What is Cloud Identity?

Cloud Identity is an Identity as a Service (IDaaS) and enterprise mobility management (EMM) product. It offers the identity services and endpoint administration that are available in Google Workspace as a stand-alone product. As an administrator, you can use Cloud Identity to manage your users, apps, and devices from a central location—the Google Admin console.

Cloud Identity editions


Cloud Identity Free edition includes core identity and endpoint management services. It provides managed Google Accounts to users who don’t need certain Google Workspace services, such as Gmail and Google Calendar. However, users can access Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, and Meet. You can use Cloud Identity accounts with other Google services, such as Google Cloud, Chrome, Android enterprise, and many third-party applications. For more features, upgrade to Cloud Identity Premium edition.

Cloud Identity Premium edition offers all of the features of the Free edition, plus enterprise security, application management, and device management services. These services include features such as automated user provisioning, app whitelisting, and automated mobile device management. Get started!  

Compare all features in the Cloud Identity Premium and Free editions.

If you're an administrator

Google Workspace licenses are required only for users who need certain Google Workspace services, like Gmail. To manage users who don't need any Google Workspace services, you can create free Cloud Identity accounts for them. 
 
In most cases, Cloud Identity Free edition users have the same identity services as Google Workspace users, such as single sign-on (SSO) and 2-Step Verification (2SV).  Get started!

If you're a Google Cloud admin

Consumer accounts, such as personal Gmail accounts or consumer accounts with work email IDs, are unmanaged accounts and are outside of your control. If developers in your organization use unmanaged accounts to use Google Cloud resources, you can create Cloud Identity accounts to manage these users.
 
You can create free Cloud Identity accounts for each user, separate from paid Google Workspace accounts. By doing so, you can manage all users across your entire domain from the Google Admin console.

Cloud Identity Free edition provides common identity services, such as SSO. Get started!
 

Administrator controls summary

Compare Cloud Identity features includes the complete list of Cloud Identity Premium and Free edition features.

Device management

  • Enforce screen locks or passcodes to secure devices. Learn more
  • Wipe devices remotely. Learn more
  • View and search for devices and export details to a CSV file. Learn more
  • Whitelist recommended apps and make them available for users to install. Learn more
  • Manage company-owned devices. Learn more
  • View events for mobile devices. Learn more
  • Define rules to automate mobile device management. Learn more
  • Create work profiles on Android devices to separate work and personal data. Learn more

Directory management

  • Create and manage users. Learn more
  • Create and manage groups. Learn more
  • Create and manage Groups for Business. Learn more
  • Assign admin roles and privileges. Learn more
  • Build custom admin tools using the Google Workspace Admin SDK. Learn more
  • Sync Microsoft Active Directory and LDAP directories with Cloud Identity. Learn more

Security

SSO and automated user provisioning

Reporting

  • View overviews of key metrics and trends in your Google Workspace domain. Learn more
  • Assess your domain's overall exposure to data breach, and discover which particular users pose security risks. Learn more
  • Access all the data from the Security, Apps Usage Activity, and Highlights pages in a single master report. Learn more
  • View logs of admin activity. Learn more

 

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