A Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) software enables enterprises to securely store and manage customer identities across all digital platforms.

2019 turned out to be an excellent year for CIAM solution providers. A lot of them even made headlines for their noteworthy acquisitions. Fortunately, two things worked in favor of mid-size and enterprise-level organizations:

Unifying customer experience.

Streamlined operations.

Following suit, CIAM continues to grow as key business enablers outside the CISO and IAM bubble in 2020 — aligning consumer identity accounts with data security.

With the recently live California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), stakes are considerably high for rigorous improvements and wide-scale implementation of CIAM tools.

So, what is the reason behind such popularity?

Come to think of it, when there’s a better digital identity solution for clients, it automatically leads to more customer engagement and generates additional revenue.

With the increasing demand among consumer-facing enterprises, CIAM will continue to replace IAM tools in 2020.

The Core Capabilities of a CIAM solution

A customer identity and access management (CIAM) provider offers secure identity solutions for both enterprises and customers alike. Additionally, there may be certain services that resemble employee-oriented IAM solutions like those related to protection against identity theft, use of single sign-on, and authentication setups.

But then, when it comes to implementing a CIAM tool, its primary job is to provide identity data protection during login. It also takes care of all other business processes and does not focus much on convenience.

But remember, consumers expect a pleasant user expectation though!

Meanwhile, CIAM software also responds exclusively to the individual customer and employee demands. For example, when a customer isn’t satisfied with the data security protocols of an enterprise, they hardly care about brand loyalty, and simply abandon its services.

Henceforth, enterprises look for perfect customer identity and access management solutions for a couple of reasons.

Here are the core capabilities of a CIAM tool that enterprises look for.

Source: LoginRadius

1. Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication or MFA is no longer confined to financial institutions. Today, consumers have grown more sensitive towards data privacy and expect enterprises to keep their data safe through a more complex form of authentication.

MFA applies multiple layers of protection to a user’s identity and requires customers to authenticate each time they want to access their accounts.

And for that matter, CIAM providers allow enterprises a lot of authentication methods to choose from viz.,

Phone calls

Biometrics

Email verification

SMS/text messages

Time-based code

One-time passwords

Hardware token

Soft token

Security questions

Google Authenticator

2. Compliance management

One of the primary features of customer identity and access management software is meeting global compliance standards. Customers expect enterprises to adhere to the formal regulations that take care of data protection.

For example, let’s take a look at the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and CCPA. Both regulations offer individuals the right to data retention and dissemination in their own way.

Hence, your CIAM solution should be sophisticated enough that it provides proper compliance to your consumers.

3. Permissions management

Another important feature of a CIAM solution is to create and manage permissions for users. Your identity solution should allow administrators to control customer identities and customize access permissions for privileged users.

4. Data Security

A CIAM solution must offer independent authentication and authorization that meets security requirements and approved accessibility standards.

Apart from single sign-on, other abilities like role management, centralized policy enforcement, delegated administration, and automated provisioning should be a part of the overall package.

5. Scalability and high availability

Customers don’t tolerate lags and performance degradation. Therefore, an ideal CIAM solution should accommodate large volumes of users and handle frictionless registrations and access requests. Even better, if it can offer a centralized point of access for multiple tools.

Now that we understand the core capabilities, let’s dig into the benefits of using a CIAM platform.

Benefits of using a CIAM solution for enterprises

It supports omnichannel accounts for a seamless customer experience.

It streamlines login for multiple digital assets through single sign-on.

It eliminates the need to remember multiple passwords through social login.

It prevents credential abuse through multi-factor authentication.

It meets international data management and consent regulations like GDPR and CCPA.

It offers frictionless sign-in experience by integrating multiple social media platforms.

Advanced CIAM capabilities are fast filling the gap between seamless operations and modern customer experiences. And that’s good news for enterprises. So, let’s find out the top 20 CIAM vendors to watch in 2020’s digital storefront.

Top 20 CIAM solution providers of 2020

1. Idaptive Services

Idaptive Services protects customer identities in a cloud setup. It offers single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, mobility management, lifecycle management, and security management in the cloud, mobile, and on-premises environment.

2. LoginRadius

LoginRadius is a cloud-based customer identity and access management platform that upgrades user experience by responding to both the security and convenience of customers.

It aims to simplify the method of integration and boost user productivity in customer identity and access management setup. LoginRadius helps enterprises to deliver streamlined registration, multi-factor authentication, risk-based authentication, passwordless login, social login, and anonymous login to protect the digital identities of customers.

LoginRadius also supports international data security and compliance regulations, federated identity management, and offers single sign-on to client-facing enterprises. It features integration layers to help businesses empower their identity lifecycle.

No wonder, this CIAM provider was named a successful leader in the identity space by KuppingerCole.

3. Radiant Logic

Radiant Logic offers federated identity solutions to enterprises. It aims to solve integration challenges by delivering standard-based access within the enterprise infrastructure.

Radiant Logic guides enterprises to make decisions related to authentication, authorization, and provisioning in the cloud environment.

4. BeyondTrust

BeyondTrust Privileged Remote Access (formerly Bomgar Privileged Access) offers privileged access solutions to enterprises in the global market. It addresses data security by preventing data breaches that may occur as a result of hacked remote access or compromised privileges.

5. WSO2 Identity Server

WSO2 Identity Server is an open-source identity and access management provider that offers cloud, hybrid, and on-premise deployment. Features like single sign-on, identity federation, and adaptive authentication make it an ideal CIAM solution provider.

A few other features include identity provisioning, API security, access control, account management, reporting, and identity administration.

6. IBM Cloud Identity

IBM Cloud IAM offers single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, customer self-care options, lifecycle management, privileged access management, adaptive access, and risk assessment with identity analytics. It also provides enterprises with customer data privacy and security.

IBM Cloud Identity helps your company adapt to the frequently changing market scenario related to customer identity management demands.

7. Omada CIAM

With Omada CIAM, enterprises can balance seamless customer experience with robust data compliance measures. It takes data privacy quite seriously and therefore empowers businesses to improve their security protocols throughout the customer lifecycle.

Through self-service registration and social login, customers get a free hand to create their own profiles. Omada’s CIAM Solution ensures maximum onboarding, unified customer view, and happy customer relationships.

8. Silverfort

Silverfort offers adaptive authentication without the need for modification at the server end. This increases productivity in a dynamic enterprise environment.

Furthermore, it lets businesses consolidate security policies on-premises, private, or on the public cloud. It leads to better visibility, productivity, and improved user experience.

Silverfort takes care of customers’ critical assets by adhering to global compliance requirements.

9. Identity Now (Sailpoint)

Identity Now is a SaaS-based identity solution that delivers security, password management, and SSO for on-premises and cloud environments. The platform is quite easy to configure and help enterprises meet international compliance standards.

Other features include user provisioning that streamlines customer lifecycle and access certification for enhanced security at the workplace.

10. Centrify Zero Trust Privilege

Centrify Zero Trust Privilege offers a modern approach to Privileged Access Management (PAM) in the ever-evolving data abuse and threat landscape. It delivers cloud-ready zero trust rights to a plethora of enterprise-grade platforms like infrastructure, containers, cloud, and Big Data.

11. Cidaas

Customer Identity as a Service or Cidaas is a scalable cloud-based customer identity and access management platform. It offers the perfect balance between security and user experience.

With factors like single sign-on (SSO), multi-factor authentication, social login, consent management, fraud detection features, and real-world identification, it offers a good amount of transparency for customers.

12. Covisint Cloud Identity (Now Opentext)

Covisint Cloud Identity is a cloud identity service that manages digital identities of customers, business partners, and suppliers in a centralized and automated manner. It offers simple integration, seamless credential administration along with configurable workflow management.

Within a customer ecosystem, Covisint Cloud Identity offers authentication controls, identity verification, and risk assessments.

13. ForgeRock

Forgerock is a CIAM provider that helps businesses grow and deliver better productivity at the workplace.

It helps enterprises secure customer-facing relationships with features like identity management, access management, SSO, privacy and consent management, identity governance, lifecycle management, and API security.

Forgerock improves enterprise productivity with on-premises, cloud, and hybrid delivery models.

14. Optimal IdM

Optimal IdM is another cloud-based identity and access management solution. The majority of its solutions are customizable according to enterprises’ specific needs.

Its features include identity and access management, identity governance and administration, CIAM solutions, and IAM managed services.

15. FusionAuth

The FusionAuth IAM solution is specially built for developers and offers security solutions for enterprises.

Seamless registration, authentication, login, MFA, user management, security and compliance, password control, and its flexible architecture ensures a better user experience.

16. Ubisecure

Ubisecure is a CIAM vendor that offers improved customer experience with operational efficiency. As a SaaS-based IdaaS platform, it embeds SSO and multi-factor authentication into its architecture. It also provides identity governance within the consumer and corporate environment.

With automated workflow, Ubisecure further streamlines automation and reduces data silos.

17. Akamai

Akamai integrates single sign-on, user authentication, security, and identity access in its cloud architecture. It offers digital identity management for effortless customer experiences.

Akamai keeps customer data secured while complying with global regulations and its frequently changing demands.

18. Avatier Identity Anywhere

Avatier Identity Anywhere manages the digital security of employees with features like SSO, lifecycle management, password management, and access governance.

Available on the cloud and on-premises, this identity management platform includes biometrics and facial recognition in its authentication process. Avatier ensures compliance with security policies to safeguard customer data and employee assets.

19. Okta

Okta is a reliable CIAM solution provider that helps organizations protect consumer accounts and, in the process, drive more revenue.

Okta offers secure customer experiences by eliminating unnecessary processes and irrelevant content. It provides features like single sign-on, lifecycle management, access management, authentication, authorization, adaptive MFA, and user management to simplify complex data security requirements.

20. CoreOne Suite

CoreOne Suite offers scalable IAM solutions for the security of user data. To safeguard customer and enterprise identities, it provides features like multi-factor authentication, password management, social sign-on, social login, authentication, user management, credential management, biometric, data protection, compliance, and audit.

Conclusion

The core of a CIAM solution is customers and securing their digital identities. It is about helping enterprises understand who their customers are while capturing their data conveniently.

Customer identity and access management platforms like LoginRadius ensure a hassle-free customer journey across complex, dynamic environments. With a seamless digital experience and deployment flexibility, no wonder, it is an excellent place to start building loyal customers for entrepreneurial success.