IDaaS is an acronym for Identity-as-a-Service, and it refers to identity and access management services that are offered through the cloud or SaaS (software-as-a-service) on a subscription basis.
This is in contrast to traditional identify and access management (IAM) solutions that are typically completely on-premises and delivered via bundled software and/or hardware means. These systems also tend to rely heavily on Active Directory (AD) and the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) for their IAM services.
Hybrid IAM Solutions and Pure IDaaS Services
Bridging the gap between traditional IAM software and native IDaaS options are hybrid IAM solutions from vendors like Microsoft and Amazon that provide cloud-based directories which link with on-premises IAM systems.
Native cloud-based IDaaS solutions from vendors like Okta and Centrify, as well as VMware with its new Identity Manager service, have started to gain traction as enterprises continue to accelerate and manage the adoption of cloud and mobile services.
These IDaaS solutions provide a range of identity and access management services such as:
Gartner projects pure IDaaS services to comprise 25% of the total IAM market by the end of 2015, versus just four percent in 2011.
