New industries, new stores, new restaurants – new usually means a response to a need. In the IT world, it’s the same – new domains pop up when businesses face challenges. When security became a challenge in the IT world, a domain was formed to respond with solutions and products designed to address the issues in a simple and easy way. However, as we’ve often seen – with more features to handle the issue and subsequent other related issues – the solutions become complicated.
The IAM Domain
The IAM domain is no different. There was a time when the Identity and Access Management domain was not as visible as it is today – it was small, simple and able to provide comprehensive solutions. Today, the picture has changed. As the world grows, security concerns grow.
The domain has evolved into a 13.8-Billion-dollar industry, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 18%. This makes it one of the highest growth domains in the IT world. IAM has become the backbone for every industry – it has become one of the most urgent needs in the digital world.
The IAM Domain Grows
In the late 1990s, the administrative work around granting secure access and revoking application access was beginning to get very complex. The domain emerged to automate and simplify Identity-related functions. However, like the rest of the IT industry, Identity Management solutions became more complex and cumbersome. Keeping up with industry-specific regulations, the IAM domain continued to grow and has split into two segments – Access Management (AM – the end user experience – Single Sign On, Password Management and Authentication) and Identity Governance and Administration (IGA – backend functions like User Life Cycle Management and Access Governance).
With the division of IAM into two areas, customers now face the need to purchase separate solutions for each area. Instead of the initial intent, to simplify administrative work, two separate products is more work for customers. Customers now need to purchase two products, perhaps from different vendors, adding more cost and work to maintain them.
Let’s face it – Identity and Access Management is not a luxury – it is a necessity. But how do you do that efficiently with two separate, often convoluted, cumbersome and costly solutions – solutions that only the big leagues can afford?
The Ignored Mid-Market
According to various surveys, enterprise-sized companies and their deep pockets do not make up the majority of the businesses in the world – 85% of all business are mid-sized (also referred to as SMBs – Small Medium Businesses). Surveys also reveal that SMBs want a simple solution that takes care of all their use cases, needs and requirements. They want one solution in a compact form where Access Management and Identity Governance and Administration are delivered together with simplicity, ease and make economic sense.
Instead, the available solutions cater to enterprise-sized businesses, overflowing with optional features that they don’t need, don’t have the bandwidth to handle the complexities, and way too expensive to afford. So, there’s no mystery as to why, even in a world where breaches are becoming commonplace, there are companies who do not have a system in place to secure identities and ensure that the right people have the right access.
Well, that’s now a thing of the past.
Responding to this significant and un-serviced market demand, innovation has finally arrived. Cross Identity has come to the rescue by focusing on the real market demand. Cross Identity CI is the real solution for the real market – one solution that combines AM and IGA.
The breakthrough solution that is changing the domain again.
CI is carefully crafted to meet the requirements of AM and IGA into one single product, as it should be, as it was always supposed to be. It combines Access Management and Identity Governance and Administration – just the basics – no frills. Turn on the module you want, when you want it. The product is easily implemented and hassle-free when it comes to maintenance and support. This is the perfect answer for the Mid-market – efficient, secure, cost-effective.
Where do we go from here?
In this age of technological advancements just for the sake of pioneering beyond one another, it is important to break things down and ask ourselves the question – “why?” Why does this solution exist? Why do I need this solution? Why will this be the solution to change our processes? The answers will point you in the right direction. And the answers will begin to direct the domain. Soon, other vendors will follow suit and SMBs will be heard.
For now, Cross Identity has the SMB (Small Medium Breakthrough) response. If you are an SMB and if you want to deploy a solution which answers your IAM needs in a simple, comprehensive and cost-effective way, then the only option is the all-in-one answer – Cross Identity CI.
