As organizations have become more conscious about the role of digital identity as both a potential risk factor and business enabler, the level of investment in sophisticated Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools and services has grown dramatically.

Traditionally, most organizations have viewed IAM as a function of the IT department, focused on back-office operations such as user provisioning, single sign-on and password management. In recent years; however, the growing adoption of cloud services and the proliferation of mobile devices has made IAM an increasingly critical business imperative rather than a mere function of the IT back office.

For these reasons, along with the regulatory agenda, there is now widespread acknowledgment that effectively managing user access is a matter of responsible corporate governance that requires a programmatic approach and methodology, elevating IAM as a board-level concern rather than just another IT requirement.