What is our primary use case?
Our main use case is for user management, especially in the context of developers. The focus is consolidating different user types, such as active and desktop users, and facilitating a unified user experience. The primary functionalities include single sign-on and managing access across various instances of Atlassian applications, creating a cohesive user base for improved efficiency and convenience.
What is most valuable?
One standout feature is the capability to configure various authentication and authorization methods from diverse user directories.
What needs improvement?
The issue lies in a somewhat unremarkable route problem. There's a need for effective group membership management, especially for corporate programs. The requirement is to manage memberships through groups, where users and managers can add individuals to specific user groups.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for over ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's a remarkably stable product since I'm not concerned about any cloud outages. I would rate it ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is highly scalable, and specifically designed for extensive landscapes, making it an ideal choice for large enterprises. Its design facilitates easy scalability, accommodating businesses ranging from the smaller end of the spectrum to extensive operations with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of users.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was quite straightforward. I would rate it nine out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
When it comes to on-premises deployment, the approach is fairly straightforward. However, in the context of the cloud, it's crucial to distinguish between Atlassian Cloud, referring to applications managed by Atlassian, and cloud services like Amazon Web Services or Azure. In my case, I use BitBucket, and the experience is quite similar to on-premises usage, with perhaps a few additional features. Atlassian Crowd is tailored for solutions hosted on various cloud services or self-hosted setups, excluding Atlassian Cloud. It typically requires several hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing ranges from low to medium. While it may seem affordable for larger enterprises, it tends to become more expensive as you move up the scale.
What other advice do I have?
For organizations using various Atlassian products and dealing with multiple user sources or directories, implementing Atlassian Crowd for single sign-on proves highly beneficial. This is especially true for companies that have instances of Atlassian product installations across different entities, each with its own Active Directory and user directory. Crowd significantly streamlines user and directory management, making it more efficient for larger enterprises. It is particularly advisable and recommended for big companies, especially those that have undergone acquisitions or mergers, as it enhances user management, transparency, and configurability. While it's incredibly useful for enterprise-level businesses, it may also be suitable for mid-sized companies with a substantial user base. Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner