1. Integrated identity management delivering powerful self-service capabilities for
end users and enhanced administrative tools and automation for IT professionals
Microsoft® Forefront™ Business Challenges Forefront Identity Manager
Identity Manager 2010
Benefits
offers a comprehensive Organizations today are confronted
solution for managing with a number of identity and access Empowers people
identities, credentials, and challenges that FIM can help address. FIM puts the right tools in the hands of
identity-based access policies Chief among these: end users, IT professionals, and developers
across heterogeneous n The burden of complexity on IT, to increase their productivity and to lower
environments. FIM empowers which must manage identities across help desk and other costs.
users with self service heterogeneous systems. n Increases end-user productivity through
password reset and embeds n High help-desk costs associated with self-help tools integrated into Office and
self-help tools in Office so password resets and smart Windows®. Without calling the help desk,
users can manage routine card deployment. users can reset a password or smart card
aspects of identity and n Loss of end-user productivity because PIN, create an e-mail distribution group,
access, gives IT professionals users cannot manage the routine aspects or add co-workers to a group. FIM portal
rich administrative tools of their own identity and access. also provides users with capabilities such
as update their own profile, search for
and enhanced automation, n Lengthy development time for identity co-workers.
and delivers .NET and Web management customization because
Services-based extensibility existing developer interfaces require
n Helps IT professionals manage identities
for developers. specialized knowledge. more efficiently through a SharePoint®–
based administrative console. IT can use
n Security gaps and risk to the business the menu-driven user interface of the
due to noncompliance with internal and console to create policies and workflows
external regulations. that govern account management and
access throughout the enterprise.
n Increases developer productivity through
extensibility. Developers can access
Web Services–based APIs and .NET to
Self-Service Integration
customize FIM functionality through the
FIM Portal D END USER INTE Windows Log On familiar Microsoft Visual Studio® and
AN RFA
IT CE .NET development environments.
S
Delivers agility and efficiency
Through automation, self-service, and
rich extensibility, FIM reduces the
CTIVITY
Empowers people high costs and risk often associated
with identity management.
EX
LOB Applications Delivers agility & efficiency
TEN
NNE
Improves security & Custom n Reduces costs through automation
compliance
SIB
CO
and self-service. FIM automates the
ILI
US
management of users, groups, and other
T
Y
O
resources based on business policy, and
E
EN
Databases
OG ISV Partner
HETE
R
Solutions delivers tools to help end users manage
their own identity information in the web
based interface.
Directories IT Departments n Integrates the heterogeneous identity
infrastructure of the enterprise. FIM
FIM empowers people, delivers agility and efficiency, and improves security and compliance.

2. User Experiences n Centralized management of multiple
SharePoint-based IT management portal credentials such as Microsoft and third-
End user self-service through Office and Windows party certificate authorities.
Integrated notifications and approvals n Password synchronization across systems,
which enables simplified sign-on.
User Credentials Access Policy n Intuitive experiences built into the
Management Management Management Management Windows desktop logon so users can
reset their own passwords and provision
their own smart cards.
Common Platform
Web Service APIs
User management
Identity synchronization FIM delivers tools for more efficient
user provisioning and de-provisioning.
These include:
FIM builds the management of users, credentials, access, and policy on a common platform and
delivers powerful user experiences to IT professionals, developers, and end users. n Improved tools for user provisioning.
Automated user provisioning is managed
provides a single place to manage to enforce those rules that support through a user interface rather than
identities across a broad range of leading compliance automatically. writing customized code.
network operating systems, e-mail
Integrated provisioning of identities,
and collaboration tools, databases, How Forefront Identity n
credentials, and resources. IT can use
directories, and applications. Manager Works FIM to create policies that
n Maximizes existing investments. FIM FIM delivers solutions to manage user seamlessly provision and de-provision
makes it easier to manage identities accounts and access, password- and the appropriate accounts, resources,
across the existing infrastructure certificate-based credentials such as and credentials.
including Active Directory® Domain smart cards, and identity-based policies n Self-service profile management for
Services, Microsoft Exchange, and across Windows and heterogeneous users. IT can set policies to enable end
Active Directory Certificate Services. environments. users to update profile information, such
n Integrates with familiar developer tools as their phone numbers, and to require
such as Visual Studio and .NET to enable Policy management
approvals for and notifications of user-
easier customization. FIM establishes a framework for generated changes. End users can use
automating and integrating identity these pages to search for other users as
Increases security and compliance management so all enterprise systems a whitepages application.
FIM improves security and compliance, with use the same set of policies. This is
management and auditing across identities, accomplished through: Group management
credentials, and resources. n Centralized authoring, enforcement, FIM group management helps
n Secures the enterprise by integrating and auditing of policies. IT administrators increase end-user productivity, frees IT
identity, credential, and access manage- can manage policies that govern from repetitive identity management
ment across the organization. FIM users and groups with menu-driven tasks, and provides better security and
enables IT to use a single, unified policy controls, thereby reducing the risk of compliance through:
management system to manage users, noncompliance. n Self-service group management tools
their access and resources, and their n Extensible Windows Workflow integrated into Office and SharePoint.
credentials (including strong credentials). Foundation–based workflows. IT can use These enable users to manage group
n Implements a rich permission and these to approve account creation and membership requests using familiar
delegation model to increase control and delegate tasks and other such actions, applications and include enabling
decrease compliance risk. For instance, and can easily extend them to deliver requests offline.
IT can delegate the creation of groups complex custom workflows. n Automated dynamic updates of group
and the management of distribution and distribution groups. IT can use FIM
group membership to end users while Credentials management
management tools to create policies that
enforcing such policies as the life span FIM integrates the management of keep groups and distribution groups up
of the group. credentials for both administrators and to date automatically.
n Enables system audits to reduce the end users through:
For more information about
risk of noncompliance. Policy n Credential lifecycle management
Forefront Identity Manager, visit
management tools enable business integrated with provisioning. IT
www.microsoft.com/FIM
owners and IT to audit business rules professionals can manage the process
and events processed by FIM, and of provisioning accounts and credentials
using a single tool.
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