User Management Tool for MSPs

Written by Zach DeMeyer on November 21, 2018

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As more and more organizations opt to outsource their IT, managed service providers (MSP) are in high demand. One of the core functions of an MSP is to manage user access to IT infrastructure and the various resources they will utilize in their day-to-day functions. While it could be done manually in smaller shops, for MSPs with several disparate client organizations, having the proper user management tool makes the job significantly easier. So, what solutions are available as a user management tool for MSPs?

MSP User Management Tool of the Past

Active Directory

Traditionally, MSPs have leveraged the on-prem, directory services platform Microsoft® Active Directory® (AD) for their clients’ user management needs. This legacy identity provider has been around for almost two decades, and all the while, Microsoft Windows® has dominated the enterprise operating system space. Upon brief examination, it’s apparent why AD is the on-prem market share leader. AD tightly integrates with on-prem Windows® platforms and applications, the veritable standard in IT for much of the 1990s-2000s.

As time has progressed, however, the shift to the cloud and the opportunity to move away from the break/fix model is putting pressure on traditional identity management. The hours spent on truck rolls between client organizations put a major time constraint on an MSP’s workday, making a traditional approach to user management less and less desirable. By leveraging cloud-based user management tools, MSPs can remotely manage their client organizations and provide greater control over their environments. Many of today’s enterprises have become heterogeneous, leveraging not only Windows systems and apps, but Mac® and Linux® machines on top of cloud applications.

MSP User Management Tool for the Future

Thankfully, there is a cloud user management tool that not only rivals AD, but reimagines it for the modern era. This directory service creates a True Single Sign-On™ experience for regular IT organizations and MSP clients alike, leveraging RADIUS, SAML, and LDAP to connect user identities to virtually all of their resources. While it excels at user management, this third party solution also provides endpoint-centric system management regardless of platform (Windows, Mac, Linux).

Multitenant Portal Diagram

This user management tool features a Multi-Tenant Portal created specifically for MSPs. With this feature, MSPs can manage multiple clients at scale from a single pane of glass. The Multi-Tenant Portal not only manages as an all-in-one solution, but also offers key data metrics that allow the MSPs to track their clients’ environments efficiently. All of this and more is available from JumpCloud® Directory-as-a-Service®.

The JumpCloud Partner Program

JumpCloud partners program for MSPs

MSPs searching for an effective cloud user management tool need look no further than JumpCloud Directory-as-a-Service. You can try the DaaS product free today, with ten users included to get you started. To learn more about using the product as an MSP, you can contact us with questions or apply to be a JumpCloud Partner.

JumpCloud’s Partner Program empowers IT Service Providers with central identity management from the cloud. Fine-tuned for MSPs with cloud security offerings, Directory-as-a-Service can be easily bundled at the center of any product stack to make customers more secure, efficient, and scalable. Make Work Happen for your clients while you make more growth for your business.

Zach DeMeyer

Zach is a Product Marketing Specialist at JumpCloud with a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. He loves being on the cutting edge of new technology, and when he's not working, he enjoys all things outdoors, music, and soccer.

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