{"id":105983,"date":"2024-02-21T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-21T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/?post_type=resource&p=105983"},"modified":"2024-02-22T11:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T16:07:36","slug":"unternehmertum-uses-jumpcloud","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/resources\/unternehmertum-uses-jumpcloud","title":{"rendered":"UnternehmerTUM uses JumpCloud as a cloud directory, migrating away from Active Directory & implementing mobile device management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
UnternehmerTUM<\/a> is a nonprofit organization that serves as a startup incubator for more than 50 companies each year. Headquartered on the campus of the Technical University of Munich Garching, UnternehmerTUM also has an office in downtown Munich and oversees the MakerSpace<\/a>, which provides high-tech workshops for machine, metal, and woodworking, textiles and electronics, 3D printers, and laserjet and waterjet cutting, among other things. The nonprofit, which was founded in 2002 by BMW heiress Susanne Klatten, has 400 employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Danny Michalski joined UnternehmerTUM in February 2023 as the head of infrastructure and cybersecurity, he was tasked with modernizing the nonprofit\u2019s tech stack which had grown organically since the company\u2019s founding more than 20 years prior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are always growing,\u201d Michalski says. \u201cEvery day is a new challenge here, and that makes working here extremely exciting because it is everything but boring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n UnternehmerTUM is a bit like the Silicon Valley of Europe; the organization is committed to helping early-stage startups reach their full potential. To fulfill this mission, the organization provides a combination of advisory services, education, workspaces, and technology, all of which help entrepreneurs accelerate their efforts and stay on the cutting edge of innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have a very, very dynamic environment,\u201d Michalski continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, since the organization was founded in 2002, a lot of the tools in its tech stack have \u201cbeen around for ages.\u201d For example, the nonprofit was still relying on an on-premises instance of Active Directory to manage users when Michalski came on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s a known fact that Microsoft Active Directory on site, regardless of how good you built it up, is the weakest link you can have in any security platform that you build,\u201d Michalski explains. \u201cIt\u2019s fact. It\u2019s as simple as that. Not even Microsoft would argue that. If I had an Active Directory that started with five people and then all of a sudden it grew to be 400 people, it\u2019s not going to be pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to being difficult to manage, the nonprofit\u2019s computing infrastructure was \u201cantiquated\u201d and therefore unable to meet the requirements of the startups the organization serves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn the space where we\u2019re working with entrepreneurs, they have a different mindset,\u201d Michalski continues. \u201cThey have this dynamic \u2014 it must move forward, it must be fluid. Active Directory didn\u2019t give that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As Michalski and his team began looking for a solution, they first tried OneLogin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was just as clunky as Active Directory,\u201d he says. \u201cWhy? Because it used Active Directory as a source of truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Michalski and his team continued their search. Ultimately, they wanted a solution that would not only help them improve their internal infrastructure but could also be an ideal product for the fast-moving startups they cater to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since UnternehmerTUM has a very small IT team with a limited skill set, Michalski had two options: either spend a lot of money to upskill the team or find a product that would solve their problem while also being suitable for a startup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n At a previous company, Michalski used JumpCloud<\/a> \u2014 the cloud directory that delivers secure, frictionless device and identity management \u2014 to manage users and devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJumpCloud was actually used by one of the startups I worked at six or seven years ago,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was what we started on. And we grew our company on JumpCloud because it just works.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Recalling his real-world experience using JumpCloud, Michalski thought it might be the ideal solution for their dilemma, but he still had to sell it to the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At this point, Michalski spun up a trial <\/a>of JumpCloud and showed it to team members who loved what they saw. \u201cWe even benchmarked it against Okta and it was obvious that JumpCloud was the product to go with,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n After their experience engaging with the pre-sales team, the decision was even easier. \u201cThey made sure we had every single tidbit of information that we needed. I think they went beyond what they should have done, but that\u2019s a different story for another day.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to JumpCloud, UnternehmerTUM has been able to shore up its infrastructure and modernize its approach to device and identity management. At the same time, JumpCloud also gives the nonprofit another tool they can proudly recommend to the startups they advise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf I sell a startup Active Directory, I\u2019m selling them a platform they need to figure out how to manage,\u201d Michalski says. \u201cJumpCloud is easy to use, and since we use it, our startups can learn how to use it directly from us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Michalski, implementing JumpCloud was about as turnkey an experience as it could be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe had all these inherited complexities \u2014 22 years of stuff running had to be lifted and shifted,\u201d he says. \u201cWe lifted and shifted 28 applications in 8 hours. That\u2019s how easy JumpCloud is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to intuitive design, Michalski attributes this smooth implementation to the fact that JumpCloud maintains robust documentation<\/a> that\u2019s accessible over the public internet.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can use a simple search engine, and if you can read, you can resolve issues,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, the UnternehmerTUM team has taken advantage of JumpCloud University<\/a>, enrolling in classes at their leisure to learn how to use the platform more productively and solve specific challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to serving as an Active Directory replacement<\/a>, JumpCloud has transformed the way the nonprofit manages its devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since UnternehmerTUM has a complex environment where users often come and go, they needed a tool that would give them full visibility into all of the identities and devices on their network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUntil JumpCloud came in, we didn\u2019t have any device management here, full stop,\u201d Michalski explains, adding that the environment is roughly 75% PC and 25% Mac. \u201cWe had 400-odd devices. If I don\u2019t know where the 400-odd devices are, I don\u2019t know what trouble I\u2019m in. I can\u2019t tell where they are. I can\u2019t tell their health.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lacking device management capabilities made it nearly impossible to update machines and keep them secure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey didn\u2019t have a solution for accessing machines remotely, so it was just painful for them to service the devices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the nonprofit wasn\u2019t managing devices before JumpCloud, it was impossible for them to ensure employees were following appropriate policies or applying patches, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is exactly what JumpCloud brings to the table,\u201d Michalski continues. \u201cUsing patch management<\/a>, we can ensure devices stay up to date. JumpCloud also lets us do simple things like ensuring encryption is on. It\u2019s all turnkey. Click, click, done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to JumpCloud, UnternehmerTUM has optimized its user onboarding and offboarding <\/a>processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJumpCloud forced conversations, and they\u2019re difficult conversations because they\u2019ve been doing things for years on end, and it\u2019s always been like that,\u201d Michalski says. \u201cBut JumpCloud comes in and says, listen, we can map that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Currently, Michalski and his team are in the process of implementing multi-factor authentication<\/a> (MFA) and single sign-on<\/a> (SSO). As the team continues shoring up the organization\u2019s security stance, Michalski has his sights set on ultimately building a Zero Trust network<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJumpCloud in my personal opinion allows me to get to that,\u201d he says. \u201cI needed a cornerstone solution, and that\u2019s exactly what JumpCloud offers me.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Michalski is particularly impressed by JumpCloud\u2019s logging capabilities, which help the team quickly resolve any issues that emerge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s quick to decipher where the problem is,\u201d he says. \u201cIs it something we\u2019ve done on the configuration side? Is it something to do with a client? Then we can resolve the issue quickly due to a very strong API interface within JumpCloud that allows me to program a lot of the complexities and get tasks done. This is a big difference for me \u2014 that\u2019s the game-changer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the fence about JumpCloud?<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJumpCloud can make you a hero \u2014 it\u2019s as simple as that.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n JumpCloud changes the way IT administrators manage their organizations by providing a\u00a0 comprehensive and flexible cloud directory platform. From one pane of glass, manage user identities and resource access, secure Mac, Windows, and Linux devices, and get a full view of your environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNeeding to modernize its tech stack to best serve its startups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Choosing JumpCloud for familiarity, feature-rich nature & because it \u2018just works\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Solving several problems at once with JumpCloud<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fast implementation and rapid ROI<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Device management & patch management made easy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Business process improvement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The cornerstone of a Zero Trust strategy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Accelerated troubleshooting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about JumpCloud <\/h2>\n\n\n\n