In the first installment of a four-part blog series, ColorID's Director of Product Management David Stallsmith explains four primary reasons that campuses should consider moving identity management to the cloud. As Stallsmith explains, the job of identity management has traditionally fallen to the one-card system, but a change of times may be giving rise to a new alternative.

According to Stallsmith, institutions are increasingly choosing purpose-built, cloud-based solutions for the task of identity management.

"In yesterday’s environments, this made good sense: ID cards/credentials were keys to essential services like financial transactions and facility access," he explains. "While these credentials remain indispensable parts of our daily lives, many organizations are seeing the benefit of moving identity management up above the one-card system."

Stallsmith's 4 reasons to consider cloud based identity management:

1. Flexible credential issuance

“If an employee is working remotely, or if they’re trying to help someone in another location, it can create a difficult hurdle to overcome," says Stallsmith. "With a cloud-based identity management system, you can issue physical or mobile credentials from across campus, across town or even across the globe.”

2. Go mobile your way

Near-field communication (NFC) is a well-known way to offer mobile credentials within a one-card system. As Stallsmith explains, however, when credentials are managed within an identity management system, Bluetooth (BLE) could be an option that offers flexibility in terms of phased roll-outs and lower-cost implementations.

3. Remove vendor revenue as a requirement

“We talk to a lot of schools and hospitals who want to use their credentials in new ways — like parking, rec center privileges, or new third-party ordering systems,” says Stallsmith. "Traditionally, this involves requesting a new interface from their one-card provider. That means they’re getting in line — and it’s typically a long one.”

4. Maximize work on value-adding tasks

Moving to the cloud can help an institution and its staff to spend less time on system maintenance and more time on mission-critical tasks.

Stallsmith offers his parting thoughts on moving to the cloud. "With a purpose-built, cloud-based identity management system, you can simplify credential management, take control of where and how that credential is used, and spend less time on system maintenance in the process."

For David Stallsmith's full write up, visit ColorID.com.