Identity Cloud update

What’s changing?

By December 31, 2027, Akamai customers will need to transition from the current Identity Cloud CIAM service to solutions provided by other established and reputable CIAM providers, or a DIY solution if that’s the preferred direction. This shift reflects our decision to align with the rapidly changing CIAM market and to focus on delivering the most advanced, secure solutions for our customers.

What does this mean for me?

Rest assured, Akamai Identity Cloud (AIC) will remain fully supported until the end of 2027, so you can continue using it just as you have been. We'll make sure the platform remains stable, secure, and reliable. However, no new features will be added after 2024.

My options going forward

1. Keep using the Identity Cloud until Dec 2027 - You can continue to use AIC through your current contract, with renewals supported until December 2027. During this time, we’ll provide ongoing support and important updates, though new features will not be added after 2024.
2. Upgrade to a new and improved CIAM solution - We're excited to offer a CIAM service upgrade through our partnership with Ping Identity. The upgraded solution, powered by PingOne, will be available whenever you're ready to make the switch.
3. Switch to another CIAM provider - If you choose to explore other CIAM providers, we're here to help you make the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Next Steps

All existing Akamai Identity Cloud customers must migrate to an alternative CIAM solution by December 31, 2027. After this date, the Identity Cloud service will be decommissioned, so it’s critical that all customers have successfully migrated beforehand. Please reach out to your Akamai representative to discuss the best options for your needs and to start planning your transition.

Expert help for a smooth transition

To make your transition easier, we’ve teamed up with Next Reason, a CIAM expert. They offer flexible migration services designed to meet your needs—whether you’re looking for a simple self-service option or a fully managed migration. Next Reason provides:

• A self-service portal with tips and best practices
• Full migration support if you need extra assistance
• Ongoing support if you want a long-term partner for your CIAM needs

We understand this may be a big change, but we’re committed to supporting you every step of the way. If you have any questions or need more information about your options, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re here to help!

Timeline and Announcements

• March 7, 2024: Transition of Akamai Identity Cloud to End of Sale
• October 31, 2024: Formal announcement of the plans to transition the Identity Cloud service to End of Life
• March 31, 2026: The Social Login Dashboard will be decommissioned (more info)
• Dec 31, 2027: Transition of all Akamai Identity Cloud services to alternative CIAM providers

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What should I expect from the Identity Cloud platform from now until the end of 2027?
A: The Identity Cloud will remain fully supported until the end of 2027. We’ll make sure the platform remains stable, secure, and reliable. However, after 2024, no new features will be added.

Generally, you can continue using the platform just as you have been until the end of 2027. The only planned exception to this is a change to the way social login identity providers are configured, which will take place in March 2026.

Q: What should I expect from a support perspective from now until the end of 2027?
A: The Identity Cloud will remain fully supported until the end of 2027, including Professional Services, Tech Support, Account Management and Product Management.

Q: My contract ends before the end of 2027. Can I renew it?
A: Yes, customers will be able to renew their existing Identity Cloud contracts as long as the contract end date does not go beyond Dec 31, 2027. Please reach out to your Akamai representative to discuss the best options for your needs.

Q: If I upgrade to Ping Identity, will this go on my Akamai contract?
A: No, Identity Cloud customers will be introduced to a member of the Ping team, who will help to assess your CIAM needs and direct you to the best Ping Identity solution. Please reach out to your Akamai representative to discuss the best options for your needs.

Q: What are the benefits of upgrading to Ping vs another CIAM provider?
A: See the CIAM Partnership with Ping Identity section below.

Q: What is PingOne?
A: PingOne for Customers, offered by Ping Identity, is a multitenant, cloud-based CIAM solution, similar to Akamai Identity Cloud but far more robust in terms of features and capabilities. It combines no-code identity orchestration with authentication, user management, and multi-factor authentication services to help your business build, test, and optimize seamless and secure customer experiences. Ping Identity is a leading identity and access management provider supporting customer use cases as well as B2B and workforce.

Q: How does PingOne compare to Akamai Identity Cloud in terms of features and functionality?
A: See the Akamai Identity Cloud vs PingOne: Capability Matrix section below.

Q: How does PingOne compare to Akamai Identity Cloud in terms of availability, support, SLAs, etc?
A: Ping is quite similar to Akamai Identity Cloud in terms of availability and SLAs, with AIC having a promised uptime of 99.95% while Ping’s is slightly higher at 99.99%. See more information on Ping Identity’s support policy, including uptime availability and support response times.

Q: How does PingOne compare to Akamai Identity Cloud in terms of pricing?
A: Please reach out to your Akamai representative to discuss the best pricing options for your needs.

Q: Can I get trial access to PingOne to see it for myself?
A: Yes. Your Akamai representative can connect you directly with Ping to initiate a trial.

Q: How do I get more information about Ping Identity, PingOne, and the partnership with Akamai?
A: See the CIAM Partnership with Ping Identity section below for more information.

Q: Will Akamai help me migrate to another CIAM provider?
A: You have a few options for migration support. See our Migration Guide for service options. For more information on full migration support via Next Reason, see the Customer Migration Center of Excellence section below.

Q: Does Next Reason only help with migrations to Ping Identity, or do they help with any migration, regardless of CIAM provider?
A: Next Reason will offer migration assistance for any CIAM service provider. See the Customer Migration Center of Excellence section below for more information.

Q: Can I work with my normal Akamai Professional Services team for migration support, or do I have to work with Next Reason?
A: As an Identity Cloud customer, you have a choice to work directly with the Akamai Professional Services team or with Next Reason, although Next Reason offers services tailored to supporting customer migration activities, so it’s worth exploring this option for your CIAM platform migration.

Q: Is there an added cost to work with Next Reason? What about my existing Professional Services package?
A: Access to the Next Reason migration guide is available for free for all Identity Cloud customers. Additional service packages can be purchased directly from Next Reason for an added cost. See the Customer Migration Center of Excellence section below for more information. Note that Akamai PS hours cannot be used towards Next Reason services.

Q: When can I start working with Next Reason? How do I contact them or get access to the self-service portal?
A: See the Customer Migration Center of Excellence section below for details.

Social Login Dashboard changes

As part of the Identity Cloud End of Life, the Social Login Dashboard will be decommissioned on March 31, 2026. What does this mean for you?

On or after March 31, 2026:

• The Social Login Dashboard will cease to exist. Once the Dashboard is removed:
  • Customers with an Akamai contract will need to submit a support ticket to make changes to their Social Apps.
  • Customers without an Akamai contract will no longer be able to make changes to their Social Apps.
• New Social Apps can no longer be created.
• Inactive Social Apps (apps that have not taken traffic in 90 days) will be deleted. This does not impact active Social Apps, which will continue working as usual.
• The Partner API will stop working.

CIAM Partnership with Ping Identity

Ping Identity is a well-known leader in the Identity and Access Management space, supporting customer identity use cases as well as B2B and workforce identities. Ping makes best-in-class user registration, onboarding, sign-in, profile management, account recovery, and anything else easy. Ping has a proven track record across industries, ​​and is the identity security platform behind over half of the Fortune 100.

Akamai has partnered with Ping Identity to provide an upgrade path for our Identity Cloud customers, ensuring a platform and set of capabilities that fits as closely as possible with the needs of our esteemed customer base, and in most cases exceeding the current capabilities offered by Identity Cloud. Ping provides more integration options, more login features such as passwordless and MFA, more built-in connectors, a far more robust developer and administrative UI, and more. See the table below.

Taking advantage of Akamai’s partnership with Ping means you have exclusive access to pricing that has been negotiated on behalf of Akamai’s entire customer base, as well as forthcoming benefits such as pre-built AIC-to-PingOne migration tools and direct integrations with Akamai security services such as Account Protector.

To learn more about Ping Identity and the partnership with Akamai, please reach out to your Akamai representative.

Akamai Identity Cloud vs PingOne: Capability Matrix

Customer Migration Center of Excellence

Next Reason leads the market with global services and solutions for Akamai Identity Cloud (AIC). With over 75 years of combined experience, they offer professional services, managed services, engineering, and Next Identity (an industry-leading SaaS CIAM platform) to the largest consumer, retail, and energy brands. Partnering with Next Reason has allowed Akamai to work alongside a global team with a proven track record and core values that result in an unrelenting dedication to customer success, security, and compliance.

Next Reason has designed a series of service packages to meet your AIC migration capabilities, capacity, and timelines. Their AIC migration services begin with a self-service portal with best practices and extend to managing a full migration program. They offer additional ongoing support and innovation for customers who need a multifaceted CIAM partner.

Visit Next Reason for more information or contact aic_migration_experts@nextreason.com to engage Next Reason’s global Akamai Identity Cloud migration team.