To be competitive is to be proactive. Companies in every industry have to identify and address demands if they’re to get (and stay) ahead. Each company has its own challenges, but the need to modernize IT impacts organizations across all industries. A major part of this modernization is improved identity and access management (IAM). Companies need to find better ways to offer simple yet secure access—not just for employees, but for customers and partners as well. According to Gartner, the lines between employee, B2B, and B2C identity solutions are blurring, and increasing demands—both in terms of user expectations and industry regulations—are forcing companies to find better IAM solutions. Whether a company needs to improve the end user experience, integrate a vast library of apps, or offer better protection against data breaches; the solution is IAM, and solving one challenge often addresses several others. Here are five industry-leading companies.