Security and information protection are currently major concerns for organisations, and they are issues that consistently come out at the top of most lists when organisations are questioned on what their greatest technology concerns are, or what technologies they intend to implement over the coming months. In fact, in today’s multifunctional operating environments, where a variety of disconnected systems are deployed using various technology platforms, no organisation that is serious about information and user protection can expect to get away without having a good-quality, integrated, Identity and Access Management (I&AM) strategy in place.

When properly deployed across an organisation, I&AM technology has an important role to play in support of systems and network infrastructures. It has the capability to control how identity-based authentication and access rights are managed, and how associated user services are delivered and controlled for all authorised information users. A secure and successfully deployed I&AM strategy provides key business operability and interoperability benefits for all types of user – employees, business partners, customers, and citizens, etc. – whilst at the same time, and most importantly, protecting systems and networks from all unauthorised, uninvited, and indeed unwelcome elements.