If you are looking for an IAM product, don’t miss out on Converged IAM. It will be preferred by over 45% of new IAM customers by 2023, says an industry analyst. Read on to gain critical knowledge on multiple-award winner Cross Identity’ Converged IAM solution, CI. It could mean the difference between sinking your budget into something that will be outdated in a matter of months or sinking your teeth into what is considered the most complete Converged IAM product around! It is making headlines in identity and access management news!
Cross Identity started being recognized by the industry in 2012, when it was marked as a ‘Cool Vendor’ by industry analyst Gartner. This marked the beginning for Cross Identity to be watched closely as a potential star in the IAM industry.
Instagram, Yammer, Evernote, and Clouder all of which are now huge successes, are amongst some of the names that were listed as Cool Vendors at some point. Indeed, according to Gartner, more than 90% of Cool Vendors have gone on to achieve success, an astonishingly high percentage.
Later in 2015, Cross Identity was featured in the prestigious Gartner IAM Magic Quadrant. It was placed in the ‘Niche Vendor’ category, amongst only a handful of other names. This is a big deal, as only the best of the best find themselves in this document.
The company outdid itself by being featured again in the ‘Niche Vendor’ quadrant of the Gartner IAM Magic Quadrant in 2016. People began to realize that Cross Identity was not just a one-hit-wonder that would come and go. It was a contender with constant presence.
But most of Cross Identity’ recognition started in 2020 with the success of its flagship product, CI. Cross Identity had the foresight to develop an all-in-one IAM suite well before the industry discovered the space for this technology.
A new category of product called ‘Converged IAM’ was born in 2020 when Gartner did away with its Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) Magic Quadrant and replaced it with its IGA Market Guide.
Note: Converged IAM combines Access Management with light IGA features, all from a single unified suite. Customers that require lighter IGA features and have reduced budgets can benefit greatly from not needing to purchase multiple solutions to fulfil their IAM environment.
In this domain, Cross Identity leads the way. Not only did Cross Identity create a converged product before Gartner recognized its criticality, but they are also among the only 3 vendors to supply it. Of the 3, CI is the most fleshed out. It was described by Gartner as having deeper governance features than its competitors.
Cross Identity would garner more recognition in the year to come.
In 2021, Cross Identity was featured in Kuppingercoles Leadership Compass as a ‘Leader in Product and Innovation’. It was featured in Gartner’s IGA Market Guide 2021 as the leader in Converged IAM, and also listed in top companies for Access Management in Gartner’s Access Management Magic Quadrant 2021. Last but not least, CI was featured in Frost & Sullivan’s FROST RADAR 2021.”
The buck did not stop there. Cross Identity was awarded “Most Innovative in Converged IAM” at the 9th Annual Global Infosec Awards by Cyber Defense Magazine (CDM) at the RSA Conference 2021. The CDM is one of the largest and growing cybersecurity magazines with a readership of over 2 million.
Also in 2021, Cross Identity was awarded the National Feather Award in 2 categories – “Award for Innovation in Cybersecurity” and “Best Cybersecurity Solution of the Year”. It was also mentioned in the list of Top 10 Cloud Solution Providers 2021 by CIO Review. It also won “Security Innovation of the Year” at the Martech Awards 2022.
When talking about recognition, it is relevant to look at unique patents held. In addition to all the above, Cross Identity has secured 3 patents for technology not found elsewhere in IAM.
- System and method for password recovery using fuzzy logic (Patent # US20160301533A1)
- System and method for web single sign-on through a browser extension (Patent # US20160301685A1)
- System and method for single sign-on for thick-client applications (Patent # US9985955B2)
The third patent, ‘system and method for single sign-on for thick client applications’, is a unique and powerful feature in CI. Most other vendors DO NOT SUPPORT single sign-on to thick-client applications. The few that support it do so in a roundabout way which requires complex crosstalk between the app and their product. It is neither reliable nor easy to implement.
CI is the world’s only IAM product capable of easy and reliable single-sign on to thick-client apps.
CI has been making waves in the last few years and is a leader in the Converged IAM market. They own this space due to their foresight in creating a converged product well ahead of the curve. Others like Okta and Microsoft are still playing catch up and are yet to fully fit the bill of Converged IAM.
To learn more about CI, visit https://www.crossidentity.com/products/cross-identity/
