Market Note: Identity & Access Management Industry

Key Issue: What is the identity and access management (IAM) industry?

The Identity and Access Management (IAM) industry encompasses a range of technologies, processes, and policies designed to manage digital identities and control access to resources within organizations. This industry provides solutions that enable businesses and organizations to securely manage the entire lifecycle of user identities, from creation to deletion, while ensuring appropriate access to systems, applications, and data.

Key components of the IAM industry include:

  1. Identity Management: Creating, maintaining, and deleting user identities across various systems.

  2. Access Management: Controlling and monitoring user access to resources based on predefined policies.

  3. Authentication: Verifying the identity of users, devices, or systems.

  4. Authorization: Determining what actions authenticated entities are allowed to perform.

  5. Single Sign-On (SSO): Allowing users to access multiple applications with one set of credentials.

  6. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Adding extra layers of security beyond passwords.

  7. Privileged Access Management (PAM): Managing and monitoring accounts with elevated privileges.

  8. Identity Governance and Administration (IGA): Ensuring compliance with regulations and internal policies.

The IAM industry serves various sectors, including finance, healthcare, government, education, and technology, providing both on-premises and cloud-based solutions. According to market research, the global IAM market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating it will reach $24.1 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2020 to 2025.

Key Issue: What is the unique value proposition of IAM systems?

The unique value proposition of IAM systems lies in their ability to address critical challenges faced by modern organizations in managing identities and access in increasingly complex digital environments. Here are the key aspects of IAM's value proposition:

  1. Enhanced Security:

    • Reduces the risk of data breaches and unauthorized access by implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms.

    • Provides centralized control over user access, minimizing the attack surface.

    • Enables quick response to security incidents through centralized identity management.

  2. Improved Compliance:

    • Helps organizations meet regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, SOX) by enforcing access policies and providing audit trails.

    • Automates compliance reporting, reducing the time and effort required for audits.

  3. Increased Operational Efficiency:

    • Automates user provisioning and deprovisioning processes, reducing IT workload and human error.

    • Streamlines access request and approval workflows, improving productivity.

    • Reduces help desk costs related to password resets and access issues through self-service portals.

  4. Enhanced User Experience:

    • Implements Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities, reducing password fatigue and improving user satisfaction.

    • Provides consistent access experiences across various applications and platforms.

  5. Scalability and Flexibility:

    • Supports business growth by easily managing identities across expanding IT environments.

    • Adapts to changing business needs and new technologies, including cloud and mobile environments.

  6. Cost Reduction:

    • Optimizes software licensing by ensuring accurate user counts and removing unnecessary access.

    • Reduces operational costs associated with manual identity and access management processes.

  7. Risk Management:

    • Provides visibility into access patterns, helping identify potential security risks.

    • Implements least privilege access principles, reducing the risk of insider threats.

  8. Business Enablement:

    • Facilitates secure cloud adoption and remote work initiatives.

    • Enables secure partner and customer access to resources, fostering collaboration and new business models.

  9. Adaptive Security:

    • Incorporates AI and machine learning to provide context-aware access decisions and anomaly detection.

    • Enables risk-based authentication, balancing security and user convenience.

  10. Centralized Governance:

    • Provides a single point of control for managing identities and access across the entire organization.

    • Enables consistent policy enforcement across diverse IT systems and applications.

The unique value proposition of IAM systems lies in their ability to simultaneously enhance security, improve operational efficiency, ensure compliance, and enable business growth. By providing a comprehensive approach to managing digital identities and access, IAM solutions address critical challenges faced by organizations in the digital age, making them an essential component of modern IT infrastructure.


The Identity and Access Management (IAM) industry is poised for significant growth and transformation over the next decade. As of 2023, the global IAM market was valued at approximately $13.4 billion, and it is projected to reach $34.5 billion by 2028, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 20.7%. This robust growth is driven by increasing cybersecurity threats, regulatory compliance requirements, and the need for seamless and secure digital experiences. As organizations continue to navigate complex digital landscapes, the IAM industry is evolving to meet these challenges with innovative solutions powered by artificial intelligence, quantum-resistant technologies, and decentralized architectures.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize the IAM landscape, offering unprecedented levels of automation and intelligence. By 2030, we expect AI-powered IAM systems to autonomously manage 60% of access decisions in large enterprises, reducing manual interventions by 75%. This shift towards AI-driven solutions will not only enhance security but also significantly improve user experience. Machine learning algorithms will enable real-time risk-based authentication, potentially reducing fraud attempts by 85% while streamlining access processes. Moreover, AI-driven identity governance solutions are projected to automate 90% of access certification processes by 2031, dramatically improving accuracy and efficiency in managing user access rights.

The rise of quantum computing poses both challenges and opportunities for the IAM industry. As quantum computers threaten to break current encryption methods, the industry is rapidly adapting. By 2032, we anticipate that quantum-resistant cryptography will be a standard feature in 80% of IAM solutions. This transition is crucial for maintaining the integrity and security of digital identities and access controls in the post-quantum era. Additionally, some high-security IAM deployments are expected to leverage hybrid quantum-classical algorithms by 2030, offering superior performance for specific authentication and encryption tasks. This quantum-resistant approach will be essential in protecting sensitive data and maintaining trust in digital systems.

Decentralized identity solutions, powered by blockchain technology, are emerging as a transformative force in the IAM industry. By 2029, we project that 40% of global enterprises will adopt blockchain-based decentralized identity solutions, improving interoperability and potentially reducing identity fraud by 50%. This shift towards decentralized architectures aligns with the growing emphasis on user privacy and data ownership. In the consumer space, self-sovereign identity systems are expected to gain significant traction, accounting for 25% of consumer identity management solutions by 2031. These systems will give users unprecedented control over their personal data, reshaping the relationship between individuals, organizations, and digital identities.

The future of authentication lies in advanced biometrics and behavioral analysis. Multi-modal biometric authentication, combining facial, voice, and behavioral biometrics, is set to become the primary authentication method for 60% of mobile devices by 2028. This shift away from traditional password-based systems will significantly enhance security while improving user convenience. In enterprise environments, continuous behavioral authentication is expected to be implemented in 50% of cases by 2030, reducing reliance on static credentials and providing a more dynamic and secure approach to access control. These advancements in biometric and behavioral authentication will play a crucial role in combating identity theft and unauthorized access attempts.

The integration of IAM with Zero Trust architectures represents another pivotal trend shaping the industry's future. By 2029, we anticipate that 70% of large enterprises will have fully integrated IAM with Zero Trust principles, leading to a potential 60% reduction in data breaches. This integration will be further enhanced by AI-driven, context-aware access policies, which are expected to become standard in 85% of Zero Trust implementations by 2031. These intelligent policies will enable more granular and dynamic access controls, adapting in real-time to changing user behaviors and environmental factors. The convergence of IAM and Zero Trust will provide organizations with a more robust and adaptive security posture, essential in an era of distributed workforces and complex digital ecosystems.

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand, specialized IAM solutions for connected devices will become increasingly critical. By 2030, these solutions are expected to manage identities and access for over 75 billion connected devices, addressing the unique challenges of scale and diversity in IoT environments. Edge computing-based IAM solutions will play a significant role, managing 40% of IoT device authentication by 2032. This edge-centric approach will reduce latency and improve real-time access decisions, crucial for the performance and security of IoT ecosystems. The ability to effectively manage and secure the identities of billions of connected devices will be a key differentiator for IAM providers in the coming years.

The shift towards cloud-native and multi-cloud environments is driving significant changes in IAM deployments. By 2028, we expect 90% of new IAM deployments to be cloud-native, offering greater scalability and integration capabilities across diverse IT landscapes. Furthermore, unified IAM platforms capable of managing identities across multiple cloud providers are projected to be adopted by 70% of enterprises using multi-cloud strategies by 2030. This trend towards cloud-centric IAM solutions reflects the broader digital transformation initiatives across industries, enabling organizations to maintain consistent identity and access policies across increasingly complex and distributed IT environments.

Bottom Line

The Identity and Access Management (IAM) industry is set for substantial growth, with the market expected to reach $34.5 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 20.7%. This growth will be characterized by several key developments:

  1. AI-driven automation will dominate, with 60% of access decisions in large enterprises managed autonomously by 2030, reducing manual interventions by 75%.

  2. Machine learning will enable real-time risk-based authentication, potentially reducing fraud attempts by 85%.

  3. Quantum-resistant cryptography will become standard in 80% of IAM solutions by 2032, with some high-security deployments leveraging hybrid quantum-classical algorithms.

  4. Blockchain-based decentralized identity solutions will be adopted by 40% of global enterprises by 2029, potentially reducing identity fraud by 50%.

  5. Multi-modal biometric authentication will become the primary method for 60% of mobile devices by 2028, while continuous behavioral authentication will be implemented in 50% of enterprise environments by 2030.

  6. 70% of large enterprises will fully integrate IAM with Zero Trust architecture by 2029, potentially reducing data breaches by 60%.

  7. Specialized IAM solutions will manage over 75 billion IoT devices by 2030, with edge computing-based solutions handling 40% of IoT device authentication by 2032.

  8. 90% of new IAM deployments will be cloud-native by 2028, with unified IAM platforms for multi-cloud environments adopted by 70% of enterprises using multi-cloud strategies by 2030.

  9. Privacy-enhancing computation techniques will be integrated into 40% of IAM solutions by 2031, enabling secure authentication without exposing sensitive data.

  10. 90% of IAM solutions will offer built-in compliance features for major data protection regulations by 2029, automating 70% of compliance reporting tasks.


Vendor Appendix: Identity and Access Management (IAM) Industry

  1. Okta

  2. Microsoft Azure Active Directory

  3. IBM Security Verify

  4. Ping Identity

  5. ForgeRock

  6. OneLogin

  7. SailPoint

  8. CyberArk

  9. Auth0 (acquired by Okta)

  10. Duo Security (part of Cisco)

  11. RSA

  12. Saviynt

  13. Centrify (now part of Delinea)

  14. Thales

  15. Jumio

  16. Oracle Identity Management

  17. Google Cloud Identity

  18. Amazon Web Services (AWS) IAM

  19. Salesforce Identity

  20. VMware Workspace ONE Access

  21. Symantec (now part of Broadcom)

  22. SecureAuth

  23. Idaptive (acquired by CyberArk)

  24. Micro Focus NetIQ

  25. Optimal IdM

  26. Fischer Identity

  27. Identity Automation

  28. Evidian (Atos)

  29. Ubisecure

  30. Avatier

  31. Tools4ever

  32. BeyondTrust

  33. One Identity (Quest Software)

  34. Courion (now part of SecureAuth)

  35. Ilantus Technologies

  36. Omada

  37. Simeio Solutions

  38. Imprivata

  39. Hitachi ID Systems

  40. Beta Systems

  41. i-Sprint Innovations

  42. Crossmatch (now part of HID Global)

  43. Atos DirX

  44. Nexus Group

  45. Ilex International

  46. Entrust Datacard

  47. LoginRadius

  48. Bitium (acquired by Google)

  49. Covisint (now part of OpenText)

  50. EmpowerID

  51. Ergon Informatik

  52. GlobalSign

  53. HID Global

  54. Idaptive

  55. Identity Automation

  56. Ilex International

  57. Janrain (acquired by Akamai)

  58. Keeper Security

  59. LastPass (LogMeIn)

  60. ManageEngine

  61. NetIQ

  62. Nexus

  63. Omada

  64. Optimal IdM

  65. Pirean

  66. Radiant Logic

  67. SailPoint

  68. Soffid

  69. Strata Identity

  70. Avatier

  71. BeyondTrust

  72. Broadcom

  73. CA Technologies (now part of Broadcom)

  74. Dashlane

  75. Delinea

  76. EmpowerID

  77. Entrust

  78. Evidian

  79. Fischer International

  80. FusionAuth

  81. Gigya (acquired by SAP)

  82. HID Global

  83. Hitachi ID Systems

  84. Identity Automation

  85. Ilantus Technologies

  86. Imprivata

  87. Kion

  88. Micro Focus

  89. Nok Nok Labs

  90. Omada

  91. Ping Identity

  92. Plexus Controls

  93. Prianto

  94. Privo

  95. Pulse Secure

  96. Quest Software

  97. Radiant Logic

  98. SecureAuth

  99. SecurID

  100. SolarWinds

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