Why Users Adopt Avatier Faster Than ForgeRock (PingIdentity): The Clear Path to IAM Success

The choice of identity and access management (IAM) solution can make or break your security posture and digital transformation initiatives. While ForgeRock (now part of Ping Identity following the 2023 acquisition) offers robust IAM capabilities, organizations are increasingly switching to Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform. This shift is not arbitrary—it’s driven by measurable advantages in implementation speed, user adoption, and total cost of ownership.

Implementation Timelines: Weeks vs. Months

The most striking difference between Avatier and ForgeRock appears during implementation. According to industry research, ForgeRock implementations typically take 6-9 months for enterprise deployments, with some large organizations reporting timelines extending beyond a year. In contrast, Avatier’s Identity Anywhere Lifecycle Management solution can be deployed in weeks rather than months.

This acceleration stems from Avatier’s container-based architecture and pre-built connectors that dramatically simplify integration with existing systems. The containerized approach allows for rapid deployment across diverse environments without the extensive customization often required by ForgeRock’s solutions.

A financial services CISO reported: “We had budgeted 8 months for our IAM overhaul based on previous ForgeRock implementations we’d researched. Avatier had us operational in under 10 weeks, including our complex compliance requirements.”

User Experience: Self-Service That Users Actually Use

The most sophisticated identity solution provides little value if users bypass or struggle with it. According to a 2023 Enterprise Management Associates report, 76% of IAM projects fail to meet expectations primarily due to poor user adoption.

Avatier’s differentiator is its consumer-grade user interface designed with actual user workflows in mind. The platform’s self-service capabilities are intuitive enough that even non-technical employees can manage access requests, password resets, and profile updates with minimal training.

ForgeRock’s interfaces, while comprehensive, often require more technical knowledge and training. Organizations report adoption rates for self-service features at around 45-55% for ForgeRock implementations, compared to 75-85% for Avatier deployments. This significant difference directly impacts help desk call volumes and overall productivity.

One healthcare organization documented a 68% reduction in access-related help desk tickets within three months of switching from ForgeRock to Avatier, attributing the improvement to Avatier’s intuitive self-service portal and mobile app capabilities.

Total Cost of Ownership: Breaking Down the Numbers

While initial licensing costs might appear comparable, the total cost of ownership (TCO) tells a different story:

1. Implementation Costs: ForgeRock implementations typically require 2-3x more professional services hours compared to Avatier deployments, according to industry analysis.
2. Ongoing Administration: Organizations report needing 30-40% fewer dedicated IAM administrators for Avatier compared to equivalent ForgeRock deployments.
3. Infrastructure Requirements: ForgeRock’s resource requirements for equivalent user populations can be 50-70% higher than Avatier’s lightweight container-based architecture.
4. Training Costs: Due to Avatier’s intuitive interface, organizations typically spend 60% less on end-user training compared to ForgeRock implementations.

A manufacturing enterprise that switched to Avatier reported: “Our five-year TCO calculations showed a 42% reduction compared to our previous ForgeRock implementation, with the most significant savings coming from reduced professional services and administrative overhead.”

Compliance Capabilities Without Complexity

Both Avatier and ForgeRock offer robust compliance capabilities, but significant differences emerge in implementation complexity and ongoing management.

Avatier’s Access Governance solutions provide out-of-the-box compliance frameworks for major regulations including SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, and industry-specific requirements like NERC CIP for utilities. These frameworks come with pre-configured attestation workflows, separation of duties policies, and compliance reports that require minimal customization.

ForgeRock’s compliance capabilities, while powerful, typically require more extensive configuration and customization to achieve the same results. This difference is particularly noticeable during audits, where Avatier customers report spending 50-60% less time preparing compliance documentation compared to ForgeRock users.

A government contractor noted: “Our quarterly NIST 800-53 audits used to consume weeks of preparation with ForgeRock. With Avatier, we’ve reduced audit preparation to days, with more comprehensive reporting and fewer auditor questions.”

Integration Ecosystem: Connecting Without Complexity

Modern enterprises rely on dozens, if not hundreds, of applications that require identity integration. Both vendors offer extensive connector libraries, but Avatier’s approach to integration differs fundamentally from ForgeRock’s.

Avatier provides over 500 pre-built application connectors that can be implemented through configuration rather than coding. The platform’s integration framework allows for non-developers to connect new applications through a low-code interface.

ForgeRock offers similar breadth in connectivity options but typically requires more specialized knowledge and custom development for complex integrations. Organizations report spending 40-60% more development hours on custom integrations with ForgeRock compared to equivalent Avatier implementations.

A technology company’s IT director shared: “We integrated 47 applications with Avatier in the time we had budgeted for 25 ForgeRock integrations. The difference was night and day in terms of complexity and required resources.”

Mobile Capability: Identity Management Anywhere, Literally

As workforces become increasingly distributed and mobile, the ability to manage identity through mobile devices has shifted from luxury to necessity. This is an area where the user experience gap between Avatier and ForgeRock becomes particularly pronounced.

Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform delivers a truly native mobile experience across iOS and Android, allowing users to perform the full spectrum of identity management tasks—from approvals to password resets—through intuitive mobile interfaces. The platform’s multifactor authentication integrations include push notifications, biometrics, and one-time passwords that work seamlessly within the mobile experience.

ForgeRock’s mobile capabilities, while improving, still reflect their origins as desktop-first solutions adapted for mobile rather than built for mobile from the ground up. Organizations report 30-40% higher mobile adoption rates with Avatier compared to ForgeRock, directly impacting security and productivity for remote workers.

Automation and AI: Moving Beyond Basic IAM

Both vendors have recognized the importance of automation and AI in modern identity management, but their approaches and maturity in this space differ significantly.

Avatier has integrated AI-driven risk assessment and automation throughout its platform, offering capabilities like:

• Predictive access recommendations based on peer groups and job functions
• Anomalous behavior detection in real-time
• Automated access revocation when unused privileges are detected
• Risk-based authentication that adjusts based on contextual factors

While ForgeRock has made significant investments in AI and automation, particularly through its Autonomous Identity platform, organizations report that operationalizing these capabilities requires more extensive configuration and customization compared to Avatier’s more integrated approach.

A financial services organization reported: “ForgeRock’s AI capabilities looked impressive on paper, but required a separate implementation project with specialized skills. Avatier’s AI-driven features worked out of the box, providing immediate value without additional projects.”

Support Experience: Beyond the SLA

Service level agreements tell only part of the support story. While both vendors offer enterprise-grade support, Avatier’s support model differs in meaningful ways that impact customer satisfaction.

Avatier provides direct access to implementation experts and developers rather than tiered support models that can delay resolution of complex issues. The company’s professional services team maintains involvement throughout the customer lifecycle, not just during initial implementation.

Organizations that have worked with both vendors report significantly faster resolution times with Avatier, particularly for complex integration or configuration challenges. A higher education institution noted: “With ForgeRock, our complex issues would often take weeks to reach someone with the right expertise. Avatier’s support model gets us to the right person within hours.”

The Bottom Line: Why Organizations Are Switching

The decision to switch identity providers is never taken lightly. The risks and costs of migration must be justified by significant advantages. Organizations that have switched from ForgeRock to Avatier consistently cite these factors:

1. Faster Time to Value: Implementation timeframes measured in weeks rather than months
2. Higher User Adoption: Self-service capabilities that users actually embrace
3. Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Reduced implementation, administration, and infrastructure costs
4. Simplified Compliance: Out-of-box compliance capabilities that reduce audit complexity
5. Integration Agility: Ability to connect systems without extensive custom development
6. Mobile-First Experience: Identity management that works where and how modern employees work
7. Accessible Innovation: AI and automation capabilities that deliver value without complexity
8. Responsive Support: Expert assistance when needed, without navigating complex support tiers

For organizations evaluating identity solutions, these differences translate to quantifiable business outcomes: reduced help desk costs, improved security posture, accelerated digital transformation initiatives, and enhanced user productivity.

As a healthcare CISO put it: “We didn’t switch from ForgeRock to Avatier because ForgeRock was bad—we switched because Avatier helps us achieve our security and business objectives faster, with less complexity and lower long-term costs. The value proposition became impossible to ignore.”

For organizations considering their identity management strategy, Avatier’s approach offers a compelling alternative to ForgeRock’s more complex, resource-intensive model—delivering enterprise-grade identity governance with consumer-grade usability.

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