Connecting with Customers
Proving Identity
Identity security is driving exceptional customer experiences
Every day when you enter your username and password into your favorite website, you’re generating data. The average customer generates an eye-watering volume of data over the course of their digital day. When someone registers for a new website or app and creates a user profile, they’re creating a new dataset that can be analyzed by a new firm. When that phenomenon multiplies across cities, countries, and continents, the amount of information being created by customers across the globe is downright staggering. But managing that data properly and adhering to regional, national, and international guidelines can be a difficult task for even the most seasoned executive. It’s an organizational risk that more companies are coming to terms with.
But all that data is also an opportunity, one that allows companies to personalize their products and services and give their customers and clients incredible, engaging experiences—such as the ability to login without using a password. Personalization is key to success, but it has to happen in a way that makes data security simultaneously integral and invisible.
“As people, we have to learn how to trust other people, and that trust has to be earned. Companies have to do the same thing,” says Kris Nagel, Chief Operating Officer of identity security company Ping Identity. “So, we want to use data in a way that helps the customer feel comfortable that we're doing the right things with that data. I want to know that my transaction is being protected, but I also want it to be easy.”
Ping Identity provides enterprise identity security solutions that make data use and access secure and seamless for customers and clients. They call their approach “championing identity,” because it places identity security at the core of customer experience.
Digital identities are increasingly the medium that drives exceptional user experiences. For example, even small reductions in login and registration abandonment rates can drastically increase customer acquisition, retention, and revenue. Ping helps customers feel comfortable that their data is being used properly and that it is protected, something increasingly crucial for companies with data-driven personalization on the rise.
“Identity is becoming the steel thread around all of personalization,” Nagel said. “With an identity platform, you get a one-stop-shop that’s built for real-time transactions, which is increasingly important for companies that are doing things like serving up content. We champion customers’ identities so companies can deliver extraordinary experiences.”
And personalization is only growing. From streaming services that use viewing history to make recommendations for the next binge watch, to retailers who offer discounts on products to repeat customers, businesses that rely on personal, data-driven experiences are thriving. The flip side, however, is that these companies are potential targets for data breaches, especially as they try to reach a global customer base. Those customers are increasingly aware and concerned about their security. Even when they are relatively minor, breaches can damage business operations, professional reputations and customer trust, which means having the right identity security platform is paramount.
“We want customers to have a great experience, but also want to take the necessary steps to protect their data and the integrity of whatever they’re trying to do,” says Richard Bird, Chief Customer Information Officer at Ping Identity. “Identity sits at the core of those two things, and it’s where Ping has found a lot of success.” Ping has helped some of the world’s leading businesses thread the needle of security and personalization by championing identity so their clients can provide stellar user experiences without sacrificing security.
One company, many usernames
Global hardware and software powerhouse HP needed to give its global population of customers and partners access to all HP applications from a single, secure entry point. There were also hundreds of millions of customer records spread out over nearly a dozen legacy identity management systems, and the global technology leader needed to migrate them to a single identity platform. It was all about giving customers a cleaner, more seamless experience while maintaining the high level of security that HP customers were accustomed to.
In order to do that, Ping helped HP create a unified identity ecosystem that migrated over 100 of the company’s business applications into a single HP ID, successfully completing the company’s largest identity initiative to date. The Ping solution also allowed HP to implement the new system without a millisecond of downtime, which means HP’s customers were able to access their information without interruption.
HP customers now use a common interface for identity registration and login across all of the company’s online experiences. The result is a customer experience that is streamlined and secure. Once logged in, customers and partners can see a 360-degree view of their HP products and services where once they had to log into each of the myriad siloed portals for the same access.
“It sounds pretty common sense, but that holistic approach to identity isn't a construct that exists in most companies,” says Bird. “By tying data discreetly and exclusively to your unique identity, we can keep both safe, which is a real differentiator for Ping.”
PingDirectory, one of the company’s products, is used by HP to store over 150 million customer and partner identities, and it has the ability to scale up to one billion if needed. “One of the most crucial tools we provide to organizations is the ability to maintain and increase customer trust as we step up requests for authentication and authorization,” Bird says. “Trust has a substantial emotional component to it, and that doesn’t happen without trust being built from the ground up between company and customer. Trust is what happens when you champion identity.”
Ping Identity’s data governance solution also ensures that HP can comply with various regulatory frameworks around the world without interfering with the customer experience. “There are certainly regulatory requirements around how you're using data as well as privacy notices,” says Nagel. “But we really encourage our clients, through the life cycle of a customer, to be very transparent. We provide tools to enable them to do that. We say, ‘Let's make sure that the customer understands what we're doing with their data and how we're going to use it.’”
Complex problems need custom solutions
Pameijer, a Dutch healthcare organization that works with people with intellectual disabilities or psychological problems, needed to achieve twin goals for their customers: First, they needed a simple, intuitive user interface that would allow their partners and clients to access their information easily and stay in touch with their communities. Second, they needed to protect access to their data, which contains sensitive medical information.
Pameijer’s customers weren’t the only component in this equation; their staff needed a way to log into the over 30 apps they used to provide customer care as well. The medical staff needed an identity solution that was user friendly and flexible enough to integrate with their in-house software. Crucially, Pameijer also needed to comply with the strict data security and privacy regulations ushered in by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the EU. That competing, complex set of needs meant that Pameijer needed an identity security firm that would champion their needs—and Ping was up to the task.
“What you'll see in a lot of identity platforms is a one-size-fits-all approach,” says Nagel. “We don't believe that works. You've got to provide a set of tools that allow clients to customize their solutions. Ping’s core mission is to champion identity, and that means championing those customer needs as well.”
Ping Identity’s global experience made them an ideal partner, and the identity security and management company worked with Pameijer to provide a solution that met their complex needs. Ping’s solution includes single sign-on (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for both customers and employees. The user experience is customizable, and Pameijer customers who are less experienced with digital solutions can easily and securely sign on with one-touch swipe authentication from mobile devices. Pameijer’s workforce has also seen their productivity rise since they no longer have to manage multiple sets of credentials. Employees are also able to see a patient’s complete records in one place, a development that has set Pameijer up for even more personalized approaches in the future.
By giving Pameijer a solution that simultaneously empowered their clients and allowed for better care from their staff, Ping gave the healthcare organization a blueprint for effective customer engagement. “Customers are really starting to express their desire to be empowered and not feel helpless,” Bird said. “That's the big thing. I don't want to feel helpless anymore. I want to be able to have some control over my digital identity and my data privacy.” Part of being empowered is having a champion, and Ping is championing the identities of customers and companies around the globe.