Managing multiple identity sources and providers is complex and time-consuming - not to mention the difficulties of merging on-premises sources with cloud-based services, as well as scaling your identity solution as business needs change. By combining Directory Sync, which provides group mapping for security policy, and the new Cloud Authentication Service, which simplifies user authentication, the Cloud Identity Engine reduces the complexity of deploying a comprehensive identity solution or transitioning from an on-premises LDAP authentication solution to a cloud-based identity provider (IdP). You can now reduce the attack surface by verifying user access at the time of authentication and having consistent visibility into both the IP address and the identity of the user, regardless of how the user authenticates on the network.