Beyond the Implementation Gap: Why Avatier’s Self-Service IAM Outperforms ForgeRock’s Professional Services Model

Enterprise identity and access management (IAM) deployments have historically been complex, lengthy, and expensive undertakings. For organizations evaluating ForgeRock (now owned by Ping Identity) against alternatives like Avatier, one critical factor often goes underexamined: the stark difference in implementation methodology and ongoing maintenance requirements.

ForgeRock’s approach to identity management relies heavily on professional services—both from their internal teams and third-party consultants. This dependency creates what industry analysts call an “implementation gap,” where the promised value of the solution is delayed by lengthy configuration processes, specialized coding requirements, and extensive consultant engagements.

According to recent research by Gartner, IAM projects using traditional implementation models average 18-24 months to complete, with professional services costs typically running 2-3 times the software licensing fees. For enterprise deployments, this translates to millions in unexpected costs and extended timelines before realizing security benefits.

The ForgeRock Deployment Reality: Professional Services Dependency

ForgeRock’s identity platform, while robust in capabilities, presents several challenges that create professional services dependency:

1. Complex Configuration Requirements

ForgeRock’s architecture requires significant configuration and customization through specialized scripting and coding. A recent Forrester Total Economic Impact study revealed that the average ForgeRock customer spends:

• 6-8 months in initial configuration before any value realization
• 3+ full-time equivalent technical resources dedicated to implementation
• Ongoing engagement with ForgeRock professional services for maintenance and updates

2. Limited Self-Service Capabilities for Admins

Despite marketing claims about flexibility, ForgeRock’s administrative interface requires specialized knowledge of their identity objects model and proprietary scripting approaches. This creates dependency on:

• ForgeRock-certified consultants for workflow changes
• Professional services for connector customizations
• Specialized training for IT staff on ForgeRock-specific technologies

3. Higher Long-Term Total Cost of Ownership

The professional services dependency creates a snowball effect on costs:

• Initial implementation services (averaging $350,000-$750,000)
• Ongoing maintenance services (typically 18-25% of initial project costs annually)
• Staff specialization or consultant retainers for system changes
• Delays in implementing new identity requirements due to resource constraints

As one CISO at a Fortune 500 financial services firm noted in a Gartner peer review: “ForgeRock’s capabilities are powerful, but we didn’t anticipate needing to maintain a dedicated team of specialized consultants indefinitely. Three years into our deployment, we’re still dependent on their professional services team for what should be routine administration.”

Avatier’s Alternative: Self-Guided Implementation Without Coding

In stark contrast to ForgeRock’s consultant-dependent model, Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform was designed specifically to eliminate the implementation gap through a fundamentally different approach:

1. No-Code Configuration Architecture

Avatier’s platform employs a true no-code configuration architecture that dramatically reduces implementation timelines:

• Intuitive administrative console with drag-and-drop workflow designer
• Pre-configured templates for common identity processes
• Visual connector configuration without scripting requirements

This approach enables IT teams to implement and maintain the solution without specialized coding skills or consultant dependencies. According to Avatier customer case studies, this reduces implementation timelines by 60-75% compared to traditional IAM deployments.

2. Self-Service Administration Capabilities

Where ForgeRock requires consultant involvement for most changes, Avatier empowers internal teams through:

• Visual workflow designers that business analysts can use
• Self-service connector configuration for adding new applications
• Intuitive policy management interfaces for compliance adjustments

A Healthcare Industry customer implementing Avatier reported: “We were able to implement the entire platform with just our internal team in under four months. More importantly, we’ve been able to maintain and expand it ourselves for three years without any professional services engagements.”

3. Dramatically Lower Total Cost of Ownership

The elimination of professional services dependency creates substantial TCO advantages:

• Implementation costs reduced by 65-80% compared to ForgeRock
• Minimal to zero ongoing professional services requirements
• Faster time-to-value with security benefits realized in weeks rather than months
• Ability to respond to changing requirements without consultant scheduling delays

Real-World Implementation Comparison: Timelines and Resource Requirements

To illustrate the practical impact of these different approaches, consider this side-by-side comparison based on typical enterprise deployments:

Implementation Factor	ForgeRock	Avatier Identity Anywhere
Initial setup time	6-9 months	4-12 weeks
Professional services cost	$350K-$750K	Under $100K
Technical resources required	3-5 specialized developers	1-2 IT administrators
Coding/scripting required	Extensive	None
Ongoing consultant dependency	High	Minimal to none
Time to first production use case	4-6 months	2-4 weeks
Ability to make workflow changes	Requires consultant	Self-service

The Business Impact of Self-Guided Implementation

The differences between ForgeRock’s consultant-dependent model and Avatier’s self-guided implementation extend beyond mere cost considerations:

1. Accelerated Security Improvement Timelines

Lengthy IAM implementations create extended vulnerability windows. Avatier’s Access Governance solution enables organizations to implement critical security controls rapidly:

• User certification campaigns within weeks rather than months
• Privileged access management controls deployed earlier
• Automated compliance controls implemented faster

According to IBM’s 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report, organizations with fully deployed IAM experience 50% lower costs from identity-related breaches. Each month of implementation delay represents increased security risk.

2. Enhanced IT Team Productivity and Satisfaction

The different implementation approaches also impact IT team experience:

• ForgeRock’s complexity often requires new specialized hires or extensive retraining
• Avatier’s intuitive interfaces work with existing IT skillsets
• Self-service capabilities free IT staff for higher-value initiatives

As documented in a recent enterprise customer testimonial: “Our team was dreading another complex identity project after our previous experiences. With Avatier, our existing team was able to configure and maintain the solution themselves, which improved both morale and retention.”

3. Business Agility Advantages

Perhaps most significantly, the self-guided model creates strategic advantages:

• New applications can be onboarded to identity governance more rapidly
• Policy changes can be implemented without waiting for consultant availability
• Merger/acquisition identity integration can proceed without scheduling dependencies

CISO Decision Framework: Evaluating Implementation Approaches

For CISOs and IT decision-makers evaluating IAM solutions, the following framework helps assess the true impact of implementation approaches:

1. Time-to-value assessment: How quickly will critical security controls be operational?
2. Total resource requirement: Beyond software costs, what people resources (internal and external) will be needed?
3. Ongoing maintenance model: What happens when policies or systems need changes?
4. Organizational capability alignment: Does the solution match your team’s existing skills?
5. Scalability without services: Can you expand usage without additional consultant engagements?

The Avatier Alternative: Self-Sufficiency Without Compromise

Many organizations have been led to believe that powerful identity management requires accepting implementation complexity and consultant dependency. Avatier directly challenges this assumption by offering enterprise-grade capabilities with a fundamentally different approach.

Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform delivers comprehensive identity lifecycle management, access governance, and authentication capabilities through a self-service implementation model that eliminates traditional barriers:

• Comprehensive connector library: 500+ pre-built application connectors
• True no-code workflows: Visual designers for all identity processes
• Containerized deployment options: Flexible on-premises, cloud, or hybrid implementations
• Modern mobile-first interfaces: Intuitive user experiences that reduce support burden
• Robust compliance frameworks: Built-in support for key regulations without customization

Conclusion: Breaking Free from the Implementation Gap

As identity and access management becomes increasingly central to security and compliance strategies, organizations can no longer accept the traditional implementation gap as inevitable. ForgeRock’s consultant-dependent approach represents the old paradigm of IAM—powerful but complex, flexible but requiring specialized resources.

Avatier’s self-guided implementation model demonstrates that enterprises can achieve comprehensive identity security without accepting extended timelines, massive professional services budgets, or permanent consultant dependency.

For organizations evaluating identity management solutions, the implementation approach should be considered as critically as features and pricing. By selecting a platform designed for self-sufficiency, security teams can accelerate time-to-value, reduce total costs, and maintain control over their identity infrastructure.

The choice between ForgeRock and Avatier ultimately comes down to a fundamental question: Do you want to build internal capability or consultant dependency? For organizations seeking both powerful identity management capabilities and implementation self-sufficiency, Avatier’s approach represents the clear path forward.

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