SailPoint adds cloud identity tools & IdentityIQ 9.0

SailPoint has introduced updates to its cloud identity security platform and released IdentityIQ 9.0 for on-premises deployments, extending its product changes across cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments.

The update covers SailPoint Human Fabric, the company's cloud-native offering, and IdentityIQ, its on-premises identity governance product. The changes target organisations whose identity systems must support larger access review workloads, tighter governance controls and more complex operating environments.

In the cloud platform, SailPoint outlined three additions: a rebuilt access certification engine for large-scale access reviews, a separation-of-duties function that evaluates conflicts at the point of access request, and a conversational access request tool that lets staff request access through chat interfaces using natural language.

The certification changes are intended to remove the need for administrators to break large review campaigns into smaller parts. The updated engine is designed to process access reviews without record limits or delays in data handling, while also adding cryptographic sign-off features for regulated sectors that require GxP compliance.

The separation-of-duties update shifts checks earlier in the process. Instead of identifying problematic combinations of access after approval, the system evaluates requests in real time and can flag conflicts created not only by existing access but also by other requests still waiting to be processed.

The third cloud update introduces an artificial intelligence agent for access requests inside workplace chat tools. Users can submit requests in natural language and complete custom forms within the same interaction, including business justification and compliance information.

On-premises path

Alongside the cloud changes, SailPoint released IdentityIQ 9.0 for customers that continue to run identity governance tools in their own environments or in hybrid settings. Those users often face data residency rules, regulatory constraints or heavy customisation that make a full move to the cloud less practical.

IdentityIQ 9.0 focuses on governance changes, infrastructure updates and a revised user interface. The release adds more granular and time-based controls for roles and entitlements, runs on modern application servers, and streamlines access reviews and application definition.

The release also includes an automated upgrade tool. SailPoint said the utility scans a customer environment and automates much of the work involved in updating older installations, addressing a common obstacle for organisations that delay upgrades because of the operational risk and manual effort involved.

Chandra Gnanasambandam, Executive Vice President of Product and Chief Technology Officer at SailPoint, linked the dual release to different customer needs across deployment models.

"Most vendors ask their customers to choose between a growth story or a stewardship story, but the reality of the modern enterprise is not that simple. Today, we are delivering on both fronts. We are advancing the frontier of cloud identity security with Human Fabric while also demonstrating our commitment to the customers who rely on IdentityIQ for identity security. This is one modernisation effort on two fronts, ensuring every customer has a path forward without compromise," said Gnanasambandam.

Broader market

The announcement reflects a continuing split in the identity security market between companies adopting cloud-based systems and those maintaining a mix of older and newer infrastructure. Many large organisations still run long-established governance platforms that are heavily integrated with internal systems, making migration slower and more complex than in other software categories.

That has left suppliers under pressure to update cloud products without abandoning customers that remain on-premises for operational or regulatory reasons. SailPoint's latest release suggests it is trying to serve both groups at the same time, while also framing governance and scale as central issues for large enterprise customers.

Identity governance tools have taken on a broader role as companies manage not just employee access but also temporary access, role-based permissions and compliance reporting across multiple systems. In that context, functions such as real-time separation-of-duties controls and large-scale certification reviews address practical governance tasks that often become harder to manage as organisations expand.

SailPoint did not disclose pricing or customer deployment figures alongside the product announcements. The company said the changes are part of a wider effort to update its identity platform across both cloud and on-premises products.

SailPoint described the automated upgrade utility in IdentityIQ 9.0 as a way to reduce the manual work that has often stalled upgrades for customers with complex existing deployments.