B2B vs B2C - Identity & Access Management (IAM)

B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer)  are two distinct business models that require different approaches to Identity and Access Management (IAM).

IAM plays a critical role in both B2C and B2B business models by safeguarding sensitive information, ensuring regulatory compliance, and providing a seamless and secure user experience.

B2B IAM focuses on managing the identities and access of employees, partners, and other external users who need to interact with a company's internal systems and applications. This type of IAM solutions commonly provide features like identity federation, role-based access control, and access request and approval workflows.

B2C IAM on the other hand, is primarily concerned with managing the identities and access of consumers or end-users who engage with a company's digital services such as websites or mobile apps. This type of IAM solution typically includes features like user registration, authentication, authorization, and profile management, designed to deliver a secure and seamless user experience across multiple applications and services.

B2B IAM is typically utilized by businesses that have complicated supply chains or partnerships or those that need to provide access to external consultants or contractors.

B2C IAM is often used by businesses that sell goods or services directly to consumers, such as online banking services, social media platforms, or e-commerce websites.

It is worth mentioning that B2B IAM often involves a smaller group of external users with more specific roles and permissions. In addition, B2B IAM usually requires more precise control over access to resources and data, as well as stricter authentication and authorization processes to maintain data security and comply with regulatory standards. However B2C IAM generally deals with a larger number of external users, who may have different access levels and permissions.

In short B2C IAM primarily manages the identities and access of external consumers or end-users, while B2B IAM primarily manages the identities and access of external employees, partners, and other users who require access to a company's internal systems and applications.