SAP Single Sign-on Solution Future Roadmap

SAP Single Sign-on simplifies access to SAP and non-SAP applications with a single set of credentials, enhancing security and user productivity. Explore how this cloud-based solution reduces operational costs and integrates seamlessly with existing identity providers.

SAP Single Sign-on (SSO) allows users to access SAP and non-SAP applications with a single set of login credentials. SAP SSO simplifies the authentication process and reduces the risk of password-related security breaches by eliminating the need to remember and enter different usernames and passwords for each application.

Current Situation and Challenges:

Many SAP customers are facing the following challenges:

Single Sign-on & encryption have become a top security item for enterprise applications such as SAP. Default password logon does not meet security requirements, especially in a hybrid cloud environment.
IT infrastructures are moving to cloud native. Traditional Active Directory is being gradually replaced by cloud native directory services such as Azure Entra
SAP NetWeaver Java application server, which is the platform for SAP Secure Login Server, is retiring.
• New SAP cloud services such as SuccessFactors, BTP, S/4 Public Cloud are using SAP Identity Authentication Service, which requires central access management integration with other SAP on-premise applications.

Future Roadmap:

SAP Identity Authentication Service (IAS) and Secure Login Service (SLS) are cloud-based solutions designed to provide secure authentication and single sign-on (SSO) capabilities for SAP and non-SAP applications. It enhances security and user experience by integrating strong authentication methods and centralizing access management. They become the nature successor of the existing on-premise SAP SSO solutions and offer the following key benefits:

Lower costs: Simple software roll-out. Short time-to-value without any additional on-premise server components
Fast deployment: Rely on a lean cloud service and can reuse existing authentication infrastructure in the cloud or on-premise
More secure: Offer two-factor and risk-based authentication for critical systems in a zero-trust setup
Various integration options: Support any existing corporate identity provider via SAML/OIDC such as Microsoft Azure Active Directory and Okta, leveraging their authentication capabilities

Here is the reference architecture:

SAP Single Sign-on Options Comparison:

Bigger Picture

Modernizing SAP applications Single Sign-on solution is part of overall digital transformation journey, which delivers a variety of client/server capabilities in a hybrid cloud environment.

Conclusion

SAP BTP IAS/SLS is a powerful solution for organizations looking to enhance their security posture while improving user productivity and reducing operational costs.