MFA).
• Smaller attack surface: Centralised authentication reduces risks related to phishing, credential stuffing, and password leaks.
• Automatic access revocation: When an employee leaves the organisation, disabling their SSO account immediately removes access to all connected services, preventing unauthorised use and data leakage.

3. Improved productivity

• Time savings: Users spend less time dealing with login issues and more time focusing on their work.
• Simplified onboarding: IT teams can provision new users quickly without managing separate passwords for each application.

4. Scalability for growing businesses

• Easy integration: SSO works well with a wide range of SaaS platforms, making it easy to scale as your organisation adopts new tools.
• Compliance and monitoring: Centralised authentication enables consistent logging and auditing, supporting compliance requirements such as GDPR and helping detect unauthorised access attempts.

5. Cross-platform accessibility

Modern teams work across multiple devices — desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. SSO ensures consistent and secure access to services across all platforms without repeated logins.

Example use case

A company using Inbox.eu Business Email, Slack, JIRA, and Zoom can enable SSO across all services. Employees sign in once using their company credentials and instantly gain access to every connected tool — no additional passwords required.

In summary, SSO simplifies user workflows, strengthens security, and helps IT administrators efficiently manage access to many SaaS products across the company.

What SSO technologies are available at Inbox.eu?

Each technology is designed for different use cases and IT environments. Inbox.eu Business Email supports two widely used Single Sign-On technologies:

1. SAML 2.0 (Security Assertion Markup Language 2.0)
2. LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol, versions 2 and 3)

Below is a comparison table to help you understand their distinctions:

In short:

• SAML is ideal for cloud-first organisations using multiple SaaS platforms.
• LDAP is better suited for organisations with on-premises or hybrid infrastructures.

Final note

Setting up Single Sign-On requires technical expertise. We recommend involving your internal IT team to gather the necessary configuration details for either SAML or LDAP. Inbox.eu supports both options, allowing businesses to choose the authentication method that best matches their infrastructure and security needs.