CityU: Untangling legacy systems through a unified identity portal
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- Asia
Country
- Hong Kong
Product
- Okta Single Sign-On
- Okta MFA
- Okta API Access Management
Tech Stack
- Okta APIs
- Okta SDK
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction
- Digital Expertise
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Cybersecurity & Privacy - Identity & Authentication Management
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Education
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) is a leading academic institution located in the heart of Hong Kong. Despite being relatively young, it has established a strong reputation as a center for research and innovation on the global stage. CityU ranks #4 on a global list of the 'Top 50 under 50' universities, highlighting its rapid growth and academic excellence. The university caters to a diverse student body, with 26,000 full-time students and 4,000 staff members. CityU is known for its wide-ranging academic offerings and its commitment to research and industry partnerships. The institution boasts a multicultural staff from 35 countries around the world, further enhancing its global appeal. CityU's mission is to provide a world-class education and foster an environment of innovation and collaboration, making it a prominent player in the academic landscape.
The Challenge
City University of Hong Kong (CityU) faced a significant challenge with its legacy systems, which involved disparate logins and identities across various systems for students, staff, and alumni. Each user had to manage multiple logins for different purposes, leading to a fragmented user experience. The university's fast-growing and wide-ranging academic setting often resulted in technology solutions being added in a piecemeal fashion to solve specific problems in different departments. Over time, these disparate systems led to poor integration and little flexibility across the institution. Joe Lee, Assistant IT Manager (IAM) at CityU, recognized the need to unify the governance of user identity systems to improve user and IT management. The challenge was to find a way to unify all these separate applications and services under a Single Sign-On platform, which would simplify and improve the overall experience for all users.
The Solution
CityU partnered with Master Concept to implement an Okta-powered CIAM solution that would deliver a single sign-on experience for all staff, students, and alumni. The solution involved using Okta Single Sign-On, MFA, and API Access Management to create a new user portal that supports legacy, on-prem, and cloud applications across both desktop and mobile platforms. The implementation process was swift, with the proof of concept completed in just a few weeks. The deployment was carefully timed to avoid interfering with critical university periods, such as enrolment windows and exam periods. Okta's leadership in the Gartner Magic Quadrant and its support for various second-factor solutions were key factors in CityU's decision to choose Okta as their identity and access management provider. The new system allows CityU to focus on providing top-notch computing services while outsourcing identity and access management to Okta, ensuring industry best practices are followed.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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