Salesforce.com about to shake up the identity management mkt

BANGALORE, INDIA: Salesforce.com recently announced it has struck a deal with ForgeRock to build the open-source firm's identity and access software into its Identity product. According to Andy Kellett, principal analyst at Ovum: "Salesforce is a significant new entrant into the Identity and Access Management (IAM) market because it is looking to cover all aspects of the identity management lifecycle, and although provided as a cloud-based service is not restricting itself to just protecting access to cloud-based applications."

He continues: "In becoming the latest new entrant into the already very crowded IAM arena, Salesforce has gone well beyond what would have been expected from a cloud specialist. The company is looking to cover all aspects of the identity management lifecycle, and although its identity management solutions will be provided as cloud-based services, it is not restricting itself to just protecting access to cloud-based applications.

"The approach that Salesforce has taken will be seen as disruptive to the identity management sector. Most existing platform vendors are categorized as performing within the enterprise space and looking out towards the cloud for future opportunities. Previous new entrants during the last two years have joined the IAM sector as cloud only specialists. They want to provide simple to use and cost effective solutions without taking on the overheads of enterprise environments. The cloud versus enterprise divide to IAM was never a comfortable situation, but had become quite clear cut. Now Saleforce.com with its new release has changed all that with an approach that breaks the mould."

Ovum's 2013 Enterprise Insights survey reveals that IAM is valued across most business verticals, however take up is very high in highly regulated areas; nearly 60% of retail banking respondents plan to transform or install new systems in the next 18 months.