Item: IBM Security Verify
Rating: 8
Author: Holger Christiansen

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using IBM Security Verify to manage the users in our 70+ store locations and keep the access rights in different systems up to date as well as prevent changes to rights that might otherwise intentionally or unintentionally happen. The tool helps us to create accounts in multiple Active Directory Forests - deciding which forest is the right one based upon data that we need for different purposes anyways. AD User Groups as well as SAP roles are managed using a flexible and customized model that is updated to reflect changing needs multiple times a year. Those updates then automatically affect all old and new users, saving us a lot of time and work.

Pros and Cons

Extrememly customizable and thus able to handle individual and complex environments
Easy to use even by less experienced support staff once all rules are configured
Connectors exist for all major products we use

The way rules are built could use better documentation
Java-Applets are not the best way to implement changes in forms, etc.
The UI could use a modernization

Return on Investment

Creating and managing users is much easier and faster, saving time and resources
Maintenance / updates of the system and its components is not as easy as we are used from other systems

Support Rating

Our direct support representative is responsive, experienced and always a pleasure to work with. In the rare cases he had to contact the regular support, though, the experience has been less than pleasant. Questions / answers felt like they were copy/pasted, the person responsible for the ticket changed frequently and the new one always asked the same questions that had already been answered, etc.
In the end we always found a solution, but the whole ordeal could be improved quite a bit!

Key Insights

Do you think IBM Security Verify delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with IBM Security Verify's feature set?

Yes

Did IBM Security Verify live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of IBM Security Verify go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy IBM Security Verify again?

Yes

Usability

While setup and implementation takes work and time, the flexibility and possibilities make up for that in the long run. This is not a product you can just install and run, but if you design and implement your ruleset well, it will save you a lot of work afterwards. Just make sure that the systems you want to use it for have an existing and proven connector.

Likelihood to Recommend

IBM Security Verify is best used in scenarios with multiple well known systems that have existing connectors. Managing users across multiple systems with a complex ruleset works like a charm once the rules are set up correctly - which will take some time and learning.
It is usable as well with a lot of custom systems where you have to cobble together a connector yourself.

A complex system that need time to implement but save that time later on

Software Version

Overall Satisfaction with IBM Security Verify