Goal #1: Simplify Application Onboarding
In part I of this blog, I presented an overview of the five goals we want to achieve to ensure that our identity and access management (IAM) Ops Software Factory runs smoothly. Well, I’m finally back with part II. Today, my IMAG Jedis, wherever you are in this universe, together we will focus our attention on simplifying application onboarding.
We all know that enterprise-scale IAM operations is much more than just onboarding identities and managing their lifecycle. Think about it: When was the last time you even considered onboarding only user identities, as if doing so were tantamount to achieving singularity in a blackhole? It was inevitable (and right) that IAM operations move on from user onboarding to aligning application onboarding to meet the demands of modern business. No longer can we think of user identities and application accounts separately. From HR to commerce and everything in between, each identity has an associated entity in the form of a CA Identity Suite application endpoint.
Each endpoint is critical to your business and user experience, and endpoints are often tied to one or more enterprise processes. From provisioning to workflow to accountability, the fabric of your enterprise DNA has many aspects. Let’s start by asking ourselves these questions:
- How can users access the application faster?
- How can the application be integrated faster so that the business doesn’t have to wait as long?
- How can I govern access to business applications?
- How can I use what others are already doing to accelerate value?
To enable your business processes—and answer the above questions—enterprise applications need to be integrated with a solution such as CA Identity Suite in an agile manner that consists of:
- Connectivity to the applications
- Management of accounts and entitlements within the applications
- Control of access to the applications
OK, assuming you’re convinced that simplifying application onboarding is the way to go, how do you get it done?
CA Identity Suite Deployment Xpress lets you onboard an application’s various user populations with a wizard-based approach. Deployment Xpress’s predefined business process use cases (such as employee onboarding and contractor termination) allows you to integrate applications more easily and quickly, giving users faster access. Better yet, Deployment Xpress Market Place allows you to download and leverage best practice use cases on the fly. The use cases ship with pre-built, simple-to-use, intuitive user interfaces that can be branded with your corporate theme in CA Identity Portal, which enhances your user and customer experience.
If you want to integrate applications using APIs with CA Identity Suite, CA API Gateway is tailor made to your needs. In this approach to application onboarding, you don’t have to rely on OOTB connectors or invest in developing extensive custom connectors: You can simply follow a policy-based low-to-no-code approach.
Last but not the least, we need to remember governance. Like it or not, we all need to run periodic certification campaigns to ensure that access is validated and verified across all enterprise applications. The new AppXpress capability and services allow you to onboard connector and connector-less applications into CA Identity Suite in a matter of minutes, align them to master user data and run campaigns through your consolidated CA Identity Governance universe.
I highly recommend that you develop questionnaires, templates and job aids to help your application owners, business stakeholders and operations managers create more structured and simplified application onboarding. If you have questions or comments, or need help, please post your thoughts below.
Next up: The challenge of creating an enterprise IAM framework that supports security and compliance needs without having to deal with performance issues that impact your CX.