VMware is a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control. Founded in 1998, they have grown into a major global corporation with over 31,000 employees and $11.77 billion in revenue. When they decided to modernize their Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) program, they faced a considerable challenge. Speaking at Converge 2021, VMware’s Tim Mooney, Senior Director of Infosec, described the the company’s situation at the start of their IGA transformation:
VMware’s Infosec team needed to move its hybrid infrastructure to the cloud. As Tim described, he wanted to “configure, not customize,” and move away from existing homegrown solutions. His goal: automate joiner/mover/leaver and access recertification processes with Saviynt Enterprise Identity Cloud.
Identity transformation involves many business processes, stakeholders, employees, contractors, and staff. As Tim observed, many IT teams quickly jump into implementation only to realize they’re stuck in a pothole because they’ve missed some key elements. VMware wanted to avoid that approach.
Partnering with EY, they spent considerable time in the planning stage, collaborating with business units and HR — including setting up a governance committee — before moving on to implementation. Working with the business units, Tim and his team tried to understand their problems and the critical applications and services. The governance committee’s role was to approve the program’s direction and business goals, and help manage some of the organizational challenges they encountered. Tim stresses the importance of getting buy-in from the departments that will be most affected by the project and keeping stakeholders updated and informed about the benefits of the new technology and the progress of the effort.
During implementation, VMware streamlined its onboarding and offboarding processes and focused on improving the user experience for employees. As a result, it met VMware’s Day Zero productivity challenge for getting new hires set up with everything they need – before they even walk through the door.
The project’s results are impressive:
For your IGA modernization project, Tim’s recommendations companies:
Having been through their comprehensive IGA transformation, VMware is now ready for the future. As Tim says, “Now that you’ve got the foundation solid, you can move very fast.”
For a deeper dive into VMware’s IGA transformation – with clear takeaways and more actionable advice from Tim Mooney and EY’s Ankan Sharma – watch the presentation from Saviynt CONVERGE 21 on demand.