The 10 Most Trusted Identity and Access Management Solution Providers 2018

www.insightssuccess.com December 2018

The

10

Digital Revolution Data Center Security Controlling Possible Threats

Most Trusted

Identity and Access

Management

Editor’s Pick Migrating the Data Warehouses into the Cloud

Solution Providers,

2018

Nelson Cicchitto

Chairman, CEO & President

Avatier

The Future of Identity Management has Arrived

Securing Your Presence!

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nternet has created a virtual paradise we cannot live without. The statement may sound little glorified but it is an unwavering fact. We the people use platforms like Facebook to find and make a friend, LinkedIn to find a job, Email service providers for business and other social media for even basic communication purposes. We have come so far that we keep an online assistant to perform our regular duties or even to decide our daily routine. Anyone can witness the stride that internet has brought. Hence, in the social times where people are identified by their online presence, the security of the personal information is the most important concern.

Everyone is aware of the concept of identity theft, but not with the possible consequences and their grieve nature. The threat has knocked our doors already. Take a look at the situation of an innocent teenager using Facebook, who fell in love with a girl, he doesn’t even recognize. He was blackmailed to pay 10,000 dollars. Even, the Indian girl went to meet her Tinder boyfriend and lost her life. If an identity of a teenager is at the stake what is you’re thought on the condition of chief personnel like a President of country or a CEO of a fortune 500 organization? The threats are getting bigger and bitter. Rising concerns regarding dark web including online terrorism activities, cyber bullying and child pornography are making the way of online security tougher than ever.

However, online platforms are fighting hard with the issues but evidently everything is not under their control. With billions of volatile and unassuming users online, a desire to control every activity or assuring its security looks like a dream in bed. Keeping a simple password or options like sign in to identify the user are not going to help if there is no organized system of skilled professionals to eat the rock.

If the last three hundred words have made you conscious, and has left you in a dilemma, here is what Insights Success has in store for you. A distinctive list, The 10 Most Trusted Identity and Access Management Solution Providers, 2018 comprising one of the most recommended identity and access management solution providers in the world, who are ensuring the management and security of your identity. They are proven leaders with the team of experts who can create a guarding fence around the identity of its associates that cannot be crossed easily. Sounds little clichéd or poetic, right? If you don’t believe me then start flipping the pages and allow us unleash their capabilities of the enlisted companies. I am sure they are worth a read.

Featuring as our cover story we have Avatier. Its identity management solutions require fewer login credentials and provide the ability to collaborate across and beyond business boundaries.

This edition also highlights the contribution few other companies including The IPG Group, a specialized in the conception, integration and operation of IAM-Solutions. It offers solutions for the comprehensive protection of user data and access permissions, and Janrain a pioneered Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM).

To the delight of its readers the magazine also features articles written by some established industry leaders and our very own in-house editorial team. Don’t forget to flip through it as well.

Let’s explore the potential of identity and access management industry, shall we?

Kedar Kulkarni

Cover Story

10

16 Maestros Insights

An Independent Leader in Dynamic Authorization Solutions

24 Expert’s Advice Flexibility: Its Use and Abuse

34 Leader’s Take

THE FUTURE OF IDENTITY MANAGEMENT HAS ARRIVED

The Evolution of Testing: Unmatched Acceleration with Fifth Generation Automation

Contents Articles 20

22 AXIOMATICS: An Independent Leader in Dynamic Authorization Solutions

Digital Revolution Data Center Security: Controlling Possible Threats

30 Editor’s Pick Migrating the Data Warehouses into the Cloud

38 Tech Trend SaaS Can Create Business Developments with Dierent Revenue Streams

26 IPG GROUP:

A Competent Partner Engaged in IAM Projects

32 JANRAIN: Building a Comprehensive Enterprise Identity Management Strategy

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Executive Editor Assistant Editors Contributing Editors Visualiser Art & Design Director Associate Designer Co-designer

Pooja M. Bansal Anish Miller Hitesh Dhamani Jenny Fernandes Abhishaj Sajeev Keadar Kulkrni Sharad Chitalkar David King Amol Kamble Sanket Zirpe Savita Pandav

Art & Picture Editors Paul Belin Jayant Khanna Senior Sales Manager Passi D. Business Development Manager Peter Collins Marketing Manager John Matthew Business Development Executives Steve, Joe, Logan, Anup Sales Executives David, Kevin, Mark, Vishnu Technical Head Jacob Smile Technical Specialists Amar, Aditya Digital Marketing Manager Marry D’Souza Online Marketing Strategists Alina Sege, Shubham SME-SMO Executives Prashant Chevale, Uma Dhenge Research Analyst Patrick James Circulation Managers Robert, Tanaji Database Management Stella Andrew Technology Consultant David Stokes sales@insightssuccess.com

December, 2018 Corporate Ofces: Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone - (614)-602-1754 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com

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Cover Story

Nelson Cicchitto Chairman, CEO & President

Avatier

MOST TRUSTED

The Future of Identity Management has Arrived

In this industry, you have to work very closely with your clients' CIOs and CSOs. You also have to strive to involve decision makers and stakeholders from as wide a range of departments as possible.

Cover Story

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here are very few lessons that can be applied across every industry and virtually every aspect of life. One of these timeless adages is that it is easier to reach the top than to stay there. Only the very best companies, those with clear, driven focus and an unwavering commitment to excellence, achieve that feat.

In 1997, an identity management software company was founded in Pleasanton, CA and quickly established itself as one of the foremost players in the arena. Today, it operates offices in 10 major international cities and partners with top-tier clients. For over twenty years, it has been the leader in its field.

Meet Avatier.

Redefining Identity Security Avatier is one of the world’s leading providers of identity management software. Its products help organizations comply with government and industry regulations, improve efficiency, and strengthen security, all while reducing costs.

The U.S. federal government, regional governments, the military,

and governmental institutions from around the world employ Avatier’s software. The company counts among its clients several of the world’s most prestigious hotel chains, premier medical and higher education institutions, and leading brands from a range of industries.

The key prongs of Avatier’s solution include single sign-on, help service password reset, automated user provisioning, and access request management. Its dynamic patented workflow with multi-factor authentication is a unified system that facilitates seamless reporting across every nexus.

Insights Success spoke with Nelson Cicchitto, the Chairman, CEO, and President of Avatier Corporation.

Nelson is a veteran of the IT industry and has been with Avatier since the very beginning.

After a Bachelor of Science honors degree from the University of North Texas, he joined the Chevron Information Technology Company, where he designed their first common operating environment and X.500 directory. Nelson then helped Pacific Bell implement the Standard Desktop initiative for 20,000 employees.

They see value in what we bring to the table and that is the reason they continue to buy from us.

Over the past two decades, his contributions and leadership have propelled Avatier to worldwide acclaim and cemented his reputation as one of the industry’s top visionaries.

We asked Nelson to share with us his vision for Avatier. The answer was very specific.

“To simplify.”

Those two words are the driving force behind a company that delivers sophisticated solutions that can be employed without in-depth expertise.

“Avatier ease the process of the identity, identity management, and access governance space,” he elaborates, “We make it easier for customers, employees, and contractors to request and receive access when they need it. Avatars and user identities are things of the past.”

This easy-to-use identity management technology does not compromise on security at any level.

“Data security is paramount, and we emphasize compliance with industry regulations, too. All of this revolves around customer satisfaction, which is our primary focus.”

Nelson touched on why Avatier has managed to draw so many clients so quickly.

“No other product can be deployed and operated as easily as ours.

Because it is based on Docker containers, Avatier software can run on a client’s premises, on our cloud,

or on any cloud they choose. It delivers seamless flexibility and freedom at any point on the globe.”

“It is also the most affordable in terms of maintenance,” he explains.

“We have even built an ROI calculator into our technology so clients have complete control over how their investments amplify their success.”

We make it easier for customers, employees, and contractors to request and receive access when they need it. Avatars and user identities are things of the past.

Focused Innovation More people are connecting to the web and to each other every day.

This widespread use of digital devices is generating an increasingly heterogeneous range of platforms.

Avatier’s products are compatible with every major platform and device and can be scaled up or down as a client’s needs expand and evolve.

An unfortunate by-product of the rise of digital identity and access is a corresponding increase in the number and the sophistication of cybersecurity threats. Avatier is at the forefront of the battle against these risks through the development of its innovative solutions.

One of the key drivers of Avatier’s success is its unrelenting focus on the future of identity management. This philosophy is the foundation of their proactive threat defense mechanisms.

It keeps clients at arm’s length from the risk of data compromise through dynamic change.

This constant innovation and evolution places Avatier’s customers in the ’too hard’ category of targets for most attackers. This commitment

to impregnable security has earned Avatier approval for deployment by the U.S. military, arguably the most prestigious feather in any company’s cap.

For end users, Avatier’s focus on the future also manifests as seamless interaction across all their devices in real time. It gives them unprecedented access to their own data as well as shared data, regardless of location.

The company’s business-driven identity management foregoes coding in favor of configuration. Avatier has developed an intuitive interface that is designed for ease of use without the need for complicated training.

Turning Challenges into Springboards Avatier is successful in large part because it has been able to overcome challenges quickly and effectively.

Nelson reveals that while unique problems do arise on occasion, two specific concerns generate the bulk of the hurdles.

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“Avatier can overcome any software obstacle easily; it is in customer education that we are confronted with our two biggest challenges,” he says.

“One is the customer who has never deployed an identity management solution and does not appreciate the breadth of possible complications.

The other is the customer who is upgrading to Avatier and needs to be shown exactly how, where, and why our solution is superior.”

“In the first scenario, we educate them on what we do and help them set the right expectations. In the second, we have to demonstrate how Avatier’s speed, functionality, and ease outclasses anything they might have used before.”

Nelson enjoys being confronted by problems of this nature. They give him the opportunity to elaborate on the agile, streamlined software that he has helped create. This interaction with clients from diverse industries has been a learning process for him as well.

“In this industry, you have to work very closely with your clients’ CIOs

Avatier is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible because the culture of change is rmly entrenched here.

and CSOs. You also have to strive to involve decision makers and stakeholders from as wide a range of departments as possible.”

He explains, “If just a part of the organization wants the solution, it is difficult to keep the entire organization happy and invested in its use. By educating all their departments, we can demonstrate what each has to gain and why Avatier is the clear choice.”

“When all of them see the benefits in the proposition, they will see the value in the implemented solution.”

Individuals and companies with the ability to consistently reinvent themselves for the benefit of the customer will always be in demand.”

“Avatier is always pushing the boundaries of what is possible because the culture of change is firmly entrenched here. We are constantly patenting new technology but change goes beyond that; we are also quick to adopt the latest sales, marketing, and development strategies.”

Nelson reiterates that it is not change for change’s sake, but a clear plan to innovate on the factors that matter to their customers.

Culture of Change There is no doubt that Nelson is passionate about IT, especially identity management. However, he also places great emphasis on nurturing budding entrepreneurs and software specialists. We asked him what he considers to be the most important philosophy to inculcate in his protégés.

“Embrace change,” he replies, almost instantly. “Irrespective of the specific field of the industry to which you belong, innovation is the single most important factor for success.

“They see value in what we bring to the table and that is the reason they continue to buy from us.”

Perhaps the greatest indicator that Avatier delivers on what it promises is the company’s incredible customer renewal rate.

When given the option, an overwhelming 97% of clients make an active choice to keep using Avatier products. This vote of confidence reinforces the company’s resolve to deliver solutions that cover all bases beyond expectations.

Writing the Future Avatier software has already established itself as a feasible alternative to similar software produced by manufacturers that are far older and much bigger. Nelson is confident that his company has both the vision and the strategy to surpass them.

“Our technology will be adopted more widely. There is a watershed change approaching in terms of the adoption of enterprise cloud solutions. Currently, just under half of businesses have moved their resources to the cloud. When they realize that the cloud is the future, they will embrace it swiftly to gain an edge.”

Nelson’s confidence is based on Avatier’s ability to provide its solution both in the cloud and on a client’s premises.

“Avatier software can establish the greatest market share because of its flexibility. I see people using our range of products as their sole method of logging on to any application, anywhere in the world.”

Given Avatier’s driven leadership, commitment to innovation, and brilliant product range, we would be hard-pressed to disagree.

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CORPORATE OFFICE Insights Success Media Tech LLC 555 Metro Place North, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States Phone: (614)-602-1754,(302)-319-9947 Email: info@insightssuccess.com For Subscription: www.insightssuccess.com

MOST TRUSTED

Management

Brief

10Duke Software Ltd. 10duke.com

Neil Fenton Executive Chairman

10Duke designs and creates technology to meet the demands of 21st century online applications. It offer its customers significant shortcuts in delivering innovative applications that can compete and scale.

Avatier Corporation avatier.com

Nelson Cicchitto Chairman, CEO & President

Avatier's identity management solutions require fewer login credentials and provide the ability to collaborate across and beyond business boundaries.

Axiomatics axiomatics.com

Niklas Jakobsson CEO

Axiomatics is the premier vendor of dynamic authorization delivered through Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) solutions.

BlackBerry Limited blackberry.com

John Chen Executive Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Blackberry is leading the way with a single platform for securing, managing and optimising how intelligent endpoints are deployed in the enterprises, enabling its customers to stay ahead with the technology.

IDEX idexbiometrics.com

Stan Swearingen CEO

IDEX Biometrics fingerprint sensors and biometric solutions are highly secure, customizable and deliver a strong biometric performance while ensuring an outstanding user experience. All at a mass market price.

ILANTUS Technologies ilantus.com

Binod Singh CEO

ILANTUS has learned through customers for over 18 years and provide round pegs for round holes – solutions tailored to segments and industries that really suit different organizational environments.

IPG Group ipg-group.com

Marco Rohrer CEO & Managing Director

The IPG Group is specialized in the conception, integration and operation of IAM-Solutions. It offer solutions for the comprehensive protection of user data and access permissions.

Janrain janrain.com

Jim Kaskade CEO

Janrain pioneered Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) and leads the market it created.

PistolStar Inc. portalguard.com

Tom Hoey Founder & CEO

PistolStar has experienced phenomenal growth, attributing its success to an understanding of customers' pain, having the ability to demonstrate a positive return on investment, and differentiating itself from the competition by delivering flexible solutions.

Safetrust safetrust.com

Jason Hart Founder

Safetrust brings mobility to the modern enterprise as a global pioneer in physical and logical identity solutions.

Company Name

Top

Email 5

Security Threats

early 95 percent of all successful attacks on enterprise networks targeted organization’s users through email. With the industry of cybersecurity evolving so rapidly, hackers are consistently changing their tactics, keeping it almost impossible to keep up with.

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spreader modules. The negative consequences from an Emotet infection can be temporary or permanent loss of sensitive proprietary information, disruption of regular operations, financial losses incurred to restore systems and files, and potential harm to an organizations reputation.

With today’s growing security landscape, email threats are one of the most common strategies utilized by cyber criminals. What started off with spam emails sent to your junk folder, has evolved to a more robust tactic to deliver destructive content straight to your inbox. Here are the top five email security threats that we’ve seen so far this year:

Ursnif Banking Malware A new version of the infamous banking Trojan Ursnif made its appearance again earlier this year in June. This malware is well known in the cyber security community and was the most active malware code in the financial sector from the end of 2016 into early 2017. This malware is capable of stealing users' credentials, credentials for local webmail, cloud storage, cryptocurrency exchange platforms and ecommerce sites.

Emotet Banking Trojan Emotet is an advanced, modular banking Trojan that primarily focuses as a downloader or dropper of other banking Trojans and continues to be among the most costly and destructive malware affecting governments, private and public sectors. Emotet can evade most signature-based detections, and because it is Virtual Machine aware, it generates false indicators when ran in a sandbox.

Additionally, Emotet has several methods for maintaining persistence, including auto-start registry keys and services as well as Dynamic Link Libraries to continuously update and evolve its capabilities.

Initial infection of this malware occurs when a user opens or clicks a malicious download link, PDF, or macro-enabled Microsoft Word document included in the malspam. Once downloaded, Emotet establishes persistence and attempts to propagate local networks through one of its incorporated

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Once Ursnif infects a new machine it will attempt to spread to other users in the address book of the compromised email accounts. It tricks the victim into opening the malicious email because the message is presented as the reply to an existing conversation conducted by the victim in the past.

For example, if you receive an email that was a replay to a previous conversation from a while back, you can look at the “To:” field in the email and see if it's replied to a large number of unsuspecting users.

Another feature about this malware is its ability to keep track of company names and title the malicious document “VICTIM_COMPANY_.doc” in order to look legitimate.

Once the victim clicks enable macros, the second step of the infection process begins, which launches a malicious

|December 2018|

Maestros Insights script that downloads and executes a payload from a server controlled by the attackers. Once installed, Ursnif can operate without being noticed by both the user and the operating system.

Extortion Campaign Extortion campaigns have been around for quite some time but there was one that was in full swing across the globe that used a clever twist to trick unsuspecting users into paying a ransom. The attacker for this extortion campaign claims to have installed malware on your system and has also used your webcam to record you watching porn. The attacker then goes on to threaten the release of this video to everyone in your contacts unless you pay the Bitcoin ransom.

The basic premise of this type of extortion attempt has been around for quite some time, but the addition of the Username/Password combination in the subject line has unsuspecting users worried. While researching this campaign, Nuspire’s Security Analytics Team (SAT) came across multiple different counts of affected users claiming the Username/Password combination was something they had used eight years ago. In this case, the attacker has somewhat automated the attack to create a script that pulls directly from usernames and passwords of a given data breach that happened eight years ago. Therefore, every victim who had their password compromised as part of that breach, is now getting this same email at the address they used to sign up for the hacked website.

Hopefully, if you were affected by that data breach you updated your username/password combination. Granted, the people who didn't bother changing this information, this attack directly affects them, but rest assured this attacker doesn’t have a recording of you that they plan to send out to your contacts. It is merely scare tactics to make some easy money, and upon investigation of multiple Bitcoin addresses associated with this campaign, the attacker was indeed making easy money.

This attack could evolve in the future and use more up to date data breaches which in turn could scare more users into paying the ransom, so be on the lookout.

Shawn Pope Cyber Security Engineer

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shawn Pope is the Cyber Security Engineer of Nuspire Networks, a state-of-the-science managed network security provider for some of the largest and most distinctive companies around the world.

GandCrab Ransomware GandCrab holds the top spot in ransomware, partly because it’s used by the Magnitude botnet. Although GandCrab is usually spread via spam email, it has recently been distributed via compromised websites and is now

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appending the .KRAB extension to the encrypted files.

Towards the end of April 2018 a campaign with the subject line “Your Order #{Random Digits}” was circulating. There is limited content in the body of the email and has an attached ZIP file which includes a Word document that contains malicious macros that download and execute GandCrab ransomware.

GandCrab is under constant development where new versions are consistently being released at an aggressive pace. Its basic functionality is well document and does the same typical things ransomware does, including encrypting files with the. KRAB extension, changing the user’s background, and leveraging Tor for communications. One of the interesting elements of Gandcrab is its use of namecoin domains for Command and Control (C2) communication. These are easily identified by the .bit top level domain (TLD). Since attackers rely heavily on Tor and namecoin domains to help evade identification, it is a no brainer for them to use a decentralized DNS service that does not rely on central authority. This also increases the difficulty of having domains shut down and identifying those that are potentially behind them.

Phishing By the end of Q2 2018 Microsoft had taken over the top spot from Facebook for the number one target of corporate phishing attacks. Reason being, it’s highly profitable for hackers to compromise an Office 365 account. Hackers see email-based attacks as an easy entry point into data, files, and contacts from other Office 365 apps, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Skype, Excel, and CRM. We see all different types of Phishing attempts from quite possibly the worst attempts to exact replicas of a legitimate Office 365 login page. Unfortunately, Phishing will always exist and can slip through the gaps in email filtering due to the fact that new domains/URLs are popping up every day

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to host fake login pages. This is where user awareness training is extremely important. Educate your users, roll out training exercises where employees with fake Phishing emails and see who clicks on them and who doesn’t.

Because Phishing has become so popular, education will pay off in the long run.

Solutions Aside from training and educating employees on malware, and ransomware that might come in through a user’s email, there are a few other solutions to take into consideration that can prevent these attacks from entering your network.

1. Use antivirus programs with behavior and heuristic detection capabilities, with automatic updates of signatures and software on clients and servers.

2. Implement a spam filter to filter out known malspam indicators such as malicious subject lines, and block suspicious and blacklisted Ips. 3. Mark external emails with a banner denoting it is from an external source, this will assist users in detecting spoofed emails.

4. Implement a block policy for file attachments that are commonly associated with malware such as .dll, and .exe, and attachments that cannot be scanned by antivirus such a .zip files.

5. Implement Domain-Based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance (DMARC), a validation system that minimizes spam email by detecting email spoofing using Domain Name System (DNS) records and digital signatures.

6. Implement a solution that can send the unknown/suspicious files to the sandbox for further investigation and analysis.

7. And most importantly employee training on social engineering and phishing. Urge employees not to open suspicious emails, click links contained in such emails, or post sensitive information online.

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Data Center Security: Controlling Possible Threats

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he rise in cyber-crimes is one of the main causes of Data center outages. As per the recent survey conducted by industry insiders, cyber-crime caused 22 percent data center outages in 2015 opposed to 2 percent outages in 2010. Adding to all these, now most of the data centers are re-evaluating their security policies after the recent WannaCry ransomware attack.

Data center outages cause companies to loss revenue in many ways. However, the costliest loss is service interruption and loss of IT productivity. So, the organizations are now realizing that traditional security is no longer secure enough to secure any data center. A recent study has found that 83 percent of traffic travels east/west within the data center, which stays undetected by the perimeter security. In this environment, when an attacker infiltrates the perimeter firewall, then can jump across the system with ease, extract information and compromise valuable data. Additionally, data centers can fail due to trespassers or a terrorist attack or by natural calamities.

So, how can one secure a data center in the best way possible from any kind of cyber threat? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered, with the points below.

As the first step, one should Map the Data Center and flag the hackers within the virtual and physical infrastructure.

The CSOs and CIOs with a system map of their systems can react to any suspicious activity and take steps to stop data breaches. Being able to visualize different traffic patterns within a network helps to understand threats, that eventually elevates the level of security.

Understanding and measurement of traffic flow within the data center boundary are very important. In the case of

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any interruption in traffic across east/west vs north/south, protected vs unprotected one can get to know about a threat.

Additionally, vulnerable zones and unprotected traffic need to be monitored for a better result.

Firewall rules need to be defined and implemented as per requirements. Additionally, one should allow traffic only after thorough verification and selectively allow communication to ensure maximum protection. The key is to identify, what;s legal and secured and what can be blocked to enhance security.

One needs to Build a Team with executives who understand how traffic flows within the premises and can access & secure information, take necessary measures to secure important assets along with the implementation of roadblocks for the attackers.

Security must move as fast as a data center’s technology adoption and integration. Security Strategy Should Change Alongside the Technology and it should not be treated as an add-on option. Additionally, businesses also should ensure that their virus protection, signatures other protection features are up to date for better protection.

Businesses should Identify and Place Controls over highvalue assets, which will help to reduce risk. However, older security solutions are completely blind to new threats, new security companies have produced latest solutions that protect data in the virtual world.

Access Restriction also needs to be imposed. Every business should thoroughly check a person’s background before giving the access to a prized possession. Access to the main site and the loading bay must be limited,

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Digital Revolution

additionally, two-factor authentications and fortified interiors with security guards and roving patrols would help to safeguard the employees and the data center.

Installing Surveillance Cameras around the data center, alongside removing signs which may provide clues to its function helps to locate an intruder. A buffer zone between the data center and all the entry points will limit unlawful trespassing to a great extent. Additionally, the data center needs to be far away from the main road and it should not have any windows other than administrative purposes for better security.

A data center should Check Test Back-Up Systems regularly as prescribed by the manufacturer. It should also ensure to make a list and of Do’s and Don’ts in the event of an attack. Recovery plans and security plans also need to be checked thoroughly.

Data centers are always a Soft Target for The Terrorists, as an attack on them can disrupt and damage major business and communication infrastructure. So, security needs to be taken seriously and to do that proactive steps should be taken to limit the impact of a terrorist attack.

Trained Security Guards needs to be posted inside a data center and they should be well trained. Security officers must undergo strict site-specific training to monitor surveillance footage. Depending on the size of data center and the number of security cameras multiple security officers may be required on duty. Security officers dedicated to inspecting surveillance footage helps when it comes to securing a data center.

Disaster Recovery is very much important, that must be in place. If the data center stops functioning after an attack or natural calamity, it must have a way to restore operations as soon as possible. To be ready for a disaster and to evaluate the disaster recovery plan, it’s necessary to train staffs well and experience simulated disasters.

To avoid these obstacles, one needs a fair bit of knowledge of new security systems, solid plans, and comprehensive visibility. The more work a data center can do up front in the above-mentioned areas the better the chances of success with lesser outages.

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MOST TRUSTED

Axiomatics: An Independent Leader in Dynamic Authorization Solutions

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eadquartered at Stockholm, Sweden, Axiomatics provides access control software that protects the most critical assets of today’s modern enterprises. This includes applications and data sources and microservices which are utilized by the Fortune 500 and federal government agencies around the world to share sensitive data securely, meet compliance and minimize data fraud. Through a policy-based approach to dynamic authorization that utilizes the Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) model, Axiomatics helps enterprises across industries to lock down confidential data and IP while securely sharing and collaborating with authorized users.

The Facilitator Niklas Jakobsson is the CEO of Axiomatics. He has over 25 years of experience in the technology sector, among which fifteen of those years have been in a senior management position. Niklas has also worked and operated in most of the IT business models ranging from open source to SaaS, software license sales to outsourcing in international environments. He fully comprehends the complexity and opportunity present in the market which has led Axiomatics to ensure flexibility and focus on its product offering.

Attributes of Access Control Solution At its core, dynamic authorization is a policy-based approach which ensures right users to have access to the right assets at the right time. As the premier vendor in authorization, Axiomatics solutions are ideal for enterprises and government agencies that need to securely share information, while complying with complex and ever-evolving regulations. The suite covers the lifecycle of policy-based access control, helping customers to create the framework, implement and maintain their policies, as well as enforce and audit access control.

So far, the experts have led the field and proven its flexibility by helping companies in upgrading their legacy access control approaches and tackling new initiatives such as migrating to the cloud, digital business transformation, new customer portal development and adoption of APIs and micro services.

Prior to Axiomatics, Niklas was the country manager at CA Technologies, a computer software company, where he was responsible for managing IT services. His role with CA Technologies has been instrumental in shaping the vision of how Axiomatics works with large enterprises and growing software firms.

With Axiomatics' dynamic authorization, they can set fine-grained policies built on attributes of data that dictate access control permissions. This includes information such as the user's role, the time of day, current location, and designation of a specific team or project. This can solve more complex access control scenarios, such as contextual dynamic data masking of specific data types to meet privacy requirements. In addition to safeguarding sensitive information critical applications and data, Axiomatics dynamic authorization products allow the right information to be shared, under the right conditions.

As a people-person combined with his international business acumen, Niklas has been able to better link operations across Europe and the Americas with a cohesive vision.

Being a proven leader in the industry, Axiomatics' bestin-class solutions and its strategic business processes are built to set the company apart from other competitors.

On the other hand, it continues to be more focused on the

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A driving force behind dynamic access control through its suite of industry standard products.

Niklas Jakobsson CEO

right product innovations to help ease the pains of legacy access control and facilitate the adoption of dynamic authorization. At present, Axiomatics is advancing towards its milestone along with its customer's growth by innovating new applications of dynamic authorization that support and enabling the business to become more agile, secure and customer-focused.

Strengthening the Relationship Serving customers drives the experts of Axiomatics and enable them to work hard each day. They feel pride in helping the clientele to solve their access control issues.

For one of their European banking customers, the Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) solution provided a centralized and externalized approach to achieve compliance with privacy regulations, for the Data Protection Law and GDPR (transparency to access). The benefits from this implementation are quantifiable, including real-time reporting and cost reduction for development efforts. The customer also experienced nearly 20 percent cost reduction for maintenance, ease in onboarding applications and services, and the ability to change policy language enterprise-wide when needed.

|December 2018|

The client said, “We now have the ability to be proactive.

We are well positioned to handle all future regulatory requirements quickly and costeffectively.”

Unveiling the Future From the beginning, Axiomatics has been a pioneer in opening up a new approach toward access control. As the adoption of dynamic authorization is becoming more main stream, the company will continue to be on the front lines as a thought leader and share leading-edge use cases on the application of access control for applications, APIs, microservices and data stores.

Axiomatics will continue to serve as the leader in access control, and will continue to improve its product offerings by integrating within a multitude of ecosystems both in IAM and in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, the federal government and banking.

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Flexibility: Its Use and Abuse

F

lexibility, defined as the ability to change business plans to account for changing conditions and new information, is essential. Being a flexible manager requires talent, smarts, and the ability to create a future few others may see.

Elena Briola VP Marketing

About the Author With a massive experience of more than 15 years Elena Briola, currently serves as VP Marketing at Cloud4Wi and she is responsible for all areas of marketing and communications, including product marketing, marketing communications, corporate communications and internal communications.

Thanks to her competences, Elena has managed complex projects, supporting various national and international customers in strategic activities, from the business planning to the product planning and marketing. Moreover, she has written several articles and reports on new generation wireless technologies.

Elena started her career at Telecom Italia Labs in Turin, where she performed advanced Research & Development activities on mobile access networks. Then she moved to WiTech, where she served as CMO in the last period.She held a Degree in Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Pisa.

Being flexible allows tech companies, like Cloud4Wi, to step around huge roadblocks and better focus on “right now” business opportunities. Misused and misunderstood, flexibility can also be a refuge for managers and whole companies that are unable to make decisions and stick with them.

While we must always be flexible, deciding where the flex must end can be a real challenge.

Being too flexible – wishy-washy even – is just at least as deadly as not being flexible at all.

Flexibility as Intuition Flexibility can undoubtedly be learned. Over time, by trial and error, and with deep introspection, most managers can become better flexible managers. It seems evident that some managers naturally seem to see and understand flexible decision making and its consequences much better than others. Tech companies should seek to identify these “natural-born” flexible managers and use their wisdom when possible.

Developing a flexible culture is also essential.

This starts with an understanding that once a decision has gained the support of key stakeholders, it is no longer “owned” by whoever suggested it. That means if the decision goes wrong, the consequences fall on everyone. A shared result is the only way flexible thinkers can be encouraged to offer their best ideas, without fear of disrupting their careers.

Uses of Flexibility How tech companies respond to the changing customer environment and other external

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|December 2018|

Expert's Advice challenges can define success and failure. Both inflexibility in execution and change just for change’s sake can turn a tech company into a furniture liquidation sale.

Flexibility may be the tech manager’s most important personal quality. The ability to make a quick decision that doesn’t forego ongoing course corrections is what makes one manager a success and another “do you remember what’s-her-name?”

Gone are the days of strategic plans created months, even years, in advance and etched in stone. Still, we sometimes see weeks or months of immobility by companies confronted with bad news or new challenges. Decisions – good, bad, indifferent – are what drive a business forward.

Remaining still rarely helps. Moreover, no choice is generally worse than a so-so call.

When in doubt: Do Something (But Not Anything) Planning is a necessity but being in love with a failing plan is deadly. Tech companies thrive on short-term activity and flexibility that supports change when change is necessary.

Timing can be everything.

When things are going wrong, the ability to understand the consequences of possible decisions is essential. A wellcalibrated crystal ball view into the future would be helpful but is seldom available. Usually, a decision will be made based on the best available – if incomplete – information.

Not making a dangerous situation worse should be a goal of the process, but the real purpose is doing something that gets the team and the business working to solve the problem. Even if later changes are required.

The Abuse of Flexibility If too little flexibility is a problem, too much can be deadly.

Flexibility can be the refuge of the soft-minded manager, swaying in the winds of indecision and trying to make a popular choice. Flexible managers have a calibrated sense of when change is too much and risks the goal.

Sometimes, however, only big changes – the “Hail Mary pass” of business decision making – has a chance of saving the day. At those times, it Is important tech companies don’t toss process to the winds. If yours is a “consensus decision” company, think twice before allowing a single manager or small group to decide. Likewise, if a single manager is usually the final decision maker, don’t allow the wash of conflicting decisions to ruin the day.

Three Times When Flexibility Matters Most 1. Choose your core offering wisely. Be flexible in how you bring it to market.

Every tech company needs a motivating “big idea” or technology that staff, engineers, investors, and customers |December 2018|

Cloud4Wi, a Flexible Tech Company This article is a collection of what I and our Cloud4Wi team have learned – sometimes the hard way – from our combined many decades of experience. We’ve found that flexibility not only works, it may be the only path to success in many cases. We’ve also found that self-conscious flexibility, nervous flexibility, can be almost as bad as not flexing at all.

Please share the lessons of flexibility with those around you, especially your reports, and create an environment where people feel free to take chances for the good of the enterprise. Used wisely, flexibility always repays.

can rally around. There needs to be enough flexibility in how the big idea becomes a product or service that as the marketplace changes or roadblocks are encountered the big idea can be refocused on the new opportunity.

2. Take advantage of hot trends, but don’t look like you are stretching the truth to appear “cool.”

Artificial Intelligence has made headlines recently. Tech companies should embrace AI to build cutting-edge products, as well as improving business processes. AIdriven digital marketing framework, for example, can help tech companies better identify potential customers and target them with tailored messages.

3. Where not to be flexible: Company values Many people got into the tech business with the hope of making the world a better place. Companies benefit from having solid values that remain constant when put to the test. Work to identify these and make them a non-flexible part of company culture. Stand up for managers who make tough decisions that give life to these values. The values can help guide your decisions and, when necessary, put edges around the range of flexible options being considered.

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MOST TRUSTED

IPG Group: A Competent Partner Engaged in IAM Projects

N

owadays in complex computing environments, along with heightened security threats, a strong username and password doesn’t cut it anymore.

Therefore, identity management systems often incorporate elements of biometrics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and risk-based authentication. In this overarching goal of identity management, Information Process Group (IPG) aims to align the strategic orientation of the Identity & Access Management activities. The organization measures the gradual implementation of the technical and the ongoing operation of the identity & access management solution optimally while providing users with individual training opportunities at any time.

Additionally, as a leading provider and operator of identity and access management solutions in Europe, IPG deals exclusively and specializes in the analysis, assessment, planning and implementation of solutions for the management of user data and access rights.

A Marketing Specialist IPG is led by Marco Rohrer, the CEO and Managing Director, who believes in continuity and long-term identity & access management activities. Marco being a graduated Business Economist FH with specialization in entrepreneurship and organization & marketing advices on the design of user, authorization and process management roles. He also concentrates on certain specific areas in order to define requirements for the development of existing identity management infrastructures. In the last two years, Marco has been armored with great success and leads a comprehensive project for the introduction of an identity management infrastructure in the complex environment of a large, all-sector insurance.

Like before, the experts under his leadership are convinced that the company’s customers should not have to worry about the details of an IAM solution and can hand over their daily operations. Therefore, the experts of IPG are 26

continuously expanding the Managed Services (IAM Operation Services) to further strengthen the company’s market position in the future.

A Holistic Approach Headquartered at Winterthur, Switzerland, IPG offers range of innovation and transformation identity & access management solutions like competent strategy, process and organizational consulting to technology consulting, industry-specific implementation, stable operation and tailor-made training. Further as a full-service provider, IPG also offers operating services and managed services as well as a comprehensive training program in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Being one of the pioneers in the IAM space, IPG assumes responsibility as a business partner and has proven competence in the realization of complex IAM solutions for almost 20 years. Today, the IPG Group is one of the leading consulting and integration companies for IAM. Further IPG promises successful projects based on a holistic approach with the sophisticated best practices and comprehensive industry in various fields form the basis for a favorable IAM business partnership.

A New Level of Business Process The optimal exploitation of IAMs potential benefits at the level of business processes can only be achieved based on comprehensive consideration and proactive control at various levels. In order to realize these potential benefits for its customers, IPG has established a strong advisory competence, which ensures that the necessary tasks within the framework of the IAM projects are implemented efficiently.

Nevertheless, it is currently noticeable that service companies are trying to enter the market by addressing newer topics such as customer or consumer identity

|December 2018|

We specialize in design, integration, operation and training relating to IAM solutions.

Marco Rohrer CEO & Managing Director

management. However, IPG sees itself well prepared to operate successfully in the market in the long term. Expertise and experience in this segment are an essential prerequisite.

Customers expect consulting and implementation expertise and want to benefit best practices.

With qualified experts, IPG stands for consistent methods in IAM strategy from implementation to operation and for orientation & predictability with a step-by-step approach with clear action fields and guides, scalable and prioritized adaptation to customer needs.

Future Expansion Since the IAM market has changed greatly, especially concerning software vendors. IPG is constantly reviewing technologies which are in demand, in order to offer significant new opportunities, but is also committed to proven, long-term partnerships. This also forms a basis for differentiating in the market from new competitors. Through a comprehensive product and technology expertise IPG is able to combine this with procedural and organizational expertise.

in order to continue to be a competent partner for IAM in a time of increasing digitalization.

Reflections of Trustworthiness “The professional operational support allows us to flexibly lead the IAM operation with full cost transparency and ensures that our IAM system is up to date” - Yves Oggier, Head of IT Operation Support Processes at Sanitas Health Insurance, Switzerland “Being able to access current IAM Knowledge without having to create our own department and complete cost transparency is important to us” - Simone Bonanni, Head Engineering and Operations, AMAG

Additionally, IPG continues to focus on growth and expanding its leading position in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and focusing in the expansion of managed services. On the other hand, it is also actively engaging with topics such as IAM, Blockchain and Internet of Things (IoT) |December 2018|

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T

he cloud has now become a well-established deployment option for business applications. It provides an exceptional ground for grounding the business intelligence systems, as it provides business agility, scalability, and lowers the total cost of ownership.

So, it is a little uncharacteristic that although most applications have migrated to the cloud, data warehouses the fundamental of any business intelligence structures - are still mostly on proposition.

There could be multiple business users and business units who are using the data. We can also ease out the migration process by prioritizing and breaking down the whole data warehouse into significant business process subject areas.

Select the right cloud vendor for your warehouse

Of course, that's not entirely surprising given that businesses have invested heavily in an on-premise data warehouse technology, with strong concerns about protecting sensitive data. Being seamless, migration of the data warehouse to the cloud must ensure that additional cloud security measures are addressed.

There are numerous cloud providers out there in the market.

Amazon, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azureare some of the market leaders in among cloud solution provider’s industry.

Based on the outcome of the classification of the existing warehouse, we must create a matrix of the functionalities required vs. existing features in respective cloud provider’s environment and then make the final choice. Of course, the monetary expenses also play a vital role in making this decision.

Steps required to be supervised while migration of the Data Warehouses

Identify technology choices depending on there siliency of concept projects

Characterize the current data warehouse along multiple dimensions

Choosing the appropriate database technology for hosting the warehouse is the most important technology decision to be made. You are required to identify the queries symbolizing the typical workload based on performance tests. The factors needed to be considered while making this decision are:

Detailed analysis should be carried out to cover the sensitive data aspects very carefully. It should be taken under consideration on what options are provided by the cloud vendor, and what are the organizational needs for the confidentiality. Thorough analysis of the regulatory standards must be carried out.

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Data types needed by the application Ÿ Ÿ

Database technologies available from the cloud provider Database features required |December 2018|

Editor's Pick

Migrating the

Data Warehouses into the

Cloud Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ

Real-time data processing needs Number of concurrent users Performance needs etc.

The compute and the storage necessities will decide the infrastructure needed for hosting the data warehouse.

parallel with the legacy system so that it is easier to test and determine the success of the migration. The migration and extraction needs to be setup in a repeated manner so that in case there are some concerns with the migration, it can be re-processed.

Preparing a surefire migration plan

Test the success of migration

Preparing a well thought out project plan is certainly crucial for a successful migration. You must primarily involve business users in the entire decision making and project plan. They should be fully aware of the migration strategy and in fact they must contribute in testing the new system.

In the primary stage of the data migration, we typically test and compare one or several sample queries and data sets. In addition, we would like to commend comparison of row counts of objects, min and max values as well as sample data row assessments. Outlining the success criteria for the migration and testing is of greatest importance to ensure long term success of the cloud data warehouse. You also need to reassure that incremental data loads work correctly throughout.

Infrastructure readiness Most data warehouse projects on the cloud are required to set up a VPC. A VPC houses the entire production warehouse setup. It is very important to create corresponding environments for development, UAT and QA to ensure smooth operations of the systems. Set up access control and security on each of the environments. Also lay out the complete architecture beforehand.

Complete the migration Migration embroils initial movement of the old data followed by the incremental tug of the data from the various sources. A thorough description needs to be in place that plots the source data elements to the target data elements. It is desirable to run the modeled data migration project in |December 2018|

Conclusion Nowadays, there has been a lot of support for data warehouses in the cloud. Moving data warehouses to the cloud is yielding real business benefits, since many vendors are expanding the breadth and depth of services for warehousing and analysis of the data. However, migration is not exempted of challenges. Make sure you think through all the different aspects of data warehouse migration and then come up with an infallible plan to address those challenges.

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MOST TRUSTED

Janrain: Building a Comprehensive Enterprise Identity Management Strategy How brands should position identity & access management for employees and customers

I

dentity and access management (IAM) solutions were originally used by companies to control employees and contractors’ access to enterprise resources. As consumers have become more digital savvy, companies have adopted identity management programs geared toward customers to gather omnichannel data for improved business insights and enhance user experiences. While similar, customer-centric IAM has added features and is a relatively new category for IAM that specializes in registration, authorization, authentication and management of customer identities: Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM).

Crafting a Well-rounded Identity Management Strategy A large enterprise looking to succeed in the digital age should craft an identity management program that includes considerations for customer IAM separate from traditional/employee IAM. The core functionalities are the same, but each have unique feature sets for their different use cases. In a digitally-transformed enterprise, the employee IAM arm includes access controls for different internal systems and permissioning for each department, team and individual contributor. The customer IAM arm should go further to integrate with the CRM, marketing automation stack, content management systems and other applications, according to the KuppingerCole Leadership Compass, to create a single-view backend for better customer insights. It also needs to provide a key customerfacing element: registration and login. With CIAM, an enterprise can aggregate data from different accounts and engagement points, which enables a single view of the customer throughout their journey and creates a seamless omnichannel registration and user experience in store, on desktop, mobile devices and more.

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The Specifics of Customer IAM (CIAM) As a CIAM industry pioneer, Janrain recognized the need for an enhanced IAM solution designed specifically for customers early on and created a cloud-based identity platform, Janrain Identity Cloud®, that world-renowned brands like Pfizer, Samsung, Philips, McDonald’s and Dr Pepper rely on to securely manage billions of identities and offer seamless, omnichannel customer experiences. They all benefit from the Janrain Identity Cloud feature set that is optimized for large-scale consumer use cases. To adequately do this, the Janrain Identity Cloud enables the following key features -- among others -- on top of standard IAM capabilities: scalability, user experience and security.

1. Scalability In a CIAM use case, the volume of identities is much larger, as a large enterprise will have hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of customers in its database. A cloud-based identity management solution can scale to accommodate tens of millions of identities, perform during traffic spikes from marketing campaigns and other triggers, and adapt to complex use cases where customer identities, device identities and identity relationships are managed.

2. User Experience User experience (UX) is a consideration that is unique to CIAM. For a traditional IAM program that is used for employees only, UX is important but not critical.

Employees will have a higher tolerance for less streamlined UX because, frankly, they do not have a choice. In a customer use case, enterprises risk losing a customer who has a bad user experience. According to Chatbots Magazine, 91 percent of unsatisfied customers will not return for a repeat purchase or service. With Janrain, enterprises can translate the benefit of a single-view customer dashboard on the back end to a front end UX

|December 2018|

CIAM is all about easier and secure account access, friction-free customer experiences, and allowing companies to gain a better understanding of their customers, their needs, and how offerings resonate with their consumers.

Jim Kaskade CEO

where customers receive personalized communications and streamlined registration and login across digital properties that complement offline experiences.

3. Security While both employee and customer data privacy are important, enterprises are collecting customer data that is arguably more sensitive than employees (e.g. banking information, medical history, online behavior), and in today’s privacy climate, data security is simply non-negotiable. A sophisticated CIAM solution must be held accountable for its security standards and be able to reduce an enterprise’s risk for breaches. With CIAM, information security, IT and marketing teams must align with their vendor to assure rigorous safeguards are in place to reduce risk. Janrain leads the CIAM category in accredited third party certifications and proudly earned a number of top security certifications, including: CSA STAR Level 2, ISO 27018, ISO 27001:2013, SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA and HITECH. In addition, Janrain has partnered with Akamai, the world’s largest and most trusted cloud delivery platform, to provide an added level of security to shield Janrain clients and their customers from data breaches.

The Future of Identity Management Digital transformation is a strategic investment on most nearterm enterprise business plans, prompting business leaders to

|December 2018|

work cross-functionally to put an identity management strategy in place. Rather than retrofitting a traditional IAM solution to accommodate customers, pragmatic business leaders should build out a larger identity management strategy, where employee and customer IAM are subsets with different features to align with their vastly different objectives. Identity is becoming a core part of brand strategy, further emphasizing the need to make sure identity management is designed for success. By implementing a dedicated CIAM solution, an enterprise will benefit from the scale, user experience, and security needed to successfully serve customers in the digital age.

About Janrain Founded in 2002, Janrain pioneered Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) and is widely recognized by industry analysts as a global CIAM leader. The Janrain Identity Cloud provides identity management, security and activation solutions that enable seamless and safe customer experiences across their digitally connected world, while providing enterprise organizations with deep customer insights. Janrain’s identity capabilities include social and traditional login and registration, single sign-on, customer profile data storage and management, customer segments, customer insights and engagement solutions. The company reaches over 1.75 billion digital identities with over 3,400 commercial deployments. Janrain is based in Portland, Oregon, with offices in London, Paris and Silicon Valley.

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The

Evolution of

Testing Unmatched Acceleration with Fifth Generation Automation

T

he Early Years of Packaged Applications

From the inception of packaged applications, companies of all sizes have taken advantage of the economies of building, maintaining, changing and deploying functionality through third party software providers. Why build a general ledger or payroll/human resources system when you can license it instead? Why not leverage out of the box functionality offered by third party software and rely on the vendor to offer support and maintenance and stay current on regulatory, industry and process best practices.

Shoeb Javed CTO Worksoft 34

The first generation of mainframe software transformed quickly as the technology evolved, introducing client-server as the better, more costeffective deployment platform. The applications themselves were still being developed and deployed in functional silos – their interaction with other critical functions of the business an afterthought. Although less than ideal, interfaces were developed to transport data from one system to the next – leading to the introduction of middle-ware as an economical means of “connecting” the silos.

|December 2018|

Leader's Take At that time, SAP emerged as the leader in delivering comprehensive, end-to-end business solutions on the most advanced platforms. They quickly captured the market and cross-industry adoption continued to deliver best in class results to their customers. PeopleSoft was also introduced to the market during this era, initially focusing on the payroll/human resources market. They ultimately started developing and delivering ERP and CRM systems as well.

Change continued to accelerate as web-based systems were introduced which impacted the economic and technological dynamics of “user requirements,” development, deployment, and costs.

Throughout this evolution, industries, companies and individuals not only developed an incredible reliance on the performance of their “systems,” but forward thinking organizations saw this as a quick path to competitive advantage.

The Need for Speed The problem then as now – how do you accelerate the value of the technology investment to the business? The technology was purchased, licensed, and implemented to achieve a specific set of business benefits. When it comes to these large enterprise application investments, companies conduct in-depth evaluations and build business cases to map out exactly what results they expect to realize. This typically involves a look at what financial and human capital investments – time and money – will be needed to achieve success with a product as well as the financial, efficiency, and competitive gains that come with the ongoing use of the software.

On one side of the equation, development methods have evolved to meet this need for speed. Waterfall methodologies are being replaced with Agile. DevOps has become the new buzz-word. But there’s something else to consider – the business side of things. There is an everincreasing reliance on packaged applications to execute and deliver critical business outcomes. It’s important that applications are developed and deployed quickly and changes can be made regularly, but how do you ensure that business processes are running flawlessly?

Surprisingly, many companies are managing their enterprise application processes manually. This means hours of whiteboard meetings spent trying to understand existing business processes. Weeks during every project spent writing test scripts that break when something changes. Delays in delivery because manual testing can’t keep pace with |December 2018|

business change. The implementation and ongoing management of enterprise applications is complex, and a crucial component is making sure that end-to-end processes work—every time, every day. Manual or first generation testing means system downtime, errors in production, wasted time and energy and companies left open to technology risk.

The bigger picture is that those approaches are fundamentally standing in the way of achieving the results companies set out to achieve with packaged apps. How can you make the financial, productivity, and competitive gains that you were counting on if your processes aren’t performing flawlessly?

About the Author Shoeb Javed, chief technology ofcer, Worksoft, is responsible for the technology strategy, software development, quality assurance and customer support for all Worksoft solutions. As CTO, Shoeb also works with quality assurance and business leaders of some of the largest global Fortune 1000 corporations to help automate testing of complex packaged enterprise applications to speed up project timelines and improve operational efciencies.

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The Evolution of Testing Thankfully, the answer is today’s fifth generation test automation that is enabling business users and organizations to adopt, accept, and utilize new applications faster. When processes across enterprise applications are executed seamlessly and as designed, companies can harness the potential of their enterprise applications to achieve strategic goals like entering new markets, increasing revenue, and maintaining a competitive advantage.

Worksoft, the pre-eminent fifth generation automation platform, delivers unmatched speed in automating the identification of current business processes and automatically creating tests to ensure that each business-critical process works as required. An independent study of Worksoft customers by industry analyst IDC identified many unique benefits of Worksoft’s automation platform, but chief among them was accelerating delivery of these applications by an average of nearly two months. Consider how much more you could accomplish if you could cut weeks and months from every project.

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Leaders across the globe have adopted Worksoft as their weapon of choice to improve their financial and operational positions in their respective industries.

Lead the Way First to market with autonomous cars?

Moving your business model from DVDs to online subscription services?

Evolving from an online bookstore to the world’s largest internet retailer?

These companies didn’t simply try to

keep up. They were determined to lead.

Today’s digital economy brings massive opportunity to companies looking to disrupt the market. There has been a fundamental change to the business landscape and companies who are competitive innovators will win.

About the Company: Worksoft provides the world's leading automation platform for enterprise applications. Companies worldwide rely on Worksoft's automated business process discovery, documentation, compliance, testing, risk analysis, and RPA to support critical packaged applications, including SAP, Salesforce, Oracle, Workday, SuccessFactors, ServiceNow and more.

Our fifth-generation automation platform helps enterprises accelerate innovation and change, lower technology risk, and increase efficiency. Our ecosystem includes partnerships with Accenture, IBM, Cognizant, SAP and our Global 5000 customers include 3M, Intel, Microsoft, Siemens and more.

|December 2018|

SAAS Can Create

Business Developments

with Different

Revenue Streams

S

aaS or ‘Software as a Service’ is being used rigorously in current business ventures as it provides more accuracy and vision to any business project. Interestingly, with this solution, the importance of installing the hardware devices to run the data and different applications has lost its importance. It is a very selective section of cloud computing, through which the future business data collection process can be simpler than ever. SaaS is a very profitable genre in the field of futuristic business ventures, and thus a question may arise about the SaaS business, and that is what could be the revenue stream for such business enterprise, or in general words, the earning process for the SaaS business!

Unfortunately some people believe that there are no such good ways of earning revenue for Saas business and if there are some sources, those are very minor in their conducts. Interestingly, the reality and the current situation are otherwise, and there are a number of ways in which the SaaS business can earn its revenue. ‘Payment’ to get the software is not the only mode of earning, and the enterpriser of this business can earn great revenue with multiple options, without stressing out on particular section of the business venture. Here are some of the solutions: Set-up Cost and Upsell A Set-up cost is one of the common ways to earn the revenue and it gives clarity to the providers about the authenticity of the users and determines the commitment too, thus it is a great way to explore the minds of the customers and the possible future relationship with the users. On the other hand the set up earning can actually lead to the upsell market for the SaaS providers. It is one of the easiest ways to enhance the revenue through the existing customers, and it is a great business opportunity, as this way of earning lessens the dependency of the brand on the pressure of adding up new customers. To maintain the continuity with the existing customers certain facilities like offering additional storage, speed, data, bandwidth or the frequency are enlisted as 'services'. Though, this process of earning is largely dependent on the benefit of the product or the service, along with the need or requirement of the client.

Affiliate Marketing It is another great way to boost the earning for the SaaS business as, through this process, it becomes a two-way system to get business, where the users advertise or sell the product. As the process is

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|December 2018|

Tech Trend

earning money, and it is the best way of earning through the free version users, but not very apt for the paid customers. As the paid customers already pay a certain amount, adding advertisements can create a negative impact on them. So even if the ads are there, they must be in a way that looks less annoying for the users.

dependent on the users, it is not dependent on any other external way from the business providers' side. The SaaS providers are only responsible to pay the commission after getting the revenue. So it is definitely a win-win situation for the SaaS providers.

Customer Service and Information Charges Saas providers are on the verge of adding a new structure for great revenue, which are customer service and information charges. As with this system, the business providers offer to sale some of the researched information to the clients. It is not very difficult for the clients to value them by paying the money as they are getting a great help, and interestingly it can work for the clients to cling to the services which can create the path for more business. Basically, a great customer service is the key to earn good money and with the satisfaction of the customers; the process can be on the loop for a great revenue system.

Advertisement Advertisements are the most common sector of

|December 2018|

API Model This is rather a complicated but effective method of earning lucrative revenue. If the SaaS can coordinate or work with other software applications, the importance of it can rise to a whole new level. This work model can do magic for some of the users and it can have a great value or earning in the future. But this great system comes with certain risks, and the reason is, the amount of money invested to create and run it. But if the developers can be assured of its service and the demand of the customers, it can turn out to be a great moneymaking option.

Reselling When some of the SaaS is so apt that the potential customers want to avail it for their business purpose, the tie-up with the providers or the reselling of the product can be beneficial form the point of view of the revenue. This process is known as the White Label Licensing.

At the end of this discussion, the conclusion is, a better service can open up new trails for Revenue Streams for SaaS Business. SaaS is not a new concept, but the vast implication is definitely new. So there are a number of scopes yet to be explored by the developers of this new business. Thus, the future and the success of SaaS business is dependent on exploring various ways for SaaS revenue, and with more innovative ideas for the revenue, the market of SaaS business will be more strengthened to touch the zenith.

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