Future-Proof Flexibility: Why Avatier Configuration Beats ForgeRock (PingIdentity) Coding

Enterprise identity management solutions must deliver both robust security and exceptional flexibility. As organizations accelerate their digital transformation initiatives, the ability to quickly adapt identity systems to changing business requirements has become a critical competitive advantage. According to Gartner, by 2023, 75% of security failures will result from inadequate management of identities, access, and privileges—up from 50% in 2020.

When comparing identity management platforms, one of the most significant differentiators between Avatier and ForgeRock (now part of PingIdentity) is their fundamental approach to implementation and customization: configuration versus coding. This distinction has profound implications for implementation timelines, total cost of ownership, and long-term sustainability.

The Configuration vs. Coding Paradigm

ForgeRock’s Coding-Heavy Approach

ForgeRock’s platform is built on a highly technical foundation that typically requires extensive coding for implementation and customization. While this offers flexibility for organizations with deep technical resources, it comes with significant challenges:

1. Specialized Expertise Required: ForgeRock implementations demand advanced Java programming knowledge and specialized training in ForgeRock’s proprietary frameworks.
2. Extended Implementation Timelines: According to industry analysts, the average ForgeRock deployment takes 12-18 months to complete—significantly longer than configuration-based alternatives.
3. Higher Technical Debt: Custom code requires ongoing maintenance, creating technical debt that grows over time as integrations expand and platform versions change.
4. Version Upgrade Challenges: Custom code often breaks during version upgrades, requiring extensive regression testing and remediation with each new release.

Avatier’s Configuration-Focused Solution

In contrast, Avatier’s Identity Management Anywhere embraces a configuration-first approach that delivers enterprise-grade identity management without extensive coding:

1. No-Code Configuration: Avatier’s intuitive interface allows administrators to configure complex workflows, approval chains, and integrations without writing code.
2. Drag-and-Drop Workflow Design: Visual workflow designers enable business analysts and identity administrators to create and modify processes without developer intervention.
3. Pre-Built Application Connectors: Avatier offers hundreds of pre-configured application connectors that dramatically reduce integration complexity.
4. Version-Independent Customizations: Configurations migrate seamlessly during upgrades, eliminating the risk of broken customizations when new versions are deployed.

Quantifiable Business Benefits of Configuration vs. Coding

The advantages of Avatier’s configuration-based approach translate into measurable business benefits:

1. Accelerated Time-to-Value

A recent Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) study found that no-code/low-code identity solutions reduced implementation time by an average of 65% compared to code-heavy alternatives. For large enterprises, this can mean the difference between a 6-month and 18-month implementation timeline.

Avatier’s configuration approach enables rapid deployment, with many customers achieving full production status within 90 days. This accelerated implementation delivers faster security improvements and quicker realization of operational efficiencies.

2. Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

The coding requirements of platforms like ForgeRock significantly impact total cost of ownership in multiple ways:

• Implementation Costs: ForgeRock implementations typically require 2-3x more professional services than configuration-based alternatives.
• Specialized Staffing: Organizations using ForgeRock must maintain specialized developers with ForgeRock-specific expertise, commanding premium salaries.
• Ongoing Maintenance: Code-based customizations require continuous maintenance, consuming approximately 15-20% of the initial implementation cost annually.

In contrast, Avatier’s configuration approach reduces these costs dramatically:

• Lower Implementation Services: Configuration-based implementations typically require 40-60% less professional services.
• Broader Administrative Pool: Avatier can be maintained by identity administrators rather than specialized developers.
• Reduced Maintenance Burden: Configuration changes require minimal ongoing maintenance, with annual maintenance costs averaging 5-10% of initial implementation.

3. Enhanced Business Agility

In today’s dynamic business environment, the ability to quickly adapt identity processes to new requirements provides a significant competitive advantage:

• Response to Organizational Changes: When mergers, acquisitions, or reorganizations occur, Avatier’s configuration-based approach allows identity processes to be adapted in days rather than weeks or months.
• New Application Onboarding: Adding new applications to the identity ecosystem can be accomplished 3-5x faster with Avatier’s connector-based integration approach.
• Compliance Adaptability: When regulatory requirements change, Avatier enables rapid policy adjustments without code modifications or development cycles.

Real-World Implementation Comparison

To illustrate the practical differences between these approaches, consider a typical enterprise identity management implementation:

ForgeRock Implementation Timeline

1. Design Phase: 2-3 months
2. Initial Development: 4-6 months
3. Integration Development: 3-4 months
4. Testing & Remediation: 2-3 months
5. Production Deployment: 1-2 months

Total: 12-18 months

Avatier Implementation Timeline

1. Design Phase: 1-2 months
2. System Configuration: 1-2 months
3. Connector Integration: 1-2 months
4. Testing & Refinement: 1 month
5. Production Deployment: 2-4 weeks

Total: 4-7 months

This timeline advantage extends beyond initial implementation to include ongoing changes and enhancements. While ForgeRock changes typically require development sprints measured in weeks, Avatier configuration changes can often be completed in hours or days.

Future-Proofing Your Identity Investment

Perhaps the most compelling advantage of Avatier’s configuration-based approach is its ability to future-proof your identity management investment.

The Challenge of Technical Debt

Code-heavy identity platforms inevitably accumulate technical debt. According to a McKinsey study, organizations spend 20-40% of their technology budget dealing with technical debt rather than creating new capabilities. With ForgeRock, each customization creates potential technical debt that must be managed during upgrades and platform changes.

Avatier’s Sustainable Approach

Avatier’s Identity Anywhere architecture is specifically designed to eliminate this technical debt through:

1. Version-Independent Configurations: Configurations are maintained independently from the core platform, ensuring they remain compatible across version upgrades.
2. Self-Documenting Systems: Visual configuration tools create self-documenting implementations that reduce knowledge transfer challenges when staff changes occur.
3. Business-Friendly Administration: Avatier’s intuitive interface allows business analysts and identity administrators to maintain the system without developer intervention.
4. Containerized Deployment: As the first identity solution available as a container, Avatier’s Identity-as-a-Container approach provides unprecedented deployment flexibility across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

Meeting the Needs of Key Stakeholders

The configuration versus coding decision impacts various stakeholders throughout the organization:

CISOs and Security Leaders

For CISOs facing ever-increasing security threats, Avatier’s configuration approach delivers:

• Faster Security Improvements: More rapid implementation of identity controls and policies
• Consistent Policy Enforcement: Centralized configuration ensures uniform security implementation
• Reduced Attack Surface: Less custom code means fewer potential vulnerabilities
• Quicker Adaptation to Threats: Security policies can be adjusted rapidly as threats evolve

IT Operations and Identity Teams

For identity administrators and IT operations teams responsible for day-to-day management:

• Reduced Dependency on Developers: Configuration changes can be implemented without developer involvement
• Simplified Troubleshooting: Standardized configurations are easier to diagnose and repair
• Streamlined Upgrades: Version upgrades proceed more smoothly without custom code concerns
• Knowledge Transfer: Visual configurations are easier to understand when staff changes occur

Business Leaders and Financial Stakeholders

For business and financial leaders concerned with costs and operational efficiency:

• Accelerated ROI: Faster implementation means quicker realization of security and efficiency benefits
• Predictable Costs: Reduced dependency on specialized developers leads to more predictable ongoing costs
• Business Continuity: Less risk of system disruption during upgrades and changes
• Strategic Resource Allocation: IT resources can focus on innovation rather than maintenance

The Evolution of Identity Management: From Code to Configuration

The shift from coding to configuration represents the natural evolution of identity management solutions. Just as other enterprise technologies have moved from custom coding to configuration-based implementations, identity management is following the same trajectory.

According to a recent KuppingerCole analysis, “The future of identity management clearly lies in solutions that reduce complexity while maintaining flexibility. Configuration-based approaches are rapidly replacing code-dependent implementations as organizations seek to reduce technical debt and accelerate adaptation to changing requirements.”

Conclusion: Configuration is the Future of Identity Management

In the ongoing competition between configuration and coding approaches to identity management, the evidence overwhelmingly favors configuration-based solutions like Avatier:

• Faster Implementation: Months instead of years to deployment
• Lower Total Cost: Reduced professional services and ongoing maintenance
• Greater Agility: Rapid adaptation to changing business requirements
• Reduced Technical Debt: Future-proof implementations that simplify upgrades
• Broader Administrative Base: Less dependency on specialized technical resources

For organizations evaluating ForgeRock (PingIdentity) against Avatier, the question isn’t merely about features and capabilities—it’s about the fundamental approach to implementation and maintenance. While ForgeRock’s coding-intensive model may appeal to organizations with extensive development resources and specialized expertise, Avatier’s configuration-based approach delivers superior business outcomes for the vast majority of enterprises.

By choosing Avatier’s Identity Management Anywhere, organizations gain not just a powerful identity platform, but a future-proof solution that will evolve with changing business requirements without accumulating the technical debt that plagues code-heavy alternatives.

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