Jamf to acquire Identity Automation for $215 million

Jamf has announced its intention to acquire Identity Automation in a move to integrate identity and device management into a unified platform.

Identity Automation, known for its identity and access management (IAM) solutions, focuses on industries characterised by dynamic role adjustments, such as education and healthcare sectors. The company's platform automates identity and access management workflows with the aim of reducing IT burdens and enhancing user experiences.

Jamf's acquisition plan aims to merge identity management with device access, thereby providing a singular solution designed to secure device and application access effectively. John Strosahl, Chief Executive Officer at Jamf, commented on the acquisition, "We're excited to bring Identity Automation's identity and access capabilities into the Jamf platform. By bringing our security solutions together, we're creating a more streamlined and user-friendly experience that enables fast, dynamic access to all the resources users need to be productive. We see the huge potential to help organizations that have a shared-device model, deskless workers, temporary staff, or contractors. By removing cumbersome onboarding and off-boarding processes, users can be productive as soon as they pick up a device."

Dynamic identity management is particularly relevant in K-12 education, where educator and student roles frequently change. With Identity Automation's platform, access, device, and security policies can be adjusted in real-time based on schedules, shift changes, rosters, roles, and grade changes. This integration allows Jamf to provide a comprehensive security solution for mobile-centric and deskless workflows, benefiting not only schools but also healthcare, retail, aviation, and field services.

The acquisition will see Jamf acquiring Identity Automation for approximately $215.0 million, with the transaction expected to complete by the end of the second fiscal quarter in 2025. Legal and financial advisories for the transaction include Kirkland & Ellis LLP for Jamf, and Macquarie Capital and McDermott Will & Emery LLP for Identity Automation.

Identity Automation's capabilities, delivered through its cloud-based platform RapidIdentity, include Identity Lifecycle Management, Access Governance, and Authentication. Jim Harold, Chief Executive Officer at Identity Automation, stated, "The Jamf team not only shares our passion for digital learning, but they also understand the challenges that come with it. As technology becomes more integral to the learning experience, safeguarding student data, securing access, and preventing cyber threats are more important than ever. But security shouldn't add friction. An intuitive user experience is essential to ensuring technology enhances rather than hinders the classroom experience. With Jamf, we will take great strides in further protecting and nurturing digital learning and expanding our joint capability to more industries that can benefit from dynamic identity."

Identity Automation's role-based access is particularly beneficial in education and healthcare, where workflows and access needs are constantly changing. It allows customers to manage, synchronise, and authenticate access dynamically, ensuring compliance with current roles and preferences.

Identity Automation supports integrations with identity and SSO solutions such as Okta, Clever, and ClassLink, and integrates with Microsoft Active Directory for authentication and multi-factor authentication, facilitating SSO access for Google's cloud-based applications.