Gemalto Protiva Review

A cost-effective solution, but the user interface lacks the ability to customize

What is most valuable?

The most valuable feature for us is the ability to use Active Directory groups as virtual containers instead of domains because it means that we can control our access groups better.

What needs improvement?

The user interface needs improvement. It's ok to a point, but it's not really super user-friendly. It is not obvious where things are; while the cosmetics are ok, the way it's laid out on the screen could be better.

The user interface needs to be more customizable.

The solution is lacking in terms of flexibility.

For how long have I used the solution?

Five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We have had no issues in terms of stability. It is good. In fact, we never really had any significant problems with the application. Any issues we have had have been on the actual hardware that it sits on.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

In the UK, I think that we are one of the biggest utilizers of the service. With the restrictions that it has, I don't think it's got massive upscalability. For general users it is fine, but the scalability could be better.

We started with approximately eight and a half thousand users, and we currently have about twelve-thousand people using it. This is used widely across a number of user groups, including administrators, end users, general users, and specific privileged users for two-factor authentication.

We do plan to increase the usage of this solution. Our current capacity is fourteen thousand but we will probably grow beyond that.

How are customer service and technical support?

From the perspective of generalized support, they are perfect. Obviously, with any company, there are specifics in terms of using the solution. We had to run around a little bit because of things that are specific to our environment. Generally, we have no issues at all.


Prior to this solution, we used an older version, BlackShield. It was out of date.

How was the initial setup?

From an out-of-the-box perspective, it is straightforward. It doesn't have a massive amount of flexibility for specific situations but for an out-of-the-box solution, it's fine.

Our deployment took place over approximately eight months. Because the customizability is limited, we had to adapt our data to make it fit.

What about the implementation team?

We performed the implementation using a combination of in-house expertise and an integrator. The support and the help from our integrator was excellent.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This is a cost-effective solution compared to some other products out there.

What other advice do I have?

My advice for others who are implementing this solution is to know what the requirements are first because there are limitations.

In terms of usability and functionality, I would rate this product a seven out of ten. There are products out there that offer more but they are more expensive. In terms of pricing, I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.

Overall, I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

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