* We've tried to differentiate identity for the cloud, identity from the cloud and identity in the cloud -- but what's identity to the cloud?
We seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time on cloud computing the past few issues, but there’s one more announcement (at least) that I want to bring to your attention before moving on.
A press release crossed my desk last week and the headline really did grab me: “…Cloud Strategy with Identity and Access Management To, For and From the Cloud.” We’ve tried, in the past, to differentiate identity for the cloud, identity from the cloud and identity in the cloud — but what’s identity to the cloud?
That was intriguing enough for me to pursue CA Technologies’ announcement a bit further. Turns out that what was meant was that CA Identity Manager now supports user provisioning to Google Apps. Using Identity Manager you can now automate identity management functions, such as role-based user provisioning and de-provisioning and self-service access requests, to deliver a single, automated system for managing identities for Google Apps in the cloud, as well as existing in-house applications.
OK, but how is that different from “for the cloud”?
As it turns out, existing IAM solutions from CA Technologies can be used to help control users, their access and how they can use information in private, public or hybrid cloud environments, delivering the same level of security found within the enterprise, and addressing needs that include virtualization security, compliance, policy management and more. CA noted one of their clients uses a combination of products to control access to its SaaS-based health-management applications, including a collaborative healthcare management platform for delivering outcome-driven case, disease and utilization management, and a collaborative healthcare decision support service that fosters better payer-patient-physician interactions, all kept HIPAA-compliant by the CA products.
Finally, there’s “from the cloud”. CA Technologies, it seems, is working with partners to deliver IAM as a fully managed service (i.e., “Identity as a Service”) that helps strengthen, streamline and simplify how organizations approach identifying, authenticating and granting secure access to on premise and cloud applications and services. There will be more on that front early next year.
You can learn more about CA’s identity products and solutions at their Web site.
