If you have ambitions to sell software to enterprise customers, single sign-on (SSO) and Directory Sync (SCIM) are likely non-negotiable features. This creates a familiar dilemma for engineering leaders: to build in-house, or buy.
Quantifying the true cost of a homegrown solution can be challenging. There are countless identity providers (IdPs) to be supported, differences in SAML and SCIM implementations across providers, and the unpredictable nature of custom work to meet each customer’s needs.
Based on interviews with engineering leaders that have built these features in-house, it can take anywhere from a few months to several quarters.
Development and maintenance costs
Engineering leaders typically structure the product roadmap for both SSO and Directory Sync in three phases:
- Phase 1: support for a single IdP
- Phase 2: support for core IdPs (Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace)
- Phase 3: support for specialized IdPs (custom systems, ADFS, Shibboleth, and more)
Identifying the scope of work and the development time required for each stage will be important in measuring the true cost of a homegrown solution.
Join LeadDev.com for free to access this content
Promoted Partner Content
