Bridging Legacy Systems and Digital Transformation with CIAM
Tags: security, devops, news
Published: 2022-02-16 21:21:38

### The pandemic accelerated digitization initiatives, a robust CIAM solution can assist in an iterative migration to the cloud.

### <br>

In the DACH region, trust is everything, and one of the first places you can build consumer trust is your login experience. German consumers say their main frustrations with signing up to a new app or online service are having to fill in long login or sign-up forms (42%) and entering private information (38%), followed by having to create a password that has to meet certain requirements (33%), and a new ID and password for every app or online service (31%). These statistics come from a [global research study](https://info.auth0.com/erwartungen-und-realitat.html) conducted by Auth0 and YouGov, including more than 2,000 consumers and 200 IT/marketing decision-makers in Germany.

One of the challenges organizations encounter when looking to launch new services or feature sets is the fact that many of these features are cloud-based while existing services that could benefit from integration are often legacy and hosted on-premises. Finding an [Identity as a Service (IDaaS)](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-idaas/) provider who can link those legacy systems and modern cloud-first platforms is an important step towards creating a future-proof service. However, many organizations in the DACH region are still building their own identity solutions. Or they’re misusing tools designed for managing employee identities for customer-facing needs. Both of these scenarios can introduce additional pain points when it comes to joining legacy and modern systems.

## Digitization Projects Are Resource Intensive

IT departments have spent the better part of the last 18 months establishing work-from-home protocols, migrating critical systems to the cloud for better access, and ensuring that everyone’s data stays safe and secure throughout the transition. Despite the acceleration in these digitization projects brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these systems have to remain housed on legacy on-prem servers due to a lack of alternatives. Bridging the gap between these and the convenient cloud-based tools your customers need access to is a large undertaking, especially for IT teams that are already stretched thin supporting ongoing internal needs.

Your IT and development teams support the organization’s goals by creating and maintaining the best web applications for your customers and by keeping your infrastructure running smoothly. That way, everyone, both inside and outside of the company, has the best experience possible. Partnering with an IDaaS provider like Auth0 will free those teams to continue focusing on their primary goals by taking the task of user authentication off their hands — and putting it in the hands of identity experts. This ensures your users get the CX they’ve come to expect while you maintain control over your data and privacy.

## Legacy Workforce Identity Solutions Are Not Built To Face External Threats

The workforce [Identity and Access Management (IAM)](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-iam/) tool you’re using today may look like an attractive option for your customer-facing needs. There are several problems with this idea, starting with the simple fact that IAM solutions are not focused on user experience (UX). Their priority is security, keeping your company’s intellectual property safe and secure from bad actors. 

The threats facing customer applications can be vastly different in type and scale. Workforce IAM verifies employee identity in order to approve access to just the tools they need to do their job effectively, from primarily company-owned devices. [Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM)](https://auth0.com/blog/what-is-ciam/#:~:text=Auth0%20Docs&text=Customer%20Identity%20and%20Access%20Management,%2C%20customer%20experience%2C%20and%20analytics.) solutions, on the other hand, need to integrate protection against brute force attacks, password spraying attacks, along with other outside attack vectors. And they need to do that while maintaining identity verification across potentially millions of end-user devices and networks. Additional hurdles exist as well; for example, many IAM tools are on-prem only and unable to protect your new cloud-first infrastructure. 

## Growing Demand From Consumers for a Low-Friction Customer Experience

The acceleration and growth of online tools have increased consumer expectations for a safe and simple identity experience. They’re no longer willing to wait for slow pages to load or to endure lengthy and complex account creation flows. Your customers demand-responsive, intuitive design, or they’ll take their business elsewhere. In fact, 78% of German consumers say they have [abandoned an app or online service](https://info.auth0.com/erwartungen-und-realitat.html) due to an arduous login experience.

Addressing the systemic issues that need attention to keep up with this demand will put additional stress on your internal teams, pulling their attention away from those core goals we discussed above. You don’t need to sacrifice your user experience in order to create a user-friendly and trusted authentication experience. Auth0 provides a secure platform with a variety of cloud deployment options, including [private cloud deployments on Microsoft Azure](https://auth0.com/blog/auth0-on-microsoft-azure-as-a-private-cloud-deployment-option/) or AWS infrastructure, and public cloud options using AWS facilities in multiple regions, including Frankfurt. Built by and for development teams, Auth0 is easily customizable to create exactly the low-friction experience your customers demand without sacrificing security and extensibility.


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