Adding Identity Features To A Robust IAM Solution
About The Company
As a roaster and retailer of whole bean and ground coffee, tea and spices, this company started with a single store in Seattle. Today, they connect with millions of customers at more than 25,000 retail stores in 75 countries by selling coffee, handcrafted beverages, merchandise and fresh food.
Challenges
This company had been using an identity management vendor to manage their external identities. However, the vendor could not provide the flexibility and customization needed to scale effectively. Specifically, the company wanted their partners to be able to use and manage their own identities, but did not want to store them in a directory separate from their own internal users. It was creating too much administrative work and a drain on productivity. Because the company was already using the Optimal IdM virtual directory and federation solution for many years, they knew Optimal IdM could provide them a flexible offering that provided a customizable, dedicated and scalable infrastructure.
In addition, the company needed Optimal IdM to implement the following:
• Self-registration
• Multi-level delegated administration and an administrative workflow model
• Elimination of the external directory and moving and managing it in a private cloud
Solution
The company went with the OptimalCloud solution from Optimal IdM which included self-registration, workflow approval, and multi-level delegated administration with relationship managers and delegated administrators. It was paramount for the company that the OptimalCloud offered administrators a complete user management system that included a robust delegated administrative identity management system.
The OptimalCloud gave the company’sIT team the power to set credentials and check-ins at the frequency that’s best for them. Options that focus on the background allow the team to rollout a new protection paradigm without employees noticing much of a change. By building user requests into their workflow, information is quickly pushed to administrators for approval or denial. The delegated administration model maintains updates to authentication lists, giving the company a granular look at current security without the need for a multi-step sign-on each time, even if it is a multi-factor identification protocol.
The OptimalCloud was selected by the company for these additional reasons:
• Private, Secure and Dedicated Cloud – The company looked at other vendors, but ultimately did not want a publicly shared cloud. Security, auditing and controls were also very important features.
• Self registration – Self-registration allows users to create their own login and password. A user who self registers is immediately and automatically granted access and a new user account is created in the client’s directory.
• Complete Delegated Administration and Workflow Capabilities –The OptimalCloud offers complete identity management with delegated administration, workflow capabilities, and delegate administrative abilities to verify users and run identity management reports.
• Proven and Trusted Reliability – After using the Optimal IdM Virtual Identity Server (VIS) for many years, the company already knew that Optimal IdM was a reliable partner that values customers and stands behind its products and services. With a customizable solution, care and attention to detail, it was an easy decision to move forward with The OptimalCloud.
Results
Optimal IdM now manages the company’s external identities with the OptimalCloud. This IDaaS model allows the company IT staff to focus on priority goals and objectives and provides flexibility to grow in new directions. The OptimalCloud has also brought the company the following benefits:
• Affordability – Unlike other vendors who use a pricing model based around a per user, per month charge, The OptimalCloud, uses an affordable flat monthly fee.
• Scalability – The OptimalCloud solution future-proofs the company by adapting to their needs while enabling them to scale quickly.
• Efficiency – The implementation of the OptimalCloud was quick and easy and has saved the client money and countless hours on training, development and management.
• Productivity – With the Optimal development portal, the client receives sample code, pre- configured to integrate with their environment, which allows developers to test different apps, protocols and languages before rolling them out.
• Compliance – The OptimalCloud provides extensive cloud reporting using a dedicated database, which is essential for compliance regulations. The reporting tool offers granular data including who logged in, what claims they used, number of assertions and even how they authenticated.
