Part 1: 4 Reasons to Move Identity Management to the Cloud
Take a moment and think about your typical workday. Does it look different than it did a few years ago? Chances are, the answer is a resounding yes. Remote work, pandemic guidelines and changing customer expectations have transformed how we live, work and conduct business everywhere.
From a technology management perspective, the shift has been both dramatic and a long time coming. With many older software systems nearing end of life, we’ve reached an inflection point: should we keep certain applications hosted and maintained in house, or should we take the leap to the cloud?
It’s time to look up — away from our old routines and toward new possibilities. In this series, we will explore key functions that organizations are increasingly moving to the cloud — from higher education to healthcare and beyond.
First, we will focus on an area that informs and empowers many of the others: identity management.
Identity Management is Changing
For many organizations— higher education and healthcare in particular — the job of identity management has traditionally defaulted to the one-card system. In yesterday’s environments, this made good sense: ID cards/credentials were keys to essential services like financial transactions and facility access. While these credentials — whether physical or virtual — remain indispensable parts of our daily lives, many organizations are seeing the benefit of moving identity management up above the one-card system. And at the same time, they are increasingly choosing purpose-built, cloud-based solutions for this task. David Stallsmith, Director of Product Management at Color ID explains four popular reasons why:
1. Issue Credentials From Anywhere, Any Time
Managing multiple campuses? Have staff working remotely? Looking to leverage your credentials across academic and affiliated healthcare campuses? Relying on a software package tied to specific workstations and card printers can make it difficult to work fluidly in today’s hybrid environments.
“When we were all in one place every day, on-premise identity management made a lot of sense,” says Stallsmith. “But if an employee is working remotely, or if they’re trying to help someone in another location, it can create a difficult hurdle to overcome. With a cloud-based identity management system, you can issue physical or mobile credentials from across campus, across town or even across the globe. That’s been of huge value in the post-Covid era.”
2. Go Mobile — Your Way
Near-field communication (NFC) is a well-known way to offer mobile credentials within a one-card system. However, it often comes with a steep set of requirements and significant financial and operational implications. When credentials are managed within an identity management system, other options may open up. Bluetooth (BLE) is one option that often offers more flexibility in terms of phased roll-outs and lower-cost implementations.
3. Remove Vendor Revenue as a Requirement
When the one-card system is responsible for managing identities, organizations often find their options are limited when it comes to expanding credential acceptance. One-card system providers must develop integrations with each new technology — and, naturally, they may prioritize integrations that will generate the most revenue for them.
“We talk to a lot of schools and hospitals who want to use their credentials in new ways — like parking, rec center privileges, or new third-party ordering systems,” says Stallsmith. Traditionally, this involves requesting a new interface from their one-card provider. That means they’re getting in line — and it’s typically a long one.”
Those who move identity and credential management up a level from the one-card system tend to have a much easier time getting these extensions in place quickly and easily. The reason is simple: an identity management provider doesn’t have the same transaction revenue stream requirements as a one-card provider. More and more, organizations are asking whether it makes sense for a financial transaction provider to dictate the terms of their identity and credential management.
“It’s not a knock against one-card systems,” points out Stallsmith. “It’s about choosing the right tool for the job. Nowadays, identity management is a bigger, more complex job than it used to be. So it’s good that we can leverage each system according to its strengths.”
4. Spend Less Time on System Maintenance and More Time on Value-Adding Work
Do you want your team focusing on fixing a server that goes down in the middle of the night, or on adding value for your organization? With a cloud-based system, you can:
“Whether it’s on a college or healthcare campus, people rely on their credentials all throughout their days,” says Stallsmith. “Our customers have really benefitted from shifting system maintenance to the cloud provider. As a result, they spend less time fighting fires and more time continuously adding value to their credentials.”
It’s Time to Look Up
The world is changing, and so is your organization. As older software packages approach end of life, it’s time to look up from old routines and rethink the roles of your technology investments. ColorID's identity management offerings from their CloudSuite Portfolio offer advanced features for easy enrollment and flexible management of physical and/or mobile credentials. And since they were built for the cloud from day one, they scale to meet your organization's growing needs.
With a purpose-built, cloud-based identity management system, you can simplify credential management, take control of where and how that credential is used, and spend less time on system maintenance in the process.
Our industry is looking up. Can you see it?
ColorID is a leading supplier of high-quality identification products and services for higher education, healthcare and other organizations around the world. Learn more at www.colorid.com.
From a technology management perspective, the shift has been both dramatic and a long time coming. With many older software systems nearing end of life, we’ve reached an inflection point: should we keep certain applications hosted and maintained in house, or should we take the leap to the cloud?
It’s time to look up — away from our old routines and toward new possibilities. In this series, we will explore key functions that organizations are increasingly moving to the cloud — from higher education to healthcare and beyond.
First, we will focus on an area that informs and empowers many of the others: identity management.
Identity Management is Changing
For many organizations— higher education and healthcare in particular — the job of identity management has traditionally defaulted to the one-card system. In yesterday’s environments, this made good sense: ID cards/credentials were keys to essential services like financial transactions and facility access. While these credentials — whether physical or virtual — remain indispensable parts of our daily lives, many organizations are seeing the benefit of moving identity management up above the one-card system. And at the same time, they are increasingly choosing purpose-built, cloud-based solutions for this task. David Stallsmith, Director of Product Management at Color ID explains four popular reasons why:
1. Issue Credentials From Anywhere, Any Time
Managing multiple campuses? Have staff working remotely? Looking to leverage your credentials across academic and affiliated healthcare campuses? Relying on a software package tied to specific workstations and card printers can make it difficult to work fluidly in today’s hybrid environments.
“When we were all in one place every day, on-premise identity management made a lot of sense,” says Stallsmith. “But if an employee is working remotely, or if they’re trying to help someone in another location, it can create a difficult hurdle to overcome. With a cloud-based identity management system, you can issue physical or mobile credentials from across campus, across town or even across the globe. That’s been of huge value in the post-Covid era.”
2. Go Mobile — Your Way
Near-field communication (NFC) is a well-known way to offer mobile credentials within a one-card system. However, it often comes with a steep set of requirements and significant financial and operational implications. When credentials are managed within an identity management system, other options may open up. Bluetooth (BLE) is one option that often offers more flexibility in terms of phased roll-outs and lower-cost implementations.
3. Remove Vendor Revenue as a Requirement
When the one-card system is responsible for managing identities, organizations often find their options are limited when it comes to expanding credential acceptance. One-card system providers must develop integrations with each new technology — and, naturally, they may prioritize integrations that will generate the most revenue for them.
“We talk to a lot of schools and hospitals who want to use their credentials in new ways — like parking, rec center privileges, or new third-party ordering systems,” says Stallsmith. Traditionally, this involves requesting a new interface from their one-card provider. That means they’re getting in line — and it’s typically a long one.”
Those who move identity and credential management up a level from the one-card system tend to have a much easier time getting these extensions in place quickly and easily. The reason is simple: an identity management provider doesn’t have the same transaction revenue stream requirements as a one-card provider. More and more, organizations are asking whether it makes sense for a financial transaction provider to dictate the terms of their identity and credential management.
“It’s not a knock against one-card systems,” points out Stallsmith. “It’s about choosing the right tool for the job. Nowadays, identity management is a bigger, more complex job than it used to be. So it’s good that we can leverage each system according to its strengths.”
4. Spend Less Time on System Maintenance and More Time on Value-Adding Work
Do you want your team focusing on fixing a server that goes down in the middle of the night, or on adding value for your organization? With a cloud-based system, you can:
- Count on expert maintenance from a trusted provider — removing work from your team’s plates
- Benefit from remote, automatic updates so you enjoy the latest features sooner
- Simplify the process of connecting multiple campuses, credentials and roles by not tying management to a physical location
“Whether it’s on a college or healthcare campus, people rely on their credentials all throughout their days,” says Stallsmith. “Our customers have really benefitted from shifting system maintenance to the cloud provider. As a result, they spend less time fighting fires and more time continuously adding value to their credentials.”
It’s Time to Look Up
The world is changing, and so is your organization. As older software packages approach end of life, it’s time to look up from old routines and rethink the roles of your technology investments. ColorID's identity management offerings from their CloudSuite Portfolio offer advanced features for easy enrollment and flexible management of physical and/or mobile credentials. And since they were built for the cloud from day one, they scale to meet your organization's growing needs.
With a purpose-built, cloud-based identity management system, you can simplify credential management, take control of where and how that credential is used, and spend less time on system maintenance in the process.
Our industry is looking up. Can you see it?
ColorID is a leading supplier of high-quality identification products and services for higher education, healthcare and other organizations around the world. Learn more at www.colorid.com.
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