Identity management (IdM) is a series of processes, tools and agreements between organisations and people. It determines how IT user privileges are created, maintained, used and eventually terminated.

Typical problems encountered in organisations that lack a solid identity management solution:

• Extranet service management is expensive and difficult from the customer’s point of view.
• The user privileges for former employees are still valid.
• Changing user privileges causes unnecessary costs.
• Updating user identity data is slow (over 5 hours) and rigid.
• Inspecting the user’s identity profile is impossible in practice.
• Auditing every user privilege is extremely expensive.
• Measures related to mergers and acquisitions are slow and expensive.
• Separate identity management systems must be built for new services, which in turn causes redundant work.
• Most (> 30 %) helpdesk inquires involve lost or forgotten passwords.

Nixu’s approach to identity management

Successful identity management is based on continuous development.

Inspect and create concept

During the IdM pre-definition phase we will dig answers to your questions…

• Are we ready for an IdM project?
• How should I define the project scope?
• Should I split it into phases, and how?
• Which technology should I choose?
• How can I demonstrate the business value of IdM?

IdM issues can be solved in many ways. You might have noticed that every vendor is pushing their solution and product.

Although technology can provide substantial automation and enforcement of established procedures, the lion’s share of IdM work is documentation, assessment, and human processes within an organization. We have helped governmental, telecommunications, manufacturing and financial organizations to develop processes in line with security requirements.

IdM requirements often include the following headlines:

• Business facilitation
• Cost containment
• Operation efficiency
• Risk management
• Regulatory compliance

If some of these requirements are pushing your organization to develop a unique IdM ecosystem, take advantage of our pre-defined services like IdM readiness and discovery workshops.

Define

Identity management is not about products, but should be considered as a service oriented framework that includes integration with business processes, roles and technologies. Our IdM advisors can help your team to success by aligning a solid Identity Management roadmap, policy and architectural framework.

At this stage we also recommend that the project scope be fixed and a requirements specification documented. This can be guided by one or more of the high level business drivers listed above.

Design and plan a successful implementation

According to an analyst study, the majority of failed IdM implementation projects have overlooked the importance of design and planning. It is essential that stakeholders have an adequate understanding of available options. During the design and planning phase, we help you to develop business processes (workflow), roles, a detailed architecture, an implementation plan and an attribute data map.

At this stage it is natural to choose products in tune with the customer’s needs. Based on our extensive experience of key IdM products, we recommend strongly that you consult senior-level experts when evaluating such products.

IdM Solution Architects and Technical Project Managers

When organizations embark on their IdM journey, they are often unable to ensure that vendor-led IdM projects fully support their needs or even match their requirements. At such a juncture, independent experts like Nixu are poised to take full responsibility.

Got a question?

Do not hesitate to ask us!
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