The CFO’s Guide: Why Avatier Delivers Superior IAM ROI Compared to ForgeRock (PingIdentity)

Identity and access management (IAM) has evolved from an IT expense to a strategic investment that impacts the bottom line. As ForgeRock joins the Ping Identity family through acquisition, CFOs are increasingly scrutinizing the financial implications of their IAM technology choices. This comprehensive analysis explores why financial executives are pivoting to Avatier’s Identity Management Solutions over ForgeRock/PingIdentity for their identity management investments.

Executive Summary: The Financial Case for Identity Management

For CFOs evaluating IAM solutions, the decision extends far beyond feature checklists. According to Gartner, organizations implementing the right IAM solution can reduce identity-related security breaches by 75% while cutting IAM operational costs by up to 40%. Meanwhile, IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report notes that companies with fully deployed IAM solutions save an average of $2.5 million per breach incident compared to those without mature identity programs.

When ForgeRock was acquired by Thoma Bravo in 2022 (which already owned Ping Identity), it marked a consolidation in the IAM market that has left many CFOs concerned about future pricing models, support costs, and long-term investment protection. This article examines the financial factors driving CFOs to choose Avatier’s more agile, cost-efficient approach to identity management.

Direct Cost Considerations: Licensing, Implementation, and Operations

1. Transparent Pricing Models

ForgeRock’s pricing structure has traditionally followed a complex, capacity-based model that can lead to unpredictable costs as your organization grows. Following the Ping Identity merger, many customers report concerns about future pricing alignment.

Avatier offers a predictable pricing structure with per-user licensing that scales efficiently with your business. This transparency helps CFOs forecast IAM costs more accurately, avoiding the “surprise” expenses common with capacity or node-based models.

One large manufacturing enterprise reported saving 42% on their three-year IAM costs after switching from ForgeRock to Avatier, with the clearer pricing model allowing for better budget forecasting.

2. Implementation Timeline and Resource Requirements

The financial impact of an IAM implementation extends far beyond the license costs:

• ForgeRock/Ping Identity: Implementation typically requires specialized consultants and extensive professional services engagements, with average enterprise deployments taking 9-12 months.
• Avatier: With its container-based approach and pre-built connectors, Avatier reduces implementation time by an average of 60%, with most enterprises fully deployed within 3-5 months.

The impact is substantial—every month saved in deployment represents direct financial returns through faster security improvements and operational efficiencies.

3. Operational Staffing Requirements

The ongoing operational costs of managing an IAM solution represent a significant portion of the total cost of ownership:

• ForgeRock/Ping Identity: Typically requires dedicated identity engineers with specialized certifications. According to industry salary data, these specialized roles command premium compensation, with companies needing 2-3 full-time resources for enterprise deployments.
• Avatier: Designed for operational efficiency with an intuitive interface that reduces the technical expertise required. Most Avatier customers manage their environments with 1-1.5 FTEs, often leveraging existing IT staff rather than specialized identity engineers.

Indirect Financial Benefits: The Business Impact of Better IAM

1. Risk Reduction and Compliance Cost Savings

Identity-related security incidents represent a major financial risk. Avatier’s approach to risk management delivers measurable financial benefits:

• Automated Compliance: Avatier’s Compliance Management Software provides automated controls and reporting for regulatory frameworks including SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, and NIST 800-53. This automation typically reduces compliance reporting efforts by 65-80% compared to manual processes or less integrated solutions.
• Risk-Based Authentication: Avatier’s contextual authentication reduces unnecessary MFA challenges by 40% while maintaining security posture, improving both security and user experience simultaneously.
• Identity Analytics: Avatier’s risk scoring and anomaly detection capabilities have been shown to identify potential security issues an average of 27 days earlier than traditional detection methods.

The financial implications are substantial—with the average cost of a data breach now exceeding $4.45 million according to IBM, even a modest reduction in breach risk translates to significant financial benefit.

2. Productivity Gains Through Self-Service and Automation

CFOs recognize that identity processes impact workforce productivity across the organization:

• Password Reset Costs: Industry research indicates each help desk password reset costs organizations $70-100 when accounting for IT staff time and employee downtime. Avatier’s Password Management solution reduces password-related tickets by over 85%, delivering immediate ROI.
• Access Request Fulfillment: Avatier customers report 92% faster access provisioning times compared to their previous manual processes, reducing workforce downtime and eliminating costly delays.
• Onboarding/Offboarding Efficiency: Organizations using Avatier’s Lifecycle Management reduce onboarding setup time by an average of 73%, getting new employees productive faster while reducing security risks during offboarding.

3. Infrastructure and Integration Costs

The technical architecture of an IAM solution directly impacts its ongoing costs:

• ForgeRock/Ping Identity: Traditionally requires substantial server infrastructure and database licensing, with separation of development, test, and production environments multiplying these costs.
• Avatier’s Identity-as-a-Container (IDaaC): Uses modern containerization technology to reduce infrastructure requirements by up to 70% compared to traditional IAM deployments. The container-based architecture also simplifies disaster recovery and high availability configurations, further reducing operational costs.

Total Cost of Ownership Analysis: 3-Year Comparison

When evaluating the complete financial picture over a standard 3-year investment horizon, Avatier consistently delivers superior TCO compared to ForgeRock/Ping Identity:

Cost Category	ForgeRock/Ping Identity	Avatier	Potential Savings
License/Subscription	Base pricing typically 15-25% higher	More competitive per-user pricing	15-25%
Implementation	9-12 months, heavy professional services	3-5 months, less PS dependency	45-60%
Infrastructure	Higher server requirements	Container-based efficiency	50-70%
Staffing Costs	2-3 specialized FTEs	1-1.5 general IT FTEs	40-50%
Integration Maintenance	Higher maintenance costs	Simpler architecture	30-45%
Total 3-Year TCO			35-45% savings with Avatier

Case Study: Financial Services Firm Achieves 321% ROI

A mid-sized financial services organization with 5,000 employees switched from ForgeRock to Avatier and documented the following results:

• 47% reduction in direct IAM technology costs
• 62% reduction in identity-related security incidents
• 89% decrease in password reset tickets
• 73% faster user provisioning
• 3.5 FTEs reallocated from manual identity tasks to higher-value initiatives

The organization calculated a 321% ROI over three years, with breakeven achieved in just 7 months after deployment.

The M&A Factor: Investment Protection in a Consolidating Market

The ForgeRock acquisition by Thoma Bravo (which already owned Ping Identity) has raised concerns among CFOs about long-term investment protection:

1. Product Roadmap Uncertainty: When vendors merge, product roadmaps often consolidate, potentially leaving customers with uncertain upgrade paths and forced migrations.
2. Support Model Changes: Acquisitions frequently lead to support restructuring, with potential degradation in service levels.
3. Post-Acquisition Price Increases: Many customers report significant price increases following acquisition as investors seek to maximize returns.

Avatier, as an independent IAM provider with a stable product history, offers CFOs greater confidence in their long-term investment protection and consistent, predictable pricing.

Strategic Flexibility: Adapting to Future Business Needs

CFOs increasingly recognize that identity management must adapt to evolving business needs:

• Multi-Cloud Support: Avatier’s architecture provides consistent identity management across hybrid environments including on-premises, private cloud, and multiple public cloud platforms.
• Acquisition Integration: Avatier’s connector architecture streamlines identity integration during M&A activities, reducing the costs and risks of bringing new organizations into the identity framework.
• Remote Work Enablement: With Avatier’s mobile-first approach, organizations can support remote and hybrid work models without compromising security or adding complexity.

Decision Criteria for Financial Executives

For CFOs evaluating IAM investments, these key questions help guide the decision process:

1. Total Cost Visibility: Does the vendor provide transparent pricing that allows for accurate forecasting as your organization grows?
2. Implementation Timeline: What is the expected time-to-value, and how will this affect both costs and risk exposure?
3. Operational Efficiency: How will the solution impact ongoing operational costs, including staffing requirements?
4. Risk Reduction Value: How effectively will the solution reduce identity-related security risks and their associated costs?
5. Business Process Impact: How will the solution affect workforce productivity through self-service capabilities and process automation?
6. Investment Protection: What guarantees does the vendor provide against forced upgrades or significant architectural changes?

Conclusion: The CFO’s Perspective on IAM Investment

From a financial perspective, identity and access management has evolved from a technical necessity to a strategic investment with significant impact on business outcomes. While ForgeRock/Ping Identity offers a technically capable solution, Avatier delivers a more compelling financial value proposition through:

• Lower initial and ongoing licensing costs
• Faster implementation with reduced professional services requirements
• Simpler operational model requiring less specialized staffing
• Stronger risk reduction capabilities with measurable financial impact
• Greater productivity improvements across the workforce
• Better investment protection in a consolidating market

As identity becomes increasingly central to security, compliance, and digital transformation initiatives, CFOs are recognizing that Avatier’s approach delivers not just strong technical capabilities, but superior financial returns on their IAM investments.

For organizations evaluating identity management solutions with a focus on financial outcomes, Avatier provides the optimal balance of robust functionality, operational efficiency, and long-term value.

Try Avatier today