Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen–University of Applied Sciences (THM) is based in Gießen, Germany and offers about 50 degree programs in economic and technical sciences. Approximately 15,000 students and 900 staff members study and work at three locations in Gießen, Friedberg and Wetzlar.
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THM wished to facilitate access to study resources and improve the learning experience across all courses ahead of an expected rise in student numbers due to changes in the education system. To achieve these goals, the institution needed an easy-to-use and flexible solution that allowed various systems and services to integrate.
Jens Foerster, project engineer at THM said, “We decided to deploy a virtual desktop infrastructure for our students. This new solution required Active Directory services, and we needed to find a quick and simple way to integrate our existing user database with the virtual desktop environment.”
THM evaluated five different identity management products before selecting Identity Manager. “Micro Focus’ comprehensive experience in the education sector and the extensibility of Identity Manager convinced us that this is the best solution for our needs,” said Foerster.
First, THM will standardize and simplify its identity lifecycle management by deploying Identity Manager and connecting the system to the existing, custom-developed user database and the virtual desktop environment. Subsequently, THM plans to replace its monolithic user database with the standard software solution in combination with various connectors. Systems that it will integrate and centrally manage through Identity Manager include online learning solutions, library management systems, payment systems and even physical access management solutions.
“We wanted to implement a future-proof and well-supported identity management solution to create a solid foundation for our IT services,” Foerster said. “With Identity Manager, we will do exactly that. It will enable us to gradually move towards more standardized and better-documented workflows while we can also introduce new features easily, like a self-service portal for students to free our support team from simple password reset requests.”
Micro Focus supports THM’s ongoing implementation by helping it customize the solution to meet industry-specific requirements. With its extensive experience at other universities in Germany and around the world, Micro Focus was able to provide the best strategic and operational fit in the most cost-efficient package to meet the institution’s requirements.
Identity Manager will help THM gain a better overview of its users and identities. Moving forward, the institution will be able to identify and eliminate previously undetected duplicates, increasing the security and efficiency of its user management processes.
Thanks to flexible connector technology, smooth integration between the new virtual desktop infrastructure with THM’s existing environment will improve student services and ensure readiness for expected growth. “The extensibility of Identity Manager was essential to our decision,” said Foerster. “The architecture supports customization with a wide range of scripting languages, making sure that we will be able to connect various systems seamlessly.”
THM also plans to take advantage of the comprehensive functionality of the offering to roll out robust student self-services and free the support team from repetitive work. The vast experience that Micro Focus has in the education sector was a true differentiator for THM. “We were delighted to see how well-connected and experienced Micro Focus is in the education sector,” said Foerster. “The company actively supports knowledge exchange between institutions. Equally, the license model is optimized for our requirements with dedicated student licenses, helping to keep the costs low while providing the full set of automation features we need to deal with a large and constantly changing student population.”
“Micro Focus really knows how to work with universities and is flexible enough to tailor terms and contracts to specific requirements and government guidelines,” he added. “We are very happy to have chosen Identity Manager. We are confident that together we will manage to successfully complete our long-term task of establishing a central control panel for all identities and user accounts at THM.”
