We are using Google Cloud Identity as a single sign-on solution or for access management where you can determine who is accessing work and when.
Sr. TechOps Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Time saving group access capabilities, good support, and scalable
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Google Cloud Identity is group access. You are able to assign policies to groups instead of users individually."
- "Google Cloud Identity the UI could improve."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Google Cloud Identity is group access. You are able to assign policies to groups instead of users individually.
What needs improvement?
Google Cloud Identity the UI could improve.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Cloud Identity for approximately two years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Google Cloud Identity is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Google Cloud Identity is good.
Everyone in my organization is using it. We have approximately 4,000 users using it.
How are customer service and support?
The support from Google Cloud Identity is good.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Google Cloud Identity is not difficult. You have to create the groups and users and give them a link to the applications that you want them to access. You need to add all the permission. It's something that can be implemented easily. The time it takes depends on the complexity. For example, if you have a lot of users and the access and tools that they will have access to are high then it will add to the time.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation of Google Cloud Identity in-house.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Google Cloud Identity an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Lead Training at a computer software company with 10,001+ employees
Offers fine-grained access control and good visibility of cloud resources
Pros and Cons
- "The Cloud Identity is well advanced in terms of features, applications, and the components that it is offering."
- "The interface could be improved by simplifying it further."
What is our primary use case?
I am a solution architect and this is one of the products that I work with.
It is used for access control, where our customers want fine-grained access control of cloud resources. It gives you total visibility for managing cloud-based resources.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features that I have used are the unified identity access application and endpoint management.
What needs improvement?
Pricing is something that can be improved. Right now, Microsoft is doing very well in the cloud and Google has to be more competitive. Customers are always interested in the price.
The interface could be improved by simplifying it further. It is better than the Microsoft nested interface, but not as easy to use as Oracle.
It may be helpful to have a feature that can back up and export all of the roles, groups, and permissions so that it can be saved elsewhere and re-imported later. I don't think that it is required for a cloud-based solution, but it may be helpful for some customers or administrators.
Easing the migration from another cloud provider, such as Microsoft, would be helpful for some customers. There should be a complete suite that is offered so that migration can be done easily.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Cloud Identity for close to one year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have heard nothing from my customers with respect to stability. It seems that since it was implemented, everything has been working well.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
There are close to 10,000 users for this solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
Technical support from Google is good. I received a very quick and good response.
If I compare it to the Microsoft technical support, Google is far better.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Prior to this solution, our customer was using a Microsoft solution that was on-premises. They had control of their groups, Microsoft IDs, and Windows IDs.
The Cloud Identity is well advanced in terms of features, applications, and the components that it is offering. Some of the distributions were impossible using an on-premises solution, mainly because of the integration of third-party applications. Simply, there are fewer options when using an on-premises deployment. This is why our customer decided to switch.
How was the initial setup?
I would not say that the setup was simple or complex. Rather, it was of medium complexity. It is, however, far better when compared to the other cloud providers.
The configuration involves setting up the roles and figuring out which roles to assign to which users. It is not difficult and very quick.
What about the implementation team?
I implement this solution for my customers. I referred to a handbook that I found on the Google support site, and it was very helpful. I also received help from Google support.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing fees are on a yearly basis.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Our customer has two or three cloud providers and they compared pricing and features.
What other advice do I have?
The suitability of this solution depends on customer requirements. You have to consider the features that they will need. My feeling is that eventually, Google will come up with more applications and be more competitive in the future.
This is a good product for small, medium, or enterprise-sized customers who want to go forward with a cost-effective solution.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Buyer's Guide
Google Cloud Identity
October 2024
Learn what your peers think about Google Cloud Identity. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
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CEO at a tech services company with 1-10 employees
Good authentication features and good stability
Pros and Cons
- "Although we have not looked at the whole product and explored it completely, we find that all the authentication features that we are using now are valuable."
- "To improve the product, the integration with third-party products could always be smoother."
What is our primary use case?
We use this solution for authenticating users on our system and our clients' systems. Not only Google, but also to integrate Google Cloud Identity with other systems such as MDM (Mobile Device Management) solutions, and endpoints — like computers.
What is most valuable?
Mainly we find that all the authentication features that we are using now are the most valuable. We have not looked at the whole product and explored it completely as this was primarily what we wanted it for. Maybe in another year of use and discovery, I will have different opinions.
What needs improvement?
To improve the product, the integration with third-party products could always be smoother. I cannot pinpoint a specific new feature that we will need in the future as the product is serving our purposes. But if we talk about integration with third parties, then there is always room for improvement and making things easier from an implementation standpoint.
For how long have I used the solution?
We started off last autumn as a Google partner. So, we have been using it since last year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of the product is good. We have had no issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is good. Our company has only a small number of users. We really deployed it and use it to be able to learn it and implement it for other customers as well. So in our environment where we actually build and do customer testing, there are maybe a maximum of ten accounts that we actually use. We may plan to increase usage in the future.
How are customer service and technical support?
We have not had a reason to get in touch with technical support, so our experience to this point has been good.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
There are a lot of different products like this that we have used, but the one that we can directly compare with is Microsoft Azure Active Directory Premium, which we also use quite a lot. We have not actually switched. We are still using Microsoft as well. Before we started using Google Cloud Identity we mainly just used Microsoft Azure.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is really okay. We do these third-party system integrations a lot with this and other products, so I think it is no harder than with any other systems to do. For the deployment of Google Cloud Identity to all departments, it took maybe half-an-hour.
What about the implementation team?
We did the implementation by ourselves within the company without the help of an integrator or consultant. It took five people for the deployment. Their roles are system architects and engineers. Maintenance requires just a couple of people.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The product is billed on a monthly basis. I think it can be free for a certain number of users when you have the G Suite. At some point, it starts to cost something per user, but I'm not sure of the exact pricing at this time.
What other advice do I have?
It is as good as anything else in the product category. It works just like other products that do the same, like Oracle (Identity Cloud Service) or Microsoft Azure or Okta.
On a scale from one to ten where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate this product as maybe about an eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
Student
Practical approach when following the steps to deploy
Pros and Cons
- "The solution is moderate to difficult to use. I found the approach was practical. Following the steps made it very easy to use."
- "Google Cloud Identify could make the technology used easier to understand as a layman making it more user-friendly."
What is our primary use case?
We create accounts and manage Google Workspace administrative process.
What is most valuable?
The solution is moderate to difficult to use. I found the approach was practical. Following the steps made it very easy to use.
What needs improvement?
Google Cloud Identify could make the technology used easier to understand as a layman making it more user-friendly.
The interface could be more eye-catching so it is more approachable to the user.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Cloud Identity for a few months.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Google Cloud Identity is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
When referring to the help articles I found them not helpful. Support themselves understood my query but the resolution was not satisfactory.
How was the initial setup?
Creating accounts is simple, but further deployment is moderate. Maintenance is all administrative to control accounts.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For small business or independents it is not always affordable.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I considered Microsoft, but because of Google's penetration in the market, it was my preference.
What other advice do I have?
Google Cloud Identity would be very helpful for a small startup or a small office. A company having Workspace accounts on Google, using their services like email, Gmail, and all the drive services is helpful.
I would rate Google Cloud Identity a 7 out of 10.
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Pre-Sales Engineering Manager - Cloud Computing at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Good performance, easy to deploy and manage, but the pricing needs to be reduced
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature is the performance."
- "The pricing for this solution is a little bit higher than AWS and others, which is something that should be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We are a technical services company and Google Cloud Identity is part of a project that we are implementing for one of our clients. It is used for access management.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the performance. This is the reason that we chose this solution.
This solution is easy to deploy and manage.
What needs improvement?
The pricing for this solution is a little bit higher than AWS and others, which is something that should be improved.
This solution has no backup storage included. Having a DR solution included would help to be more competitive with Microsoft.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Google Cloud Identity for the past two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a stable solution. Our client's solution has 24/7 availability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is easy to expand and add users. Our client has approximately 3,000 users.
How are customer service and technical support?
We are satisfied with the technical support. When we implemented this solution for our client, the Google technical team supported us.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. We were able to deploy 25 VMs and we had it done within two hours.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Our client chose this solution because they are using Gmail and other Google products.
What other advice do I have?
We have been recommending Google Cloud Identity to our customers, but they are comparing prices with solutions such as those by Amazon and Microsoft. The prices for those solutions are lower.
I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Google
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Cloud Solution Engineer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Offers a lot of features like login, vaulted passwords and secure LDAP
Pros and Cons
- "I think the first thing that is great is that it gives you a lot of features, like login, and then vaulted passwords and secure LDAP. It becomes easier for the end customer to leverage all those features without going to a higher SKU of G Suite."
- "They are going ahead and adding a few more things to the Google Cloud premium edition. Their stock management and remote computer management can be improved."
What is most valuable?
We deal with clients who use G Suite and when you want to go for a higher SKU, and you don't have the budget, people generally opting for the Google Cloud Premium. I think the first thing that is great is that it gives you a lot of features, like login, and then vaulted passwords and secure LDAP. It becomes easier for the end customer to leverage all those features without going to a higher SKU of G Suite.
What needs improvement?
They are going ahead and adding a few more things to the Google Cloud premium edition. Their stock management and remote computer management can be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using it for the past six to seven months.
How are customer service and technical support?
Their technical support is great.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is quite easy and simple. If you know the product well it won't take you a long time to deploy. We have done it for a few of our customers and we have got good results.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing is also quite competitive. With the amount of features that it offers as a suite, like CIP, because it's a premium product, it offers good pricing with the kind of features it offers.
There are no additional costs to standard licensing.
I would rate it an eight out of ten.
The management of the devices can be improved with more robust handling.
My recommendation of this solution would otally depend upon what the person wants. If Google Cloud Premium fits that, I would always recommend it.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
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