Challenge
Virtual Computing manages various Active Directory domain environments where our clients are hosted, including both shared and dedicated setups. Additionally, we are increasingly utilizing Office 365 solutions, with Azure AD playing a significant role. We managed these environments using custom PHP scripts that controlled a PowerShell controller. This PowerShell controller then executed actions on the intended domain. However, exceptions frequently caused the controller to encounter errors, resulting in actions not being executed or getting stuck. This created issues with password management for both us and our clients, where users would request new passwords but either did not receive them or received them much later. Another major challenge was the ongoing developments within the Microsoft 365 stack. Regular updates often led to technical problems, disrupting communication between the PowerShell controllers and the platform. Recently, we faced a decision: either rewrite everything ourselves or adopt a product that already incorporates these functionalities and more. In our search, we explored various products, but none offered a solution that fit uniformly within our environments.
Solution
In our search for a suitable replacement for our internal ad management tools, we engaged with various providers. The primary challenge was that many solutions were limited and unsuitable for an MSP (Managed Service Provider) environment. Managing multiple domains, each with its own processes, made it challenging to establish a uniform method. Adaxes provides an effective solution to this problem. The Adaxes service, which handles all domain communications, is exceptionally powerful. It offers automations that can be written in just a few lines of code, providing solutions we couldn't find in our old systems. The key benefit of Adaxes is the uniformity and standardization it brings to our user management processes. With Adaxes, our first-line helpdesk staff can perform all tasks without needing direct access to Active Directory or requiring complex training. The built-in logging function makes it easy to track which actions were initiated by whom. Business rules in Adaxes simplify the process of creating new employees. Forms that used to take a lot of time can now be converted into rules automatically applied to a user upon creation or deactivation. This significantly streamlines the onboarding and offboarding processes. Custom commands in Adaxes make it easier to perform complex actions. Previously, creating a new client was a custom task that could take several hours, but now it is automated with a single click. Self-service is crucial for our clients. We want to give them more control over managing their environment within our platform. Functions like creating, deactivating, and assigning group permissions, which are often taken for granted, are not always easy to implement in practice. With the Adaxes web portal, we can now provide users with easy access to manage their own environments. The integration with Office 365 is particularly powerful, saving our helpdesk many hours of support each week. In the past, an employee's account sometimes remained active for too long because the client had terminated it, but our support team had not properly executed the action. With Adaxes, this is no longer an issue. Clients can now use the dedicated portal to check which users are active and deactivate them if necessary. This prevents unnecessary discussions afterward and saves costs on licenses that would otherwise need to be credited while we, as the provider, had already paid for them.
Benefits
We have only recently started using Adaxes, so it is difficult to provide exact figures at this moment. However, the initial experiences have been very positive. We are receiving favorable feedback from clients using the tool and have already noticed a decrease in the number of inquiries regarding passwords and users. We are gradually rolling this out further. Our support team is already saving time on first-line support because it is easier and faster to assist clients with self-service password resets. We have replaced all our custom software with a single PowerShell controller that interfaces with Adaxes. Ultimately, we aim to modify all our software to send and receive information directly through the Adaxes API, though this will require some additional work. In the end, we hope that using Adaxes will reduce the load on our service desk by 50% by automating and standardizing simple daily tasks within the Adaxes software.
Robin Damen
CEO