Choosing an IAM solution is not just about comparing features such as single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA). It also needs to work well with your organisation's existing applications, systems and users, while meeting your security and compliance requirements.
Before comparing different solutions, look at your current IT environment and what you need the IAM platform to handle. This includes the applications you need to secure, how users access them, your identity governance needs and the compliance requirements you need to meet.
Taking these factors into account can help you choose an identity and access management solution that fits your organisation and its existing setup.
Steps to choose the right IAM solution
Choosing the right IAM platform requires knowing what you need it to do, not just what it can do. The steps below cover the areas most organisations work through during an evaluation.
Assess your architecture and deployment needs
Start by looking at your existing IT environment. Consider where your applications are hosted, what directories and systems you already use, and whether your organisation relies on modern, legacy or home-grown applications.
Deployment requirements are equally important. Depending on your infrastructure and regulatory requirements, you may need an on-premises, cloud or hybrid deployment model. An IAM platform that offers these options can give organisations greater flexibility when deciding how identity systems should fit into their existing environment.
For example, IamLogic supports on-premises, cloud and hybrid deployment. Its product information also highlights high availability and disaster recovery options for environments where these requirements are important.
The key question is not simply whether an IAM platform can be deployed in the cloud. It is whether its deployment model aligns with your organisation's infrastructure, security and regulatory requirements.
Evaluate authentication and access capabilities
Authentication is one of the first areas to assess when comparing identity and access management software. Look beyond basic username-and-password authentication and consider how the platform handles different access scenarios.
A capable solution may include:
- Single sign-on (SSO) to provide a central authentication experience across applications
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for additional verification
- Passwordless authentication using methods such as WebAuthn
- Context-based authentication using signals such as location, IP range, time and device information
- Support for commonly used authentication protocols
IamLogic Access Manager supports SAML 2.0, OpenID Connect, OAuth2 and RADIUS, along with adaptive MFA and passwordless WebAuthn authentication. Its context-based policies can use factors such as location, network and time to determine whether access should be allowed, denied, stepped up or accompanied by a notification.
When evaluating an IAM solution, consider whether its authentication capabilities are appropriate for the applications, users and access scenarios within your organisation.
Check support for modern and legacy applications
Application compatibility is another important consideration. It is easy to evaluate an IAM platform based on whether it supports modern applications using standards such as SAML or OIDC. However, many organisations also have older applications that do not support modern federation protocols.
Ask if the IAM solution secures the entire application environment, including legacy applications.
IamLogic Access Manager addresses legacy application access through a browser plugin. Credentials can be vaulted and auto-filled at login, while passwords can be rotated automatically. The same access environment can also apply MFA and context-based policies before credentials are released.
This makes legacy application support an important criterion when comparing an IAM solution, particularly if replacing older applications is not immediately practical.
Determine whether you need identity governance
Authentication settles one question: can this person get into the application? That is the question most IAM projects start with, and for some organisations it is the whole scope.
The harder questions come later. Why does this person have access to the payments module? Do they still need it now that they have moved to a different team? Who approved it, and when was it last reviewed? Authentication cannot answer any of these, because it only sees the login, not the entitlement behind it.
When evaluating an identity and access management solution, consider whether it can support:
- Joiner-Mover-Leaver lifecycle management
- Automated provisioning and deprovisioning
- Access certification campaigns
- Role management and role mining
- Segregation of Duties (SoD)
- Access requests and approval workflows
IamLogic IGA automates identity lifecycle processes, including granting role-based access to joiners, changing access when employees move roles and deprovisioning leavers across connected systems. It also provides access certification campaigns, role management and mining, SoD controls, and access request workflows.
For SoD, for example, organisations can define conflicting combinations such as initiating a payment and approving a payment, or creating a vendor and paying that vendor. The platform can prevent conflicts, detect existing ones and document approved exceptions.
If your organisation needs to govern access throughout its lifecycle rather than simply authenticate users, IGA capabilities should form part of your evaluation.
Evaluate integrations and extensibility
An IAM platform needs to work with the systems that already exist in your organisation. This includes directories, enterprise applications, databases and potentially home-grown systems.
When comparing solutions, ask:
- Which applications can it connect to?
- Does it support custom integrations?
- What happens when an application does not have an API?
- Can identity information be exchanged with existing systems?
- How easily can new connectors be developed?
IamLogic IGA uses a Python-based connector framework for integrating commercial and home-grown enterprise applications. For applications without APIs, provisioning can also be handled through ticketing workflows, including platforms such as ServiceNow and Jira, with the completed change subsequently verified by IGA.
This type of extensibility can be particularly relevant when your technology environment includes applications that do not fit neatly into standard integration models.
Check compliance and audit requirements
Access management and governance are closely connected to compliance. Before selecting an IAM solution, identify the regulatory and security frameworks relevant to your organisation and determine what evidence you need to maintain.
For example, you may need visibility into:
- Access certification outcomes
- SoD posture
- Deprovisioning timelines
- Orphan or dormant accounts
- Access registers
- Approval and request histories
- Audit trails
IamLogic IGA provides compliance reporting and analytics covering areas such as certification outcomes, SoD posture, deprovisioning timelines and orphan-account status. Its product information specifically references evidence aligned with the DPDP Act, RBI, SEBI CSCRF, IRDAI and ISO 27001.
The important consideration is whether the platform can help your organisation maintain the access records and evidence required for its specific regulatory environment.
Evaluate implementation and ongoing support
Finally, consider what is required to deploy and maintain the solution. An IAM platform may offer the right capabilities, but your organisation also needs to understand the implementation and support requirements.
Look at areas such as:
- Connector development
- IAM consulting and services
- High availability and disaster recovery
- Technical support
- Ongoing administration requirements
IamLogic provides IAM services that include connector development and consulting, while its product pages highlight 24×7 support and HA/DR capabilities.
Understanding these factors before making a decision can help you evaluate the overall fit of an IAM platform rather than focusing only on its feature list.
Conclusion
Choosing the right IAM solution starts with understanding your organisation's requirements. Evaluate your deployment environment, authentication needs, application landscape, identity governance requirements, integrations and compliance obligations before comparing vendors.
The strongest choice is not necessarily the platform with the longest list of features. It is the identity and access management solution that fits how your organisation manages identities and access today while providing the governance, integration and security capabilities it needs.
IamLogic brings Access Manager and IGA capabilities together, covering authentication and access alongside lifecycle management, access certification, SoD, provisioning and compliance reporting.