In our previous post, we discussed how higher ed IT teams implementing Identity and Access Management (IAM) face challenges such as legacy systems, budget constraints, homegrown solutions, and undocumented processes. In this post, we’ll discuss how RapidIdentity - an IAM platform purpose built for education institutions - tackles challenges including budget constraints, integration complexities, and undocumented processes.
Identity Automation recognizes that higher education budgets ebb and flow. Unlike many enterprise vendors, RapidIdentity is licensed by FTE seats. This allows stakeholders to make predictable and informed decisions about their spending cycles regardless of fluctuations in their student and adjunct populations.
A simple licensing structure isn’t the only way RapidIdentity caters to the bottom line. The platform promotes tangible returns by automating the life cycle of users and their entitlements. For example, RapidIdentity includes self-service password reset, account claim workflows, and group or attribute-based access delegation for resource owners--out of the box. In doing so, RapidIdentity lowers operating costs, reduces call volume to the Help Desk, and unburdens IT staff to work on more productive efforts.
RapidIdentity is engineered to confront the long-tail complexities of homegrown systems head-on. It begins with the Connect module which supports a wide variety of adapters (connectors) — from flat file, database, LDAP, command-line, to SOAP/REST — making it easier to ingest, transform, and synchronize data across both legacy systems and modern applications. Because RapidIdentity treats integration as a first-class concern, institutions can replace fragile scripts with structured, traceable workflows. This not only increases reliability but also means the logic is documented, auditable, and maintainable — thereby reducing dependency on individual institutional experts.
Additionally, RapidIdentity’s architecture is designed for hybrid environments: it can operate fully in the cloud while integrating with on-prem systems via the Identity Bridge component. This flexibility enables institutions to modernize without ripping out legacy infrastructure overnight. In comparison, this broad level of integration and support for on-prem systems can be a challenging and expensive proposition for vendors who rely heavily on modern, cloud-first standards such as SCIM.
Because integration logic, workflows, and transformations live inside the platform (rather than scattered across scripts or external tools), they are versioned, auditable, and transparent. Administrators can view and trace each workflow step and data mapping. The system captures operational logic so that the institution no longer relies on individual people to recall how things work. This shift dramatically reduces risk and improves sustainability. Moreover, this audit data can be further exposed using the RapidIdentity Insights module with drill-down capabilities or forwarded to a SIEM system for further consumption.
RapidIdentity helps eliminate tribal knowledge so that stakeholders can rest easy. Because integration logic, workflows, and transformations live inside the platform (rather than scattered across scripts or external tools), they are versioned, auditable, and transparent. Administrators can view and trace each workflow step and data mapping. The system captures operational logic so that the institution no longer relies on individual people to recall how things work. This shift dramatically reduces risk and improves sustainability. Moreover, this audit data can be further exposed using the RapidIdentity Insights module with drill-down capabilities or forwarded to a SIEM system for further consumption.
Taken together, the challenges described in this blog series — including legacy systems, departmental silos, undocumented processes, lean staffing, and budget constraints — collectively make IAM uniquely difficult in higher education. A generic enterprise IAM solution may be powerful in theory, but it will struggle in practice when confronted with the realities of academia. What colleges and universities need are purpose-built IAM platforms, like RapidIdentity, that embrace the unique institutional complexity of higher education. By aligning to higher ed’s unique needs—budgets, staffing realities, and hybrid infrastructures—RapidIdentity empowers colleges and universities to deliver secure, seamless access while reducing risk and cost.
Are you ready to modernize your organization’s IAM? Request a demo of RapidIdentity, the IAM platform designed specifically for educational institutions.