{"id":16885,"date":"2018-07-13T10:42:31","date_gmt":"2018-07-13T16:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jumpcloud.com\/?page_id=16885"},"modified":"2023-01-09T16:27:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T21:27:34","slug":"the-justification-for-cloud-directory-services","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/jumpcloud.com\/resources\/the-justification-for-cloud-directory-services","title":{"rendered":"The Justification for Cloud Directory Services"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

IT organizations are going through a massive transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a shift to the cloud, web applications, mobile users, and new, inventive platforms, IT admins have their hands full with the innovations of this new era of IT. While part of that struggle is adapting to the new approaches to solving problems, a pressing issue is that some legacy IT management tools have neglected to keep up with the evolution of IT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing exemplifies this rift more than the identity and access management<\/a> (IAM) market. IAM is the thread that runs through the whole organization, connecting users to the IT resources they need. Outside of the network itself, there may not be a more important part of the IT backbone than identity management.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The Evolution of IAM<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As IT admins know, however, the massive changes to platforms and solutions is dramatically changing how IAM challenges are solved. For almost two decades, the core of an identity management initiative was the core authentication platform, Microsoft\u00ae<\/sup> Active Directory\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> (MAD or AD). As the authoritative identity provider for an organization, Active Directory would connect users to the on-prem Windows\u00ae<\/sup> systems, applications, and networks that they needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That approach worked well for a number of years while Microsoft dominated the IT landscape, but that just isn\u2019t the case anymore. With AWS\u00ae<\/sup> taking over the data center, G Suite\u2122 picking up over 5 million customers for its productivity suite, and Mac\u00ae<\/sup> and Linux\u00ae<\/sup> systems becoming incredibly popular, the way that IT admins have managed user access isn\u2019t working. Top it off with identity breaches being the number one cause of security compromises, and IT organizations have a massive challenge on their hands. And, the challenge isn\u2019t just about control and security\u2014it\u2019s also about delivering an efficient, productive experience to IT savvy end users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most organizations have been struggling through this problem by adding solutions onto their core identity provider, Active Directory. A number of categories have sprung up to address deficiencies in AD and the shifting IT landscape. These categories include web application single sign-on (SSO), privileged identity management, identity bridges, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and identity governance<\/a> solutions, just to name a few. Of course, all of this patchwork to MAD is painful, time-consuming, and costly, all the while cementing the IAM infrastructure on-prem. Clearly, this is no way to operate in the cloud era.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Advantages<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Cloud Directory Services to the Rescue<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

IT organizations are searching for a new approach to identity management for modern IT networks. This approach is embodied in the next generation of cloud directory services, spearheaded by JumpCloud\u00ae<\/sup> Directory-as-a-Service\u00ae<\/sup>. As a cloud hosted identity provider, Directory-as-a-Service solves the core challenges that IT organizations are facing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One Central, Cloud Directory Solution<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As highlighted above, modern networks are heterogeneous and live in a variety of different locations. JumpCloud delivers on the concept of One Directory to Rule Them All\u00ae<\/sup>, connecting users to their disparate IT resources, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n