EmpowerID Launches Office 365 Manager for Security, Control

EmpowerID, an identity and access management (IAM) platform provider, has launched a module that allows enterprises to extend their existing on-premise security and audit control model to the Microsoft Office 365 and Azure Active Directory cloud.

The Dublin, Ohio-based cloud security company noted the new release, Office 365 Manager, is designed to help enterprises streamline platform management, boost user productivity and lower their IT operating costs.

“By extending the existing structure of a customer’s on-premise Active Directory, LDAP or HR system to Office 365, Office 365 Manager can securely delegate responsibilities by role, department, business unit and location,” EmpowerID CEO Patrick Parker said in a prepared statement. “Office 365 Manager empowers users, reduces the workload on IT and adds robust audit controls to the management of Office 365.”

Office 365 Manager provides:

EmpowerID noted Office 365 Manager also features single sign-on (SSO) capabilities that enable employees to use their existing Active Directory username and password when logging in to Outlook, OWA, Lync and SharePoint after they have been migrated to the Office 365 cloud.

“Customers report that the key challenge to adopting Office 365 for their enterprises is the inability to provide the secure delegation and flexible administration that they use for their behind-the-firewall systems,” Parker added. “Office 365 Manager addresses a key shortcoming of Office 365, which runs on Azure Active Directory and lacks a hierarchical structure that forces the placement of all users, groups, mailboxes and contacts in a single location.”

How does Office 365 Manager work?

Office 365 Manager can be run as a standalone product or used in conjunction with third-party provisioning products to manage Office 365, according to EmpowerID.

The module can be integrated with the entire EmpowerID suite of Manager modules to control all of an enterprise’s on-premise and cloud applications and directories.

EmpowerID said Office 365 Manager can provide auditors, employees and IT staff with a seamless user experience for accessing and managing Office 365 as well.

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