A Critical Foundation For Identity and Access Management Solutions
In his book, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Friedman discussed the need for companies and individuals to view the commercial environment as one without boundaries, enterprise or nation if they want to remain competitive in the global marketplace.
Removal of the traditional enterprise boundaries represents an exponential increase in the complexities and challenges companies face in managing the digital identities required to conduct their day-to-day business. No longer are enterprises faced with managing the identities—and associated rights—of only their direct employee base. Now they must manage information about the identities, rights and permissions of business partners, suppliers and, hopefully, customers.
This sharp increase in the number of “managed identities” has increased not only the administrative burden but places a significant, ongoing commitment on the valuable IT dollar. Economic pressures are forcing companies to look for better, more efficient and lower-cost ways of addressing the problem. As momentum gathers behind the federation battle cry, the importance of trust in the reputation of the digital identity increases. This is resulting in a growing movement behind identity assurance as a critical foundation for any identity- and access-management solution.
