Do you ever find yourself nodding along when it comes to technology but not really knowing the in’s and out’s of what’s being said? The challenge (and beauty) of technology is that the second you’re up to date, your information is old and has since evolved once again. As a with a relatively good proficiency for all things tech, I still find myself a little lost when it comes to the manifold of tech terms. Thus, I have decided to take on the challenge of translating ‘techspertise’ into simple human language. The chosen product to decipher is the latest ‘Software as a Service (SaaS)’ solution from Tools4ever, HelloID.
HelloID is a cloud based access and password management solution. Before you ask, don’t worry! Let me backtrack and get down to what those terms really mean.
Access management is an umbrella term that can mean quite a few things within an organization such as: Who has access to what information? Who gave them access? Are the access channels secure? Who is monitoring access on an ongoing basis?
Password management should strike a chord with everyone. I’m sure we have all found ourselves struggling to type a password into a device and after many failed attempts, realize that we have forgotten it! You then have to wait for IT to reset your password before you can continue working on this application. Where this can really hinder an employee’s performance is when the employee works remotely or at off-peak times. These employees may have to wait hours or even days for IT to be able to reset their password, not to mention the monotonous administration burden that IT are left with.
The expansion of the work environment to multiple devices and locations has brought with it risk and complexity. I’m sure it hasn’t gone unnoticed that more and more systems, programs & applications are now cloud based. Why? Because it’s convenient. Decreasing trade barriers coupled with the globalization not only of products and service but also of companies, more and more workers work !outside the office environment. The need for access to data and file shares is increasing and the cloud is an easy and relatively inexpensive means of achieving this access. With cloud applications, IT & management are often unaware of what applications employees are using or If the networks employees are using are even safe. This takes a degree of control out of the company’s hand – HelloID gives it back.
HelloID finds the balance between giving your employees the access they need to be ultimately productive while still protecting and securing networks and data at the same time. HelloID provides quick and easy access to cloud applications at any time from any device without complicated access procedures. Users no longer have to remember multiple passwords for the various cloud applications they use. Once they log into the HelloID portal, one click is all it takes to access the required cloud applications.
With multi-factor authentication, employees can reset their own password if forgotten. It offers simplicity for end users, strong security and compliance with government regulations. Another way HelloID protects a company, is during off boarding processes; employee access can be revoked in the click of a button without them having ever known the individual application credentials.
I am now going to name drop one of the Identity Access Management Industry’s biggest players – Gartner. You will often see this being referenced and wonder who/what it is and why their opinion matters. Gartner is the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company. They put a lot of resources into research and trends and are always a good guide as to where your business should be at to be efficient and compliant and safe.
“Business process externalization via the Internet and the growing complexity of enterprise IT have driven demand for password reset support. Enterprises are focusing on reducing support costs while improving quality of service.” – Gartner
I hope my translation has lifted your tech headache and made this software more transparent for you. Why I chose to talk about HelloID, is that I have always found that people have such a fear of the cloud and the externalization of the work environment on to cloud based applications. I think it’s important to realize that it’s not going away and a proactive approach will prove as always more effective than a reactive approach. What I mean by this is to stop fearing the cloud, and simply manage it! HelloID is a tool that not only manages your cloud based applications, it also puts control back in the hands of IT and the System Administrators while keeping a secure and compliant network all the while.
Keep an eye out for the next translation!