Why Customers Rate Avatier Support Higher Than SailPoint: The Human Touch in Identity Management

The quality of customer support can make or break an identity management implementation. While SailPoint has established itself as a significant player in the Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) market, Avatier consistently outperforms in customer satisfaction ratings, particularly in support responsiveness and quality. This article examines the key differences in customer support approaches between these two identity management leaders and why organizations increasingly choose Avatier for their identity management needs.

The Support Experience Gap: Numbers Tell the Story

According to recent industry analysis, the gap in customer support satisfaction between identity management providers is significant. Gartner Peer Insights reviews show that support experience often ranks as the third most important factor in IAM vendor selection, after product functionality and pricing.

Enterprise customers particularly value responsive support teams that understand their unique implementation challenges. In this area, Avatier consistently shines with an average support response time of under 4 hours, compared to industry averages that can exceed 24 hours at larger providers like SailPoint.

A 2023 Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) report found that 68% of organizations consider support quality “extremely important” when selecting an identity management vendor, ranking it above factors like brand reputation or market share.

Personalized Support vs. Tiered Support Models

The SailPoint Support Experience

SailPoint, as a larger organization with thousands of customers, typically employs a tiered support model that can create several friction points:

1. Support Ticket Routing: Initial tickets are often handled by first-level support representatives who may lack deep product expertise
2. Escalation Delays: Complex issues frequently require escalation through multiple tiers, extending resolution timeframes
3. Knowledge Siloing: Specialists focus on specific product modules, sometimes resulting in fragmented troubleshooting
4. Account Size Prioritization: Enterprise customers with larger contracts may receive prioritized support

This standardized approach helps SailPoint scale support operations but can create distance between customers and problem solvers, particularly for mid-sized organizations.

Avatier’s High-Touch Support Model

In contrast, Avatier’s customer-centric approach delivers several key advantages:

1. Direct Access to Experts: Customers frequently work directly with engineers familiar with their implementation
2. Proactive Monitoring: Support teams often identify and address potential issues before they impact operations
3. Implementation-Aware Responses: Support staff maintain knowledge of each customer’s specific configuration
4. Consistent Point of Contact: Organizations work with the same support personnel over time, building institutional knowledge
5. Flexible Support Hours: Support availability aligns with customer operational needs rather than rigid schedules

This approach generates significantly higher satisfaction ratings, with one industry survey finding that 92% of Avatier customers rated support quality as “excellent” compared to the industry average of 73%.

The Technical Expertise Difference

Beyond responsiveness, the depth of technical expertise available through support channels creates another differentiator between Avatier and SailPoint.

SailPoint’s Module-Specific Support

SailPoint’s product portfolio has grown considerably through both development and acquisition, resulting in:

• Support specialists focused on specific product modules (IdentityNow, IdentityIQ, etc.)
• Varying levels of cross-product integration knowledge
• Different support experiences depending on which products are implemented
• Potential gaps when issues span multiple modules

This specialization can be beneficial for deep technical issues within a specific product but creates challenges for organizations using multiple SailPoint offerings.

Avatier’s Unified Platform Expertise

Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform is built as a cohesive solution, enabling support personnel to address issues across the entire identity management lifecycle:

• Support engineers understand the entire identity ecosystem
• Troubleshooting spans user provisioning, access certification, and password management
• Integration specialists connect identity processes to broader IT infrastructure
• Implementation teams maintain knowledge of customer environments long-term

This holistic approach eliminates the “not my department” responses that frustrate many enterprise IT teams when working with compartmentalized support organizations.

Implementation and Onboarding Support

The support experience begins during implementation, creating another critical differentiation point between Avatier and SailPoint.

SailPoint’s Implementation Approach

SailPoint implementations typically follow standardized methodologies:

1. Professional services teams or certified partners lead implementations
2. Projects follow predefined phases with standard deliverables
3. Post-implementation, customers transition to regular support channels
4. Knowledge transfer relies heavily on documentation and training

While structured, this approach can create knowledge gaps when transitioning from implementation to operational support.

Avatier’s Continuous Support Model

Avatier takes a more fluid approach to implementation and ongoing support:

1. Implementation teams remain accessible even after go-live
2. Support personnel are involved during implementation, creating continuity
3. Adoption services ensure organizational change management success
4. Regular check-ins continue long after implementation

This approach eliminates the common “handoff cliff” where customers suddenly lose access to implementation expertise. According to IDC research, this continuous support model results in 32% faster time-to-value for identity management implementations.

Response Time Realities

When security incidents occur, rapid response becomes critical. The differences in support response times create meaningful security and operational impacts.

SailPoint’s Response Framework

SailPoint, like many large enterprise software providers, typically:

• Categorizes tickets by severity with corresponding SLAs
• Routes issues through queue-based systems
• Provides emergency escalation paths for critical issues
• Offers premium support tiers with improved response times

While structured, this approach can introduce delays when initial severity assessments are inaccurate or when issues require multiple handoffs.

Avatier’s Agile Response Model

Avatier’s streamlined support model delivers consistently faster response times:

• Direct routing to appropriate technical resources
• Simplified escalation paths with fewer administrative barriers
• Proactive monitoring that anticipates potential issues
• Customized support arrangements for mission-critical environments

This responsiveness becomes particularly valuable when addressing potential security vulnerabilities or access control issues that could impact compliance status.

The Integration Support Advantage

Modern identity management doesn’t exist in isolation—it must integrate with dozens of enterprise applications and services. Support for these integrations reveals another key difference between providers.

SailPoint’s Integration Approach

SailPoint offers extensive connectors but with some support limitations:

• Support teams often specialize in core product functionality rather than integrations
• Custom integrations may require specialized partner support
• Integration issues sometimes involve multiple support teams
• Responsibility boundaries between SailPoint and other vendors can create confusion

This fragmentation can extend resolution timeframes when issues involve multiple systems.

Avatier’s End-to-End Integration Support

Avatier takes ownership of the entire identity ecosystem:

• Support extends to application connectors and integrations
• Teams understand both identity logic and integration touchpoints
• Responsibility is clear even when issues span multiple systems
• Support engineers coordinate with third-party vendors when necessary

This comprehensive approach eliminates the finger-pointing that often occurs when identity management issues involve multiple technology vendors.

Customer Support Technology Platforms

The technology platforms supporting customer service operations create yet another differentiation point between providers.

SailPoint’s Enterprise Support Infrastructure

SailPoint leverages enterprise-scale support platforms:

• Sophisticated ticket management and routing systems
• Extensive knowledge bases with searchable articles
• Customer portal access to documentation and community forums
• Automated diagnostics for common issues

While comprehensive, these systems can sometimes prioritize process over personalization.

Avatier’s Relationship-Centric Support Tools

Avatier combines technology with relationship-based support:

• Support personnel have full customer configuration visibility
• Communication channels align with customer preferences
• Knowledge bases supplement rather than replace human expertise
• Support environments mirror customer implementations for accurate troubleshooting

This approach delivers the benefits of support technology without sacrificing the personal connection that drives high satisfaction ratings.

The Bottom Line: Support as a Competitive Advantage

While both Avatier and SailPoint provide enterprise-grade identity management solutions, Avatier’s support model has emerged as a key competitive differentiator. Organizations increasingly cite support quality as a primary factor in selecting Avatier, particularly when:

• Implementation timelines are aggressive
• Internal identity management expertise is limited
• Complex integration requirements exist
• Compliance mandates require rapid issue resolution
• Business operations depend on identity services availability

For CISOs and IT leaders evaluating identity management solutions, the support experience deserves equal consideration alongside technical capabilities and pricing. Avatier’s consistently higher support satisfaction ratings reflect a fundamental philosophical difference in how customer relationships are valued and maintained.

As identity management becomes increasingly central to security and compliance efforts, the quality of vendor support directly impacts an organization’s ability to maintain secure, compliant operations. Avatier’s high-touch, expert-driven support model delivers not just technical assistance, but the confidence that comes from working with a partner genuinely invested in your organization’s success.

Making the Right Choice for Your Organization

When evaluating identity management providers, consider requesting:

1. Direct conversations with existing customers about support experiences
2. Clear documentation of support processes and escalation paths
3. Introduction to the specific support personnel who will handle your account
4. Detailed SLAs covering response times and resolution expectations
5. Examples of how the vendor has resolved complex customer issues

By prioritizing support quality alongside technical capabilities, organizations can ensure they select an identity management partner that will deliver both exceptional technology and the expertise required to maximize its value.

For organizations seeking the ideal balance of advanced identity management technology and world-class support, Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform consistently delivers both the solutions and the support experience that drive successful identity programs.