What I learned at Identity Live London

Yesterday we held the London edition of our Identity Live series, an event that is always a highlight in the calendar for all of us at ForgeRock. This year was no exception. The whole day was packed with fascinating insights from experts and thought leaders, both from within ForgeRock and across the wider world of identity and digital transformation.

Here are three themes that really stood out to me at Identity Live

#1 With the power of identity comes great responsibility.

Everyone involved in digital identity will know that the last year has seen a huge shift in the public’s attitude to personal data, privacy and consent. Our speakers were all in agreement about what this means: from now on, if businesses want to unlock the true value of digital identity, they have to earn the trust of their users and customers. This means being more careful, more transparent and more customer-focused than ever before.

Digital identity has always been incredibly powerful but it is also increasingly a great responsibility.

#2 Identity is a true enabler of innovation for our customers.

We were delighted to have a great mix of customers - BBC, Maersk and Pearson - speaking on stage in London and it was fascinating to hear a common thread emerge across the presentations from these very different organizations. For each of them, digital identity is now seen as a foundation for and enabler of innovation across all aspects of the organization: from the way they authenticate and build trust with customers, to the very services and products that they offer.

Whatever industry you are in, it’s clear that identity is now the key to unlocking a better, more personalized experience for users.

#3 The future is all about Open APIs.

One of the highlights of the day was the afternoon’s panel discussion, which saw representatives from three of the UK’s biggest banks - HSBC, Lloyds and Bank of Ireland - take the stage, alongside the Open Banking Implementation Entity, to discuss the importance of Open APIs.  

All of our panellists were clear on one thing: Open APIs are here to stay. There is still some way to go when it comes to adoption but there was clear agreement (and plenty of optimism) that these standards, underpinned by identity, trust and strong customer authentication, will allow the ecosystem to thrive and deliver the new customer-centric experiences and services that consumers want.

Thanks to everyone who presented or attended yesterday, and a special thanks to our partners and sponsors! Please continue to follow us via @ForgeRock and #IdentityLive.

 

Next up: Identity Live Paris on November 13-14!