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Blog

As we approach the end of 2023, it's an excellent time to reflect on how ZITADEL progressed throughout the year. We've remained committed to our promise of continuous innovation and delivering exceptional user experiences, as we set out to do at the beginning of the year.

ZITADEL significantly enhanced the developer experience by focusing on two key areas: API design and documentation. Firstly, we made a significant shift in our API design, moving towards a [resource-based approach](https://zitadel.com/blog/resource-api). This shift wasn't just a change; it was a strategic move to make our APIs more intuitive and developer-friendly. 

Then there's our documentation overhaul, making it more informative and user-friendly. This revamp was coupled with a streamlined onboarding process, designed to be quicker and more intuitive, particularly benefiting new users who are integrating ZITADEL into their systems for the first time. 

Here's a look back at the significant milestones we achieved:

## A Detailed Recap of ZITADEL's Product Features and Enhancements in 2023

###  Authentication and Identity Management

- **[Configurable Social/Enterprise Identity Provider Templates](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/integrate/identity-providers):** We launched new social and enterprise SSO options, expanding our identity provider support to include Google, Github, Gitlab, Microsoft Azure AD, and Apple.
- **[Self-Hosting with Terraform](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/manage/terraform/basics):** Simplified management of ZITADEL resources for a seamless setup.
- **[OIDC Version 2.0 Release](https://zitadel.com/blog/oidc-v2-release):** This was a significant update to our OpenID Connect library, including device authorization and token exchange.
- **[LDAP Login](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/integrate/identity-providers/ldap):** Integration with Active Directory/LDAP for enabling the use of legacy systems as identity providers. 
- **[Device Authorization Grant](https://zitadel.com/blog/device-authorization):** Acknowledging the challenge of text input on certain devices, we implemented OAuth 2.0 Device Authorization Grant for a smoother user experience on input-constrained devices.
- **Email and SMS OTP Support:** Introduced one-time password for two-factor authentication.
- **ZITADEL API V2:** We've boosted our API with enhanced user registration and email verification features. Now in the beta stage, it allows you to create custom login interfaces and enables effective session management. Additionally, it supports integration with external providers, multifactor authentication options like TOTP and U2F/WebAuthN, streamlined password reset processes, and customizable methods for crafting your own login UI. This upgrade is all about giving you more control and flexibility.

### Security and Compliance

- **Event Audit Log with Advanced Filters and Threat Detection:** Our new audit log feature provides a comprehensive view of all actions and modifications, enhancing security and compliance capabilities.
- **[Client Credentials](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/integrate/client-credentials) as JWT & PAT Alternative:** We introduced a third authentication method for service accounts, offering more flexibility.
- **Improved Password Change Notifications and Logging:** Enhanced security measures for user account management.
- **Support for Multiple Hashing Algorithms, Including PBKDF2:** Strengthened password hashing and migration capabilities. See the [ZITADEL passwap package]( https://github.com/zitadel/passwap), which provides a unified implementation between different password hashing algorithms. 
- **Technical Advisories and Updates:** We introduced [technical advisories](https://zitadel.com/docs/support/technical_advisory) to inform users about critical issues and updates for seamless operations.
- **Amplified Penetration Testing:** Complementing our secure coding practices, we intensified [third-party penetration tests](https://zitadel.com/blog/tags/pentest) and continued to encourage researchers to responsibly test and disclose vulnerabilities through our [disclosure policy](https://zitadel.com/docs/legal/policies/vulnerability-disclosure-policy). Adhering to this process, we consistently published [security advisories on GitHub](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/security/advisories) and proactively informed affected users and customers about any vulnerabilities.

### Developer Experience and Customization

- **Custom Claims and Role Integration:** Actions now allow for enhanced token customization, such as flat role claims and custom claims. This adds flexibility to include additional attributes in SAML responses as well.
- **Customizable Login UI:** ZITADEL now allows businesses to craft their own user interface for login, offering greater flexibility and personalization, along with guides to customize the login experiences using ZITADEL APIs.
- **Language Support:** Added Polish, Japanese, Spanish, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, and Dutch thanks to many contributions from our community.
- **Improved Onboarding Process:** An interactive in-app approach for a smoother user experience.

### Platform Enhancements and Integrations

- **Event Store Optimizations:** With ZITADEL's unique approach to event sourcing and CQRS, users can follow along the change track of the system. During the year, we took a big step forward in improving performance and parallel requests, and we prepared the storage layer for future improvements. Stay tuned for the upcoming blog series, which covers all the details of our journey. 
- **General Availability of PostgreSQL Support in ZITADEL:** PostgreSQL support is now fully integrated and generally available in ZITADEL, complete with Enterprise support. For more details, visit our guide on [managing databases with ZITADEL](https://zitadel.com/docs/self-hosting/manage/database).
- **Migration Guides:** We've developed thorough guides to smoothly transition your systems from platforms like [Auth0](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/migrate/sources/auth0) and [Keycloak](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/migrate/sources/keycloak) to ZITADEL, ensuring a hassle-free migration experience.


## Team and Community Updates

<figure>
  <img
    src="/blog/2023-12-29-recap-2023-01.png" 
    width="100%"
    alt="Team Retreat"
    style={{ margin: '0 auto' }}
  />
  <figcaption>
  The ZITADEL Team in Bucharest in October 
  </figcaption>
</figure>

### Welcoming New Team Members

[Tim Mohlmann](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mohlmann/) joined as a Software Engineer, enhancing our development team with his technical expertise. Next, [Jason Burkhead](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonburkhead-06/) came on board as an Account Executive, bringing a new dynamism to our sales strategies.

### Team Retreats

Our first retreat in May in the scenic town of Habkern in Interlaken was a blend of team bonding and strategic planning amidst the beauty of Switzerland. In October, the team gathered in Bucharest,  absorbing the vibrant culture of Romania and fostering strong team unity.

### Community Engagement and Achievements

- **Contributions from the Community:** We had over a hundred contributions this year and would like to acknowledge and thank all our external contributors for their significant role in enhancing ZITADEL's features and functionalities.

- **Discord Community Grows to 1500 Members**: This milestone is a clear reflection of the engaging nature of our platform and the supportive spirit of our user base. We have an expanding community of enthusiasts and professionals who actively contribute to and benefit from our [Discord channel](https://zitadel.com/chat).

- **5750 GitHub Stars**: ZITADEL hit 5750 GitHub stars, a clear indicator of our growing influence and acceptance in the open-source community. This achievement is a collective success, made possible by the incredible support of our community members. Our [GitHub repository](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel) continues to be a hub of innovation and collaboration. 


## New Updated Subscription Model: Aligning with Customer Needs

In 2023, ZITADEL took a customer-centric approach to update our subscription model for ZITADEL Cloud. 

In response to feedback from our users, we transitioned to using **Daily Active Users (DAUs)** as the primary metric for our subscriptions. We designed this shift from the previous request-based model to provide a clearer, more predictable structure that closely aligns with user engagement. The updated subscription plans are now more intuitive and tailored to actual usage, ensuring that our services resonate with your daily operations. The plans were made available for all customers, with existing subscribers given the option to switch at their convenience.

For a comprehensive overview of the subscription model, please see [ZITADEL's New Pricing](https://zitadel.com/pricing). Here, you'll find all the necessary details to understand how these changes might affect your current usage and future plans.

This update was a significant step in ZITADEL's journey this year, reflecting our commitment to evolving with market needs and enhancing customer experience.


## Recognition and Achievements in 2023

- **Featured in Star History Monthly Pick**: In January 2023, ZITADEL was featured in the Star History Monthly Pick. This feature by Star History HQ delved into the story behind our project, showcasing our journey and the impactful strides we've made in the identity and access management domain. The article is available for a detailed read at [Star History](https://star-history.com/blog/star-history-monthly-pick-202301).

- **Top 100+ Developer Tools for 2022 by StackShare**: ZITADEL's commitment to simplifying identity and access management for developers was further acknowledged when we were listed among the Top 100+ Developer Tools for 2022 by StackShare. For more information, visit [StackShare](https://stackshare.io/posts/top-developer-tools-2022).

- **Fastest-Growing Open-Source Startups in Q1 2023 ROSS Index**: The first quarter of 2023 brought us another significant milestone. ZITADEL was ranked among the fastest-growing open-source startups in the Q1 2023 ROSS Index. We extend our gratitude to Runa Capital for this recognition. To learn more about our ranking, visit the [ROSS Index](https://runacap.com/ross-index/q1-2023).

- **Switzerland's Most Influential Information Services Startups for 2023**: ZITADEL was honored with this award by Startup Bubble, recognizing our significant role in the information services sector. They positioned ZITADEL prominently in the fields of cybersecurity and web security in Switzerland. For more information about this recognition, visit [Startup Bubble](https://startupbubble.news/what-are-switzerlands-most-influential-information-services-startups-in-2023).

## Thank You

![Thank you](/blog/2023-12-29-recap-2023-02.png)

These updates highlight ZITADEL's commitment to providing a robust, secure, and user-friendly platform. We've made changes across the board to ensure our platform not only meets but exceeds the expectations of our users and the developer community.

As we wave goodbye to 2023, we're buzzing with excitement for the new horizons 2024 will bring. A huge shoutout to our awesome community and customers—your support, feedback, and ideas have been the secret sauce in ZITADEL's growth this year.

So, here's raising a toast to more innovation and even better user experiences! Wishing you all a fantastic and happy 2024! 



This post looks back at the pivotal moments and key updates that have shaped ZITADEL's journey in 2023

ZITADEL's 2023 in Review: Key Highlights and Updates


We had our inaugural team retreat in May 2023. And looking back, the experience was nothing short of remarkable! For the first time, we gathered the entire team of 13 people in one location. This gathering went beyond work-related matters; it was about the team culture, getting to know each other, and building a great team.

As we transition towards being a remote-first company, we’re placing heightened emphasis on these aspects, striving to create an environment where everyone feels valued, included, and inspired to succeed.

## Our Workplace Evolution

Four years ago, our company began an exciting journey with a unique workplace story. In the early days, we didn't have a set office. Instead, we met in different coffee shops in St. Gallen. It was a fun start, but not a long-term solution. Our friend Ole, who owns Brüw pub in St. Gallen, helped us out. Since his pub was only open in the evening, we made a deal and started working there during the day. This gave us a stable place to work without having to look for a new spot every day.

In January 2020 we decided to rent our first office. But unfortunately, three months later the pandemic hit and we had to work from home. We never really finished setting up our office. When we could go back, only a few of us did. So, by the end of the year, we decided to give up our office and become a fully remote company. This move has also made us more inclusive and flexible, as we hired our first team member from outside the country.

## Embracing Company Culture in a Remote-first World

With the transition to become a fully remote company, we also started to place greater focus on our company culture. In the past, socializing and bonding after work came naturally when we shared office space or lived close to one another. However, with colleagues spread across different countries, we recognized the need to foster connections deliberately.

To combat this geographical separation, we host monthly online team events and commit to in-person gatherings twice a year. We appreciate the value in cultivating personal relationships that extend beyond digital interactions. . Our goal is to create a company where everyone feels not only welcome and motivated but also empowered to voice their ideas.

## Gathering the Team

The goal for our first team retreat was simple: get the team together and have fun. As we started planning, we decided to mix fun activities, team hangouts, and a workshop on company culture. This basic plan helped us start looking for the right place to stay.

### Finding the Right Spot

None of us had planned something like this before, so we chose to stay within Switzerland, where we were familiar with how things work, yet away from our usual workspace. This brought us to Habkern, a beautiful village near Interlaken. The place we rented was nice, though it didn’t check all our boxes completely. While technically accessible via public transport, it wasn’t very convenient. However, since we came by car, this wasn’t a big issue.

We thought cooking most of our meals would be a fun bonding experience (we all know the best parties happen in the kitchen ;) ), but we also wanted one dinner out for a carefree evening. With only eight meals in total, this worked out perfectly. We enjoyed a range of foods, from BBQ to fondue and wraps.

Finding the right location can be tough, and you might want to consider things like:

- Space and capacity
- A large table or area where everyone can gather
- Location
- Privacy and exclusivity
- Kitchen facilities and dining options
- Nearby activities
- Budget
- Reviews and recommendations

Given the unpredictable spring weather in Switzerland, it was challenging to plan outdoor activities. We made sure the lounge area was large enough for the whole team. Luckily, the weather turned out better than expected, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time outside.

<figure>
  <img src="/blog/2023-05-25-team-retreat-01.jpg" width="100%" alt="The team preparing lunch." />
</figure>

### Fun and Games

Part of our retreat involved organizing leisure activities. This gave us a chance to chat, relax, and share some laughs. The weather did force us to mix up our plans a bit.

On the first afternoon, we had a blast at a rope park. For most of the team, it was their first time at such a place. After a safety run-through, we all tried out the first route together to get the hang of it. The routes had different difficulty levels, so we naturally split into groups. We had a great time cheering each other on through the tricky parts where we felt a bit unsure. It was a brilliant combo of fun, learning new skills, and for some of us, even beating our fears 😃.

<figure>
  <img src="/blog/2023-05-25-team-retreat-02.jpg" width="100%" alt="The team on ropes at the rope park." />
</figure>

The next day, we decided on the spur of the moment to go for a two-hour hike around Habkern, taking advantage of the unexpectedly sunny weather. The freedom to do whatever we wanted without sticking to a tight schedule was refreshing. The hike gave us not only good laughs but also a chance to bond and communicate.

For the evening, we initially planned a game night with various quick games, but as the day went on, we realized we might not have time for all of them. So we chose just one game before heading out for dinner: the music guessing game. We split into pairs and took turns playing different songs, enjoying the thrill of recognizing some tunes and the challenge of figuring out the harder ones. It was fun to see how quickly (or not so quickly) we could guess the songs.

<figure>
  <img src="/blog/2023-05-25-team-retreat-03.jpg" width="100%" alt="The team on a hike." />
</figure>

### Team Development Through a Workshop

We believe everyone should have the chance to contribute to making ZITADEL an even better place to work. So, we used the retreat as an opportunity for team development. We considered various options, from hiring an external company for a workshop to using our own expertise. Largely due to time constraints (yes, we were a bit late 😀), we decided to run a workshop ourselves, using a guided platform.

If you ever need to host something on your own, we recommend [Toolbox](https://toolbox.hyperisland.com/). You can filter by category, time frame, and group size to find suitable workshops. We picked the [Team Self-Assessment Workshop](https://toolbox.hyperisland.com/team-self-assessment), which was great for coming up with ideas, addressing challenges, and pinpointing areas where we needed to focus to improve our company.

In the end, it was inspiring to see how much time and effort everyone put into contributing to the discussions. Moving forward, we realized we need to set aside more time for activities like this. When you have a lot of people and opinions, discussions can take longer, and people need breaks to keep their focus sharp.

<figure>
  <img src="/blog/2023-05-25-team-retreat-04.jpg" width="100%" alt="The team at the workshop." />
</figure>

## Lessons Learned

Looking back, our first retreat was a success, full of wonderful memories. Nonetheless, as with any first-time experience, we also gathered some useful insights that we'd like to share.

1. **Time**: Our retreat lasted for two full days, with extra days for arrival and departure. In the future, we think we need more time, as the event seemed to go by too quickly. More time would be especially beneficial for colleagues coming from other countries, as a short trip can be stressful. We also plan to avoid scheduling arrival and departure days on weekends, if possible.
2. **Information Sheet**: We shared important details in the company chat leading up to the retreat, but we found out that not everyone could remember everything. To solve this, we plan to create a detailed information sheet for future retreats. This will include key details like arrival/departure times, a loose schedule (excluding certain activities to keep them a surprise), items to bring, and how to get to the venue.
3. **Transport**: We used private cars for this retreat, but for the next one, we're thinking of choosing a place that's easy to reach by public transport. This would mean we wouldn't need drivers and would make travel easier for everyone.
4. **Meal Planning and Cooking Groups**: Our meal setup worked well for this retreat, as we didn't have many meals. For future retreats, though, we're considering creating cooking groups. Each group would be in charge of one meal, giving us a chance to try foods from different countries within our team.

By putting these insights into action and listening to feedback from the team, we're confident that our future retreats will be even more memorable, enjoyable, and smoothly run.

## Building Upon the Success of Our First Team Retreat

To sum up, our first team retreat marked an important milestone in our journey as a remote-first company. It brought us closer, strengthened our bonds, and gave us valuable insights for future retreats. We are grateful for the opportunity to gather in person, experience thrilling adventures, and engage in meaningful conversations. As we move forward, we are excited to build upon the success of this retreat, incorporating the lessons learned and continuously refining our approach. Our commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive team culture is unwavering, and we can't wait for the next stage of our team retreat journey. . Stay tuned for more incredible stories and shared experiences from our remote-first team.

Cheers,

**_The ZITADEL Team_**

<figure>
  <img src="/blog/2023-05-25-team-retreat-05.jpg" width="100%" alt="Team picture." />
</figure>


This article recounts the journey of our first team retreat as a remote-first company.

Reuniting Across Boundaries: Our Unforgettable First Team Retreat


## New Features

The [ZITADEL OIDC library](https://github.com/zitadel/oidc) is where we implement the OpenID Connect standard in a Go library. It is used by ZITADEL and our clients. Whenever we need to support additional parts of the specification or OAuth2-related RFCs in ZITADEL, the first step is to implement it in our OIDC library. In short, the following features lay important groundwork for later support in ZITADEL.

### Dynamic Issuer

The framework can now set the issuer of tokens based on the hostname in the request. This is an improvement for multi-domain deployments. The feature was already in use for almost a year in ZITADEL and now is finally merged to be available to a wider audience.

### Token Exchange (RFC 8693)

We have received a significant contribution from the community that completes the implementation of the Token Exchange flow. Big shoutout to [lefelys](https://github.com/lefelys) for his pull request!

### Device Authorization (RFC 8628)

The OIDC framework now offers device authorization flow as defined by RFC 8628. This feature allows authorization of devices that cannot open a browser for users to authenticate themselves. Instead, a code is generated and displayed along with a URL where the user should point their browser to authenticate and authorize the device.

## Test Coverage

We had a big bump in coverage after a community contribution from [muir](https://github.com/muir) (Thanks!!) last November from 12% to almost 40%. Ever since then,  we have been steadily growing coverage. And today we have crossed the 50% line!

## Refactoring

We have started refactoring some core parts of the library. For v2, we have started to simplify the usage of the collection of token claims, user info, and introspection response. These used to be interfaces, with their implementations as private structs and tons of getter/setter methods. In the case of custom claims a `map[string]interface{}` had to be used, with awkward type assertions.

Now we export those structs, and by the use of generics/type parameters, it is now possible to replace the OIDC types with custom types as decoding/unmarshal targets, essentially allowing type-safe access to additional fields. Don’t worry, the standard types still carry a map if you need the flexibility.

## The Future

We aim to continue to refactor parts of the library. We are looking to get rid of redundant code. Also, we are working hard to replace stale dependencies such as gorilla/mux. And we have some priorities planned, such as improving error handling and logging. In essence, the [issue list](https://github.com/zitadel/oidc/issues?q=is%3Aissue+is%3Aopen+label%3Aenhancement) gives a good overview of what we are planning to do.

Given the fact that we have some major refactoring in the pipeline, it might not be long until we tag a v3. However, we didn’t want to postpone the release of v2, as we had a split development target for almost a year now. Instead, we’ve decided to be more proactive when it comes to increasing to a new major version while refactoring.

## Conclusion

The release notes for this and the upcoming releases can always be found on the [Github releases page](https://github.com/zitadel/oidc/releases). We are forever grateful for PRs sent in by our [Contributors](https://github.com/zitadel/oidc/graphs/contributors).


We have released version 2.0 of our OpenID Connect library, which includes many changes.

OIDC Version 2.0 Release

Last month, we said goodbye to the old year by reflecting on the **[many ways ZITADEL improved in 2022](https://zitadel.com/blog/best-of-zitadel-2022)**. Now that that is all said and done, it is time to **take a peek at the horizon**.

As a company that always strives for innovation in an ever-changing digital world, our biggest goal is to **provide our customers with the best possible user experience and the most value for their money** by constantly keeping ZITADEL up to date. This article showcases **the most significant features [scheduled to launch in the year 2023](https://zitadel.com/roadmap).**

## 1. Configurable Social/Enterprise Login Templates

After lengthy anticipation, **the new [social login](https://zitadel.com/blog/social-logins) options for ZITADEL** are just around the corner!

Social login, and more generally [identity brokering](https://zitadel.com/blog/what-is-an-identity-broker), is an authentication method that utilizes users’ pre-existing **social media identities to facilitate sign-ups** on third-party platforms. This popular alternative for the standard username-password login **does not require completing a registration form**, thus saving you valuable time and the hassle of remembering yet another password.

Whereas thus far, ZITADEL has exclusively supported OIDC-compliant identity providers, this restriction will soon be completely removed to provide a **wider range of options** - ensuring that both you and your customers can **seamlessly log in using your preferred social media profiles**.

Our new identity providers include:

* Google
* Github
* Gitlab
* and Azure AD

## 2﻿. Fully customizable Login UI

Ever since the launch of the platform, ZITADEL has enabled businesses to **seamlessly authenticate their users with a customizable [hosted login and registration page](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/solution-scenarios/b2c#hosted-login)**: a fixed authentication endpoint that is secure by default. Whereas so far, you have had the option to disable the hosted registration page and **build your onboarding process from scratch**, a **custom login API was not yet implemented**. While the hosted login page offers various personalization options for branding purposes - such as colors, logo, and typography – the range of potential alterations is ultimately limited. 

Within the course of 2023, we would like to give businesses with specific needs the option to **replace the default hosted login page and build their [own login User Interface (UI)](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/issues/5015).** While this alternative will completely lift the limitation on the scope of aesthetic personalization, the core functionality of the custom login UI will remain unchanged to satisfy the highest security standards.

## 3. New Event Audit Log – Filters and Threat Detection

Thousands of **modifications are performed on ZITADEL instances every minute**, ranging from minor adjustments like adding a user nickname to prominent ones like an improved password policy. Every crucial information about these so-called “events” is **collected and stored in a log** - including the event’s date, description, and the user who initiated it.

With the introduction of the **new ZITADEL event audit log**, every action and modification performed on an organization will be **accessible and reviewable directly in the console or via our APIs**. Users may utilize a variety of filters to quickly and efficiently sort and find specific events. Having this report readily available will not only **facilitate general surveillance,** but also **troubleshooting security investigations, and compliance reporting**. Should you detect a suspicious event (such as unauthorized access), the audit log allows you to flag and report it right away.

Furthermore, the log will provide developers the opportunity to **create an action using custom code** for each possible ZITADEL event, enabling them to construct unique workflows.

## 4. Client Credentials as JWT & PAT Alternative

In the year 2022, ZITADEL’s service accounts could **authenticate by using a JSON Web Token (JWT)-Profile** or directly generate a **[Personal Access Token (PAT)](https://zitadel.com/blog/new-personal-access-token)** for authorization. While the former method is undoubtedly the more secure path to take, it is not universally supported. As a response, PATs were introduced to authenticate service users that have trouble integrating their accounts with JWT Profile.

Since both of these options come with their respective weaknesses in terms of compatibility and usability, we have decided to implement a **3rd alternative to authenticate service accounts: [Client Credential Grant](https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc6749#section-4.4)**. By using this grant type, clients are enabled to request an access token to **retrieve protected resources under their control** or those of **another resource owner** that have been previously arranged with the authorization server.

## 5. Device Authorization Grant

While obtaining an access token should be quick and simple, **authenticating a device that does not have an easy way to enter text** can be frustrating at best and impossible at worst.

In the following months, ZITADEL aims to fix this inconvenience by **implementing [Device Authorization Grant](https://github.com/zitadel/oidc/issues/264)**. This extension **allows input-constrained devices,** such as smart TVs and printers, as well as **devices with no browser**, **to obtain an access token** with the help of a secondary device.

## 6. More ZITADEL Cloud Data Regions

When it comes to **data processing**, there is no "one size fits all"; different businesses tend to have their main customer base, offices, and headquarters at distinct locations. The country or **region where an institution will store and process your organization’s data should be carefully considered** to prevent latency problems and possible data loss.

Since the latest version of ZITADEL Cloud launched in 2022, the platform’s **SaaS service offers [three data regionality options](/docs/legal/service-description/cloud-service-description#data-location)** to choose from: Switzerland, Global, and GDPR-compliant regions. To facilitate our customers' decision in choosing the right data center, the latter two options **automatically select three housing regions** based on the locality of end-users.

While this automation comes as a big help to many, in 2023, we would also like **to give users more directly selectable data locations to choose from**, such as “Germany”, “Japan” or “Canada”. Which locations are ultimately chosen will rely on both user demand and if they adhere to ZITADEL's privacy standards.

Do you have a data region you would like to suggest? **Please feel free to share your ideas on [Github](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel) or by contacting us directly.**

## 7. Improved Developer Experience

Since documentation is essential for offering **additional information about a platform's functionality**, ensuring that the guides are coherent and easily comprehensible should be a top priority.

In the following months, ZITADEL is planning a **complete rewrite of its [documentation](https://zitadel.com/docs)** that will additionally **provide a more efficient way to explore our APIs** and **more example applications in your language of choice** to facilitate your onboarding process.

But documentation is not enough to offer a great experience and have a pre-configured ZITADEL platform that is ready to use within minutes. This year, we are implementing some **essential tweaks** that will make this **onboarding process faster and easier than ever,** including:

* New users will be offered additional assistance with the first relevant steps.
* Fewer steps will be needed to create a new instance.
* Relevant settings will be easier to find with the help of an improved console.

 An **improved documentation, quickstarts and an easy to understand user interface** make it overall faster and easier to use ZITADEL. Not only to get started quickly, but also to make it your own.

## 8. More Trust

We are happy that our **community of open source and ZITADEL Cloud users is thriving** and many discussions and questions happen in the open on Github or our [Chat](http://zitadel.com/chat). However, there are situations when **disclosing some private information is necessary to resolve a problem**. So far, our customers have only been able to do so via email. Our goal is to provide a **more seamless private and secure support channel** to share relevant information directly with our engineers to get help as easily as possible.

**Transparency and Support** are keystones for us in building trust. This year we want to prove that we are **fully committed to safeguarding your data**. Not only are we **[GDPR-compliant](https://zitadel.com/gdpr)**, and conduct regular security audits of our platform and **[publish the results on our website](https://zitadel.com/blog/tags/pentest)**, but we strive to certify our information security standards through an external audit this year. With that, we can provide you with certifications for the highest compliance requirements.

This article showcases the most significant features scheduled to launch in the year 2023.

8 Exciting New Features Coming to ZITADEL in 2023


![Recap of 2022 with people raising their glasses in the background](/blog/2022-12-29-best-of-zitadel-2022-00.png)

Another long year is slowly ending and it is almost time to drown our sorrows in champagne and turn a new page in life.
However, before we plunge too deeply into our fresh new year’s resolutions, we are taking a moment to reflect on the milestones we have reached this year and to express our gratitude for the overwhelming support we were given along the way. 

This brief recap showcases the most significant ways ZITADEL has improved in the year 2022. 

## We Raised $2.5 Million!
One of the most significant milestones in ZITADEL's development was the successful closing of our seed funding round led by [Nexus Venture Partners](https://nexusvp.com/).
Ever since the [big announcement](/blog/fundraising-nexus) saw the light in June, this generous grant has played a vital role in helping ZITADEL become the best open-source alternative for identity management needs. 

With this incredible achievement under our belts, we are beyond excited to see what else we can accomplish with our remarkable supporters and valued customers on our side.

## Introducing our next major release of ZITADEL
In August of 2022, ZITADEL underwent its most significant upgrade to date.
The new version introduced a [new selection of features and upgrades](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/releases/tag/v2.0.0) that ensure easier use, expanded compatibility, more value for your money and, as always, still the highest possible data security. 

The most significant changes brought on by V2.x include the following: 
- [New Virtual Instances](/blog/introducting-v2-0#:~:text=New%20Virtual%20Instances,by%20the%20platform.)
- Extended database compatibility to [PostgreSQL](/blog/postgresql-support)
- [More Social Logins](/blog/social-logins#:~:text=ZITADEL%20will%20support,for%20all%20users.) and
- [Easier Development](/blog/introducting-v2-0#:~:text=Easier%20to%20Develop,features%20more%20straightforward.)
- The implementation of [SAML 2.0](/blog/saml-support)

While the development team focused on new upgrades and implementations, the UI and UX department was responsible for enhancing ZITADEL's visual appeal and ease of use.
With the help of a reimagined navigation system, content filters, keyboard shortcuts, and [many more new features](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/issues/2944), the new console of ZITADEL is now easier to use than ever before.

## Relaunch Of Our Cloud Service
Concurrently with the release of  ZITADEL’s new version, we also relaunched our cloud service. Instead of being limited to single organizations, each of our customers can now set up new instances - an own logically separated setup of ZITADEL - from our customer portal. This also came with features to make ZITADEL Cloud invisible to your users, like using a custom domain for your login page and defining your own SMTP server for emails.

Given all of the improvements ZITADEL undertook this year, it was time for us to revisit our cloud pricing structure as well. We swiftly identified the path the adjustments should take concerning our core philosophy of not placing a premium on security features: 

To allow users to gradually expand the platform based on their organization’s specific needs, we have removed subscription tiers and their respective feature locks altogether.
With these changes implemented, our users are granted a platform that scales along the rest of your infrastructure requirements with [more features](/blog/pricing-updates-v2) to enjoy than ever.

Our pricing also differentiates us in the market and resembles the cost of infrastructure more closely than a per-seat cloud service. We are the best identity management platform for not only consumer identities but also your B2B customers/partners. With that, we wanted to create more reasonable pricing that works for all your identities, and you don’t have to worry about any unpredictable costs.

## New Findings With Pentest
As a team behind the platform handling sensitive data, we firmly believe that a transparent working process is essential for establishing trust in our project and cloud service. Accordingly, we highly prioritize publicizing the findings of our systemic security screenings. 

In November of 2022, we tested ZITADEL against the [OWASP Top Ten risks](https://owasp.org/www-project-top-ten/) and the configuration of our systems with the help of an external party.
With just one significant issue instantly resolved throughout the test, we were glad to find that the platform was assessed as confidential.
If you are interested in a more detailed overview of the results, feel free to [read the full report](/blog/2022-12-01-pentest-results-h2-2022-01.pdf).

As an additional effort to promote transparency, we have decided to reduce the number of sub-processors with access to customer data.
Our updated [Trust Center](/trust) displays a coherent list of every relevant provider and the specific data they have access to.

## Rising Blog Readership

Every week, our [ZITADEL Blog](/blog) is enriched with new stories, news, updates and opinions all about authentication and cybersecurity. While our articles have generally enjoyed an incredible rise in readership this year, three posts must be highlighted for drawing a particularly remarkable number of visitors.

Here are the TOP 3 articles from 2022 that you found most intriguing:

- [#3](/blog/smishing): Smishing - How to Recognize Dangerous Text Messages
- [#2](/blog/jwt-vs-opaque-tokens): JWT vs. Opaque Tokens
- [#1](/blog/magic-links): Magic Links - Are They Actually Outdated?

[![Thumbnail of our blog Are magic links outdated?](/blog/2022-06-22-magic-links-00.png)](/blog/magic-links)

## ZITADEL Beyond The Digital World
As a team working on a platform all about cybersecurity, it likely is not surprising that most of our work is done virtually. This year, however, we were granted some incredible opportunities that helped us expand our horizons and spread the word about ZITADEL beyond the digital world. 

These were the most notable events and conferences we visited in 2022:

- [Swiss Cybersecurity Days](https://swisscybersecuritydays.ch/) (SCSD): The largest cybersecurity convention in Switzerland, featuring world-renowned experts and politicians.
- [Gophercon UK](https://www.gophercon.co.uk/): A conference and workshop dedicated to Go programming information and training
- [Devoxx UK](https://www.devoxx.co.uk/): A conference for developers to learn, sharpen their skills and get hands-on experience with the latest tech
- [Websummit](https://websummit.com/): An event in Lisbon bringing together 70,000+ people to redefine the tech industry
- [Startup Nights](https://startup-nights.ch/): A convention in Winterthur with over 5’000 startups presenting their services and products

![Fabienne, Silvan, Max, and Florian in front of our ZITADEL booth at Websummit](/blog/2022-12-29-best-of-zitadel-2022-01.png)

## And Finally: A Thank You

While we are very proud of how far our authentication solution has come in 2022, it would be disingenuous for our team to take all the credit for this success. Our valued customers, supporters and anyone who takes time out of their day to interact with ZITADEL are all crucial factors in our growth as a startup. 

We are profoundly grateful for your trust in ZITADEL and look forward to seeing what more we can achieve together in the upcoming year and beyond.


This brief recap showcases the most significant ways ZITADEL has improved in the year 2022. We are profoundly grateful for your trust in ZITADEL!

The Best Of ZITADEL 2022


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## We did it! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce the successful closing of our seed funding round led by <a href="https://nexusvp.com/" target="_blank">Nexus Venture Partners</a>!

This is our first time raising money, and we are stoked to have a fantastic partner on board for the next part of our journey. The newly gained funding and expertise in open source product-led solutions will help us bring a much desired open source alternative to Auth0 to the market.

Big thanks to Nexus VP for the faith and trust in [our team](/team) and product.

We want to sincerely say thank you to all the **supporters**, **early adoperts**, and **valued customers** from the whole ZITADEL team!

![](/blog/2022-06-08-fundraising-nexus-01.jpg)

## Press Release

**ZITADEL secures $2.5M to enhance its developer-first, open-source identity management platform**

**St. Gallen, Switzerland - Jun 1, 2022 -** ZITADEL, innovator of a transformative identity management platform, announces $2.5M in seed funding led by Nexus Venture Partners. The funding will help ZITADEL provide developers with a much-needed open-source alternative for their identity management needs and evolve its solution, scale sales growth, and nurture the open-source community. The current market landscape consists of established but closed-source players, including Auth0, Okta, Firebase, AWS Cognito, and others.

ZITADEL’s founding vision was based on the creation of a streamlined, cloud-native identity management platform to speed time-to-market for software projects. Focused on the simplicity of integration, ready-to-use self-service features, a customizable and secure login with first-class support for passwordless authentication, and an API-first strategy, ZITADEL’s unique turnkey platform offers developers unprecedented flexibility.
Developers often spend countless hours creating, configuring, and operating complex authentication and authorization systems. ZITADEL, which is built mainly in the Go programming language, solves these problems with easy-to-use integrations in multiple languages and frameworks. This flexibility enables developers to utilize prebuilt features provided by ZITADEL to dramatically improve their productivity. In addition, ZITADEL’s capabilities address existing open-source projects which were not built for a cloud-native and serverless environment.

The ZITADEL team is working towards further enriching the solution’s enterprise-readiness. New capabilities include multi-tenancy, unlimited audit trails, improved ability to self-host, and support for serverless deployments, plus the potential to extend ZITADEL’s breadth with custom code created in WebAssembly. Combined with its cloud-native architecture, ZITADEL’s self-hosting capabilities allow privacy-focused customers to own and control their data by running a dedicated version. ZITADEL’s flexible model, with its span of smart efficiency enhancements, is already the go-to solution for numerous marquee enterprise customers.  
The generous free tier of ZITADEL’s cloud-hosted offering allows anybody to create a ZITADEL instance in under five minutes—without a credit card. In its ongoing commitment to deliver GDPR support to its customers, ZITADEL Cloud also provides the capability to define the country or geopolitical region in which to store their data.

“Amidst today's complex software projects, ZITADEL provides a turnkey solution that allows developers to get started easily with a secure login, user management, multi-factor authentication, social logins, authorization management, and great APIs. With ZITADEL, we provide an important component to improve the overall security of a project while reducing your time-to-market,” said ZITADEL Co-Founder and CEO, Florian Forster.
“We’re delighted to break new ground partnering with Florian and the ZITADEL team, our first-ever investment in a Swiss company. We believe the future of digital identities is passwordless. ZITADEL takes a developer-first, open-source approach to solving identity management. Its simple and easy-to-integrate building blocks help developers build secure authentication into their applications without requiring deep in-house expertise and resource commitment.” said Abhishek Sharma, Managing Director at Nexus Venture Partners. “ZITADEL is the latest addition to the Nexus family of over a dozen marquee commercial open-source companies,” added Sharma.

### About ZITADEL

ZITADEL is the modern open\* alternative for Auth0, Firebase Auth, and AWS Cognito, as well as Keycloak, built for the container and serverless era. It provides customers a wide range of out-of-the-box features, including secure login, self-service, OpenID Connect, OAuth2.x, SAML2, branding, Passwordless with FIDO2, OTP, U2F, and an unlimited audit trail to improve the life of developers and developers. With its legal incorporation in Switzerland, ZITADEL is in the unique position of providing its cloud services even to customers with the strictest GDPR requirements. For more information visit [https://zitadel.com](https://zitadel.com), follow <a href="https://twitter.com/zitadel" target="_blank">@zitadel on Twitter</a>, or star the repository <a href="https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel" target="_blank">on GitHub</a>.

### About Nexus Venture Partners

Nexus Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm partnering with extraordinary entrepreneurs to help build product-first software companies. With $2 billion under management, Nexus operates as one team across the U.S. and India. The Nexus portfolio includes Apollo.io, Aryaka, Clover Health, Delhivery, Druva, FingerprintJS, Hasura, H2O.ai, Infra Market, Kaltura, MinIO, Observe.ai, Postman, Pubmatic, Quizizz, Rancher, Rapido, Sibros, TileDB, Turtlemint, Unacademy, WhitehatJr, and Zepto. For more information, visit <a href="https://nexusvp.com/" target="_blank">nexusvp.com</a> or follow <a href="https://twitter.com/NexusVP" target="_blank">@nexusvp</a> on Twitter.

Contact:  
Florian Forster  
florian@zitadel.com  
+41 43 215 27 44

## Press Coverage

- <a
    href="https://venturebeat.com/2022/06/07/zitadel-targets-developers-with-open-source-identity-management-platform/"
    target="_blank"
  >
    VentureBeat - June 7, 2022: Zitadel targets developers with open-source
    identity management platform
  </a>
- <a
    href="https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/american-vc-invests-2-5m-in-swiss-cybersecurity-startup"
    target="_blank"
  >
    startupticker.ch - June 9, 2022: American VC invests $2.5M in Swiss
    cybersecurity startup
  </a>
- <a
    href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/zitadel-secures-2-5m-enhance-094800684.html"
    target="_blank"
  >
    yahoo!finance - June 10, 2022: ZITADEL Secures $2.5M to Enhance its
    Developer-First, Open-Source Identity Management Platform
  </a>


ZITADEL, innovator of a transformative identity management platform, announces $2.5M in seed funding led by Nexus Venture Partners. The funding will help ZITADEL provide developers with a much-needed open-source alternative for their identity management needs and evolve its solution, scale sales growth, and nurture the open-source community.

ZITADEL secures $2.5M to enhance its developer-first, open-source identity management platform


## Description

The ZITADEL team gives an overview of what happend over the last months and what our roadmap for 2022. This is a highlight video from a [livestream](https://youtu.be/IyJrAf9JOJc) on February 24, 2022.

We will talk about Actions, Personal Access Tokens, E2E Testing, SAML2.0, and of course our rehaul of our cloud offering "V2" - and many more topics.

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      { name: "ZITADEL Actions (and Demo)", time: "3:24" },
      { name: "Query Side / Event sourcing", time: "4:26" },
      { name: "Issues: User Register Flow", time: "5:20" },
      { name: "Issues: Global Organization", time: "7:10" },
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      { name: "Roadmap: V2 of ZITADEL", time: "9:40" },
      { name: "Roadmap: Developing ZITADEL / Community", time: "13:49" },
      { name: "Roadmap: UI overhaul of Console", time: "14:38" },
      { name: "Roadmap: SAML2.0", time: "16:39" },
      { name: "Roadmap: Reporting", time: "17:41" },
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## References

- Watch the [full recording](https://youtu.be/IyJrAf9JOJc) of the livestream
- Explore our [roadmap](https://zitadel.com/roadmap)
- More about our plans for 2022 in our Blog ["6 New ways ZITADEL IAM will improve in the year 2022"](/blog/six-ways-zitadel-will-improve-2022)
- Read about ["New Personal Access Tokens (PAT): A game changer for Service Users"](/blog/new-personal-access-token)
- Our blog about ["SAML vs OIDC: Which Protocol is Best for Your Organization?"](/blog/saml-vs-oidc)
- Find a link to the new [Rust SDK](https://zitadel.com/docs/sdk-examples/introduction#libraries)
- Track the progress of the initial release of [ZITADEL CLI](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/issues/3182)


Meet the team behind ZITADEL. We share what we have done over the last months and our plans for 2022. Highlights from our livestream on Feb 24, 2022.

Into the zitadel/zitadel | No 3.


Ever since we have officially launched our IAM-Platform in May of 2021, we have had the pleasure to serve hundreds of customers, who have put their trust in us. As a company that always strives for innovation in an ever-changing digital world, our biggest goal is to provide our customers with the best possible user-experience and the most value for their money by constantly keeping ZITADEL up-to-date: In this article, we describe 6 great upgrades coming soon to our platform, that help making this goal a reality.

## 1. More social login options

Whether Google, Microsoft, or Apple ID - Most of us have already used some of our social identities to facilitate sign-ups on third-party applications and websites. This login method not only saves valuable time by not requiring the completion of a registration form, but also spares you the effort of remembering yet another password. This year ZITADEL will strive to **heavily expand the number of its Identity Providers**, assuring its users a comfortable login via their preferred social identity. Whereas thus far, ZITADEL has exclusively supported OIDC compliant providers, this restriction will soon be completely removed in order to provide a wider range of options.

A list of social identity providers soon available on ZITADEL:

- Apple ID
- Microsoft Live
- Github
- Gitlab
- Microsoft Tenants (AzureAD)

… And hopefully many more to come!

## 2. SAML 2.0 - New protocol alternative

In 2021, ZITADEL officially implemented **OpenID Connect (OIDC)**, a highly accessible authentication protocol, excellently suited for HTML5/JavaScript applications. Despite it being an ideal choice in terms of user-friendliness, scalability, and lightweight handling, as a new protocol, OIDC has yet to evolve in terms of establishing a more complex security system.

To allow our users the choice of a viable alternative, we are planning to **additionally introduce the other adopted industry standard for authentication, SAML 2.0** (Security Assertion Markup Language). Like OIDC, SAML allows a service provider to delegate the authentication and authorization of users wishing to access it, to a central authentication server (identity provider). Both standards are utilized in various SSO solutions, however, SAML is universally more trusted in enterprise- and government-scale activities due to its age.

This new, simultaneous access to both protocols will give you more options on which method of authentication you want to use. To enjoy the benefits of both standards to their fullest, you also have the possibility to adopt a **hybrid usage**: Since the **two protocols serve different purposes**, the standards can diverge between each of your applications. For instance, while OIDC is the ideal choice for mobile-centered apps, SAML finds its primary implementation in web programs, where complex identity data is required. Whichever features you prioritize; the range of possibilities is wider than ever!

## 3. Improvements based on prototype feedbacks

The key to ensuring a highly accessible and frictionless user experience is to **focus on satisfying the audience**. To achieve this goal, it is essential to have the audience **test and evaluate the product first-hand**: This method is called prototyping. Ideally, every new iteration of the product (or in this case: website) should be reviewed by diverse members of the user-base and optimized accordingly. After all: Evaluating prototypes can spark new ideas for future innovations.

In December of 2021, we invited a group of users (aged 16-44) of varying digital-affinities, to test the registration flow, including the existing 2-Factor-Authentication of ZITADEL. Upon carefully reviewing every feedback, we could identify some common user pain points that are impairing the authorization experience. For this reason, in 2022 we will **improve the registration process by implementing the following changes**:

- Ensuring higher accessibility by removing exclusionary language (Technical jargon).
- Providing support for users with help and information texts.
- Adding “passwordless” as a registration method - no more passwords needed.
- Clearing user flow where next actions are clearly highlighted.
- A new, optimized user interface for the existing management website.
- Smaller optimizations of buttons and descriptions, minimizing possible confusion.

## 4. Accessible and exportable Usage Metrics

As a platform working with sensitive data, it is especially important for ZITADEL to be constantly improved to meet tomorrow's increasing standards. With the help of usage metrics, we are able to continuously measure the platform's effectiveness and thus rapidly identify and fix potential inefficiencies. These metrics are **not only excellent tools of risk reduction, but also help us improve operational quality**, thus keeping ZITADEL sustainable.

In 2022, we will **display the most important usage metrics together with useful business metrics in our Console**. Such metrics are shown as a sequence of data points over an interval of time, and include:

- Number of active users
- Number of successful vs. unsuccessful login attempts
- Number of new registrations

Additionally we will improve reporting capabilities, thus making **data more easily readable and exportable for your administrators**. One example of such a report is a list of users for a given organization. With the new reporting capabilities you can add a column showing whether a user has enabled 2FA, filter that column by users who have not yet enabled 2FA and export the values to a structured data format.

## 5. Your own instance - New customized domain and data location

At ZITADEL, we strongly believe that security features should not cost extra. Accordingly, all our tiers include unlimited IAM resources and all required security features. So far, when you wanted to operate a complete ZITADEL instance, and not only single organizations, our customers had to **upgrade from a public cloud service to a dedicated ZITADEL instance** or self-host their ZITADEL; therewith only customers of dedicated ZITADEL could enjoy the benefits of complete autonomy over where this system is operated, on which domain it runs, when it should be updated and which default settings should be stored. Whereas this upgrade granted our customers some notable privileges over those potentially constrained by the limitations that come with a shared system, **this advantage will no longer be a feature you have to pay for**.

In 2022, we will launch an **upgrade to every subscription-tier**, that gives you the maximum value for your money: Not only will every subscriber, regardless of their tier, be **granted a virtual instance**, you will now be able **fully configure your own instance policies for each of your organizations** instead of relying on the ones previously predetermined by ZITADEL.

**The benefits of this change include:**

- **A domain that's yours only** - now you can let users login on subdomain such as login.mycompany.ch
- Send transactional emails from your own Mail server
- Choose where your data is stored and processed - whether Switzerland, Europe or global GDPR compliant regions, the location is yours to pick.

In view of these major upgrades that will be made available for every subscription-tier, you might be wondering what further benefits a higher tier could provide. Alongside more customization possibilities, which are already a given, subscribers of our **STANDARD** and **ADVANCED plans** will receive **dedicated private instance**, completely independent from a shared system: Not only will a private instance grant you data isolation from those of other customers, it will also supply **more deployment options regarding infrastructure providers** (such as Azure, AWS and Scaleway) and a wider selection of **data regions**.

## 6. It will be easier to develop ZITADEL

Building a local development environment that mirrors production can be a truly time-consuming workflow. In 2022, we are planning to introduce some significant improvements that should lift some weight off of developers shoulders, by **facilitating the overall process**; implementing new features will soon be easier than ever!

**Following new changes will facilitate the development process:**

- Quickstart will be made possible by executing a single command that will automatically run every asset which was formerly needed to be launched manually (including CockroachDB).
- The ZITADEL binary will be provided for different operating systems and architectures in addition to container images.
- By soon making our product roadmap publicly accessible, you will be able to gain an insight into the features we are planning to implement, as well as the ones currently in development.
- The Documentation will be enhanced with new guides and the decision making will be made public.

## The takeaway

As we have entered a new year, we would once again like to thank you for having put your trust in ZITADEL in 2021. Hopefully, we can successfully express our gratitude to our loyal customers by always improving our platform to make it the best it can be. The team is looking forward to another successful year and we hope to hear your opinion on our new changes!

Should you have questions regarding these improvements or any other related (or unrelated) topics, feel free to contact us anytime on our ZITADEL [Discord Server](https://zitadel.com/chat). Alternatively, you can reach us on our [Twitter](https://twitter.com/zitadel) (btw. our new handle is just zitadel), [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/zitadel/) or [Github](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel) pages or on our [website](https://zitadel.com/).


In this article, we describe 6 great upgrades coming soon to our platform, that help making this goal a reality.

6 New ways ZITADEL IAM will improve in the year 2022


## Description

We were busy since our last Into the CAOS and want to share some updates around ZITADEL and what is planned in the near future.

We will also talk about new features such as Metadata, Actions, new policies as well as what did not go so well.

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      { name: "Metadata", time: "5:20" },
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      { name: "Actions", time: "9:00" },
      { name: "Lockout policy", time: "17:00" },
      { name: "Query Side", time: "21:06" },
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      { name: "Native Backup", time: "28:19" },
      { name: "OpenAPI/Swagger", time: "30:10" },
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      { name: "Penetration test", time: "58:40" },
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## References

- [Swisscom Cybersecurity Startup Challenge](https://www.swisscom.ch/en/magazine/start-up/startup-challenge-security/)
- [DINAcon Awards](https://awards.dinacon.ch/gewinner2021/)
- [API Documentation](https://zitadel.com/docs/apis/introduction/)
- [Internationalization Documentation](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/manage/customize/texts#internationalization)
- [Smartive - Built with ZITADEL](https://zitadel.com/blog/success-story-smartive-bin)
- [Pentest results](https://zitadel.com/blog/pentest-results-h1-2021)

## Discuss features

- [Discussion: Metadata on Orgs](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/discussions/2454)
- [Discussion: Project settings](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/discussions/2263)


We were busy since our last Into the CAOS and want to share some updates around ZITADEL and what is planned in the near future.

Into the CAOS | No 2.


## Description

The team behind ZITADEL shares what we developed over the summer, what issues we encountered on the way, and what is planned in the near feature.

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      { name: "Sentry", time: "26:10" },
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## References

- [Software Architecture / Query Models / CQRS](https://zitadel.com/docs/concepts/architecture/software)
- [Certification OIDC RP Library in Go](https://github.com/zitadel/oidc)
- [Examples / Templates](https://zitadel.com/docs/sdk-examples/introduction)


The team behind ZITADEL shares what we developed over the summer, what issues we encountered on the way, and what is planned in the near feature.

Into the CAOS | No 1.


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## Outline of the Talk

- Introduction (00:00)
- Why did we actually start the project (07:24)
  - 2019 - the start (08:00)
  - The basic requirements of most (X)aaS project today (10:04)
  - What generally felt wrong or was missing (13:08)
  - What functions each project needs - sooner or later (28:02)
  - Challenge 1 - Identity Brokering with self-service (28:28)
  - Challenge 2 - Delegation of roles to other organizations (31:24)
  - Challenge 3 - Audit trail (34:15)
  - Challenge 4 - Analytics & Reporting (36:50)
  - Influential products to our vision (38:47)
- What makes ZITADEL so special (39:36)
- What else can ZITADEL do for you (43:40)

## Description

Abstract: The concepts of Authentication and Authorization play an important role for securing services and data. With the emergence of Multi- and Hybrid-Cloud Patterns a new challenge arises for secure Authentication across domains, while privacy of employee or customer information is more important than ever.

In this talk we want to explain some of the key challenges with today’s Identity & Access Management (IAM) and why we ultimately built a new open source IAM, ZITADEL, to change the traditional business-model and principles of IAM solutions for example by

- Optimizing for day-two operations and elasticity with a cloud-native architecture
- Including all security-related functions (like MFA, Passwordless) in the core of the product
- Building a solid audit trail through event-sourcing
- Encouraging automation and easy integration of lifecycle management

You will gain a better understanding of IAM concepts and themes such as

- Federation / IAM Service
- Human to machine interaction (SSO, Passwordless)
- Machine to machine interaction (Service Accounts, Delegation)
- Identity Brokering
- User and access management self-service
- Workflow integration with APIs & Webhooks

Speaker: Florian Forster, CEO of CAOS, is an IT security fanatic with extensive knowledge of electronic identities. Florian participated in the IAM workgroup of eCH, is a member of the OpenID Foundation and headed, prior to starting CAOS, an eGovernment team focussing on IAM topics.

## CH Open & CAOS

CH Open is the Association for the promotion of Open Source Software and Open Standards in Switzerland. CAOS manages the open source products ZITADEL and CAOS, and is member of the association since 2021.

## Further resources

- [CH Open](https://www.ch-open.ch/en/)
- [OSS Directory](https://www.ossdirectory.com/)
- [CH Open Business Lunch](https://www.ch-open.ch/ch-open-business-events/ch-open-business-lunch/)


Our live stream from the CH Open Business Lunch event on June 10, 2021

CH Open Business Lunch - Why we built an open source Identity & Access Management


## What is ZITADEL

ZITADEL is a "Cloud Native Identity and Access Management" solution built for the cloud era. ZITADEL uses a modern software stack consisting of Golang, Angular and CockroachDB as sole storage and follows an event sourced pattern.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-01.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="ZITADEL Architecture"
/>

We built ZITADEL not only with the vision of becoming a great open source project but also as a superb platform to support developers building their applications, without need to handle secure user login and account management themselves. By platform we mean a system where multiple parties can integrate custom use-cases for digital identities on top of solid core features. To enable easy integration into your business case, nearly all functions can be accessed via an API. With this we achieve a proper separation of concern and don’t need to integrate custom code within our codebase.

## What features does the platform provide?

### Single-Sign-On / Single-Sign-Out

Use the convenience of a single sign-on (SSO) solution to login with every possible service. ZITADEL enables SSO via standard protocols such as OpenID Connect. Services that cannot be directly integrated can be integrated with identity aware proxy or web application firewalls (WAF). Session management is therefore handled identity-based within identity access management (IAM) and no longer solely in the application. In addition, third-party cloud applications can be easily connected in this way.

### Passwordless / Multi-factor authentication

Although you can use password policies and a range of 2FA and MFA options with ZITADEL to reduce security risks during login, even complex passwords can be compromised, for example through phishing, while user experience suffers greatly from cumbersome passwords and looking up secrets. ZITADEL allows your users to configure passwordless Login based on WebAuthN & CTAP (FIDO2). Passwordless works on all browsers and platforms, requires only one gesture such as FaceID, Fingerprint or PIN, and is phishing resistant through public-key cryptography.

### Identity Brokering

Identity Brokering enables you and your customers to reuse existing identity providers. For example, if you rely on Microsoft's AzureAD for identity management, then you can use ZITADEL’s Identity Brokering feature to link your existing account from AzureAD to your ZITADEL account. The benefits of this feature is that a user can link multiple external identities to it’s ZITADEL identity. Moreover, Identity brokering enables you to grant roles to the brokered users and disable their accounts if the need arises.

### Role Based Access Control

To manage the users' access to projects connected to ZITADEL it supports the use of Role Based Access Control (RBAC). RBAC allows you to design a sophisticated role catalog for each of your projects and granting granular access to users. To integrate these roles into your application you can simply integrate them by utilizing well established protocols like OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect. ZITADEL also lets you configure whether you want to assert the roles into access tokens or simply rely on the userfinot and introspect endpoints.

### Delegation

ZITADEL allows you to “delegate” roles of your projects to other organizations. With this feature you can enable other organizations to self-manage their users and the effective role they possess of your project. For example if you create an eCommerce service and you want to delegate the management of a specific tenant to your customer you could easily create a role “tenant owner” which you could grant to the customers organization.

### Strong Audit Trail

Traceability is an important basis for an IAM, which is why ZITADEL offers you an audit trail of all operations of an account and its actions. The audit trail is firmly anchored in the ZITADEL because the internal data model does not save it separately but derives it from an event stream. You have the ability to export the audit trail for advanced analytics or storage to other systems.

### API’s

To make for a great IAM platform ZITADEL provides close to all of its functionalities as APIs. Most important for integrators is the Management API: It provides all features to manage Organisations, Users, Projects for a certain Organisation. Furthermore OpenID Connect 1.0 and OAuth 2.0 are available to integrate your projects Authentication and Authorization requirements. Two more API’s that are available are the IAM and Auth API. The IAM API can be used to configure the whole IAM, this is mostly used in self-deployed (ZITADEL Enterprise) or managed deployments (ZITADEL Enterprise Cloud). Authentication and user information can be accessed through the Authentication API.

## How ZITADEL compares to other solutions

Let’s compare ZITADEL to other well established solutions with a strong focus towards Developers or Open Source.

### Auth0

Auth0 is a great IAM platform to integrate with your projects. Their developer support is exceptional and the API is well thought through. However we find that some things are not ideal, such as pricing, Closed Source, Audit Trail and improper on-premise support.

Where Auth0 is more mature

- More Protocols Supported (e.g SAML 2.0)
- Customization Support (Rules, UI, and so on)
- More stable API’s
- A lot of documentations and howtos

Where ZITADEL excels

- Runs on any cloud provider and on-premise (Cloud-Native)
- Built for multi-tenancy and [self-service delegation](https://zitadel.com/docs/guides/manage/console/organizations/)
- Better Audit Capabilities
- Tiered pricing depending on SLA and non-security requirements

### Keycloak

Keycloak is a mature IAM System with a lot of great features. It is also Open Source with an Apache 2.0 license (like ZITADEL) and has a well established reputation.

Where Keycloak is more mature

- More Protocols Supported (e.g SAML 2.0)
- Better customization (Private Labelling)
- Big Community

Where ZITADEL excels

- Built for Cloud-Native
- Better Audit Capabilities
- Multi- Cloud / Datacenter Support
- Less Resource Requirements

## Platform ecosystem

We think ZITADEL is a great platform for third parties (and ourselves) to integrate business requirements on a robust platform and enable people to build business value instead of focusing on secure Authentication and Authorization implementations.

In this chapter we will provide some use-case where ZITADEL can help you excel.

### Network Integration, Identity Aware Proxy (Zero Trust)

If you use ZITADEL, you can easily integrate your network equipment (Reverse Proxy / WAF) with ZITADEL for things like secure authentication. For example you might want to enforce multi-factor authentication when a user is not at a trusted site. Your identity aware proxy could easily (re)authenticate the user when someone leaves a trusted site by prompting for a more secure authentication method. ZITADEL will then proceed with ensuring the more secure method.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-02.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="Zero Trust"
/>

### Custom User Registration

If you have special requirements for your user registration (KYC, eHealth, eGovernment), you can easily rely on ZITADEL to build your own registration process by integrating your project with the ZITADEL management API. By building your integration you can reuse existing features to manage identities from our platform and combine them with your unique registration requirements.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-03.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="Custom User Registration"
/>

### Business Process integration (SaaS, MSP)

When building a service for your customers you may want to integrate your access management process into your order management. For example, if you have a SaaS solution where a customer can set up a new tenant by himself, you can delegate the ability to manage their own users directly to the customers. This may greatly reduce support requests from customers to setup users and access rights. With ZITADELs unique self-service capabilities it's even possible to let your customers register their existing identity solutions on their own.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-04.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="Business Process integration"
/>

### Custom Lifecycle Requirements (HR Systems)

If your business already has some systems in place that are responsible for managing your Human Resources or Business Processes, you can easily integrate them with ZITADEL. For example, if you have an HR System which already manages the employee lifecycle, you can use ZITADEL to handle the users identity, but leave the business process in the proper domain - within your HR System. With this approach you can reuse your employee process (joiner, mover, leaver) without leaking business processes into the IAM platform. We think that an IAM platform should not be the component in your architecture which executes business processes. Because if you implement business processes from domains like HR, CRM into the IAM Domain, you will eventually create a IAM which can not be easily replaced even if you use standard interfaces.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-05.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="Custom Lifecycle Requirements (HR Systems)"
/>

### Custom Access Management Requirements (ITSM)

Quite a lot of companies already rely on IT service management (ITSM) systems like ServiceNow to handle their fulfillment processing (access request, account reset, etc.). In such cases it makes sense to leave the IT service workflows in the tool that is optimized for business processes and integrate ZITADEL as an access Management system. Such an integration allows you to fully integrate your IT services process. For example the account of a user could be locked from the ZITADEL management interface and the unlock process could be built as a workflowinto your ITSM. This helps you build and maintain lean processes with low implementation and change cost.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-06.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="Custom Access Management Requirements (ITSM)"
/>

### Custom Sync of data (Sync any data source)

ZITADEL’s APIs enable you to manipulate and synchronize data from any system. For example, you can sync your applications users list with ZITADEL and even change user data from within your application. All of this without relying on ZITADEL’s management interface (console). If you care about a deep integration of the user experience this is a great way to enable your project. Furthermore some applications require an up-to-date list of all users for their processes. These applications can easily query ZITADEL for said data.

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-07.png"
  width="100%"
  alt="Custom Sync of data"
/>

## How people use ZITADEL

Most of the time, our customers choose to use our platform's core features like Authentication and Authorization by utilizing protocols like OpenID Connect and OAuth 2.0. But in some cases they integrate even deeper with our API to improve their time to market, operational efficiency and security. Read about what people have already built in this chapter.

### Integration Case - Task Management

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-08.png"
  width="60%"
  alt="Hygeia"
/>

One of our customers built a SaaS Service for tracing pandemics. Right now this solution is used to trace the SARS-CoV-2 spread in some parts of Switzerland.
The special integration in this case is that the workers who use the solution need to be able to assign work to entitled people. To accomplish this, the software utilizes a service account to query ZITADELs management API in a scheduled manner and syncs this list into their database. With this they are able to provide an up-to-date list of all entitled users. Further ZITADEL enables their development by providing an IAM as a Service model, where CAOS takes care of all operation security questions.

Kudos to [JOSHMARTIN](https://joshmartin.ch/) for helping us through the pandemic by providing the government with a progressiv application that really enables the tracing effort.

**Used Features**

- Authentication (incl. MFA, Passwordless)
- Authorization
- OpenID Connect / OAuth 2.0
- Management API, Query Granted Users
- Service Accounts

**Tech Stack**

- Elixir
- Phoenix Live View

**Resources** <br></br>
[joshmartin.ch/en/projects/kanton-st-gallen-contact-tracing/](https://joshmartin.ch/en/projects/kanton-st-gallen-contact-tracing/)

### Integration Case - eCommerce Framework

<img
  src="/blog/2021-05-04-our-vision-for-zitadel-09.png"
  width="60%"
  alt="Velox"
/>

The great people of [sly](https://sly.ch) are building a modern microservice oriented headless eCommerce Framework called [VELOX](https://velox.swiss) and choose ZITADEL as the solution for handling all of their authentication and authorization needs.

Kudos to sly for creating such a great and adaptive eCommerce solution!

**Used Features**

- Authentication incl. multi factor
- Authorization
- Single Sign On
- OpenID Connect / OAuth 2.0
- Management API
- Service Accounts

**Tech Stack**

- Java

**Resources** <br></br>
[velox.swiss](https://velox.swiss)

### Integration Case - multiple ASP.net Core Projects

The Zurich located development agency called [smartive](https://smartive.ch/) utilizes ZITADEL for their projects. As they often rely on ASP.net Core to build award winning projects they wanted to improve their time to market. To integrate ZITADEL with the existing Microsoft authorization ecosystem, they implemented the .net library and open sourced it. Go checkout the library on [Github](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel-net).

Kudos to Christoph Bühler for implementing this!

**Used Features**

- Authentication (incl. MFA, Passwordless)
- Authorization
- Single Sign On
- OpenID Connect / OAuth 2.0 (incl. JWT Profile and introspect support)
- Management API
- Service Accounts

Tech Stack
ASP.NET Core

Resources
https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel-net

## Future Enhancements (subject to change)

We will improve ZITADEL over time with new features. To give you a small hint of what we are planning to release, have a look at the following list.

- API Docs with Swagger / OpenAPI - [Since creating this blog we released this feature](https://zitadel.com/docs/apis/introduction#swagger-documentation)
- Outbound Webhooks
- SCIM 2.0 API
- Expose Authentication Functions as API
- Conditional Access Rules API

If you have ideas of question feel free to engage with us on [Github Discussion Board](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/discussions)

## TL; DR Why you should consider ZITADEL your goto IAM Platform

ZITADEL is a proper **Open Source** project, offers competitive and fair **pricing**, is built by an experienced **team** and a **committed company** and has a **high velocity for developing new features** and constantly improving security.

**In short ZITADEL is the identity & access platform for your business!**

Feel free to contact us on these channels

- [hi@zitadel.com](mailto:hi@zitadel.com)
- [twitter.com/zitadel](https://twitter.com/zitadel)
- [github.com/zitadel/zitadel/discussions](https://github.com/zitadel/zitadel/discussions)

If you consider contributing we would also be happy to welcome you!


We built ZITADEL not only with the vision of  becoming a great open source project but also  as a superb platform to support developers building their applications, without need to handle secure user login and account management themselves.

All posts/ #community