Decision model for identity management product selection using fuzzy AHP

Identity management (IDM) refers to a security discipline that employs technologies to manage information about the identity of users and control their access to organization resources. Various IDM products are in the market to offer corporate customers productivity and security while lowering costs of identity management. System integrators who implement the IDM solutions for their corporate customers often face problems when choosing the right IDM products for integrating with the customers' enterprise systems. This paper proposes a decision model for IDM product selection which is used in evaluating and ranking IDM products based on the proposed customer requirements questionnaire. The model is comprehensive in that its decision criteria comprise not only the technical specifications of the products but also other important aspects including price and accountability of system integrators and product vendors. Based on the decision model, product selection is conducted using a multi-criteria decision making technique called fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP). In an evaluation, a leading system integrator company in Thailand applies the proposed approach to IDM product selection for its customer and the result is quite satisfactory.