Building a Future-Proof Identity Landscape for the Dutch Energy Market
EDSN (Energie Data Services Nederland) plays a crucial role as the central data aggregator for energy suppliers, grid operators, and other market participants in the Netherlands. As the organization expanded its digital services, it faced growing complexity around identity and access management (IAM). With thousands of external users across different systems, EDSN saw the opportunity to streamline access and enable sustainable growth.
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Partnering with IdentIT
Following a successful proof of concept by their preferred IAM technology, EDSN selected IdentIT as preferred implementation partner to design and realize a centralized IAM solution. The collaboration focused on the Central Market Facilitation platform (CMF), enabling secure and authorized B2B interaction.
IdentIT quickly became a trusted partner, supporting not only implementation but also architectural decisions, always prioritizing security, scalability, and operational simplicity.
The Solution
IdentIT designed and implemented a centralized IAM platform that introduced:
- Single Sign-On (SSO) across applications
- Centralized authentication and authorization
- Secure machine-to-machine communication
- Federation readiness with external Identity Providers (IdPs)
Introducing the Identity Management Operator
One of the key innovations in the project was the use of the Identity Management Operator — a Kubernetes-native solution developed by EDSN, with implementation support from IdentIT, that enables:
- DevOps teams to define and manage service roles in a structured, automated way
- External organizations to onboard users and assign roles via the Dienst Veilige Toegang (DVT) portal
- Full auditability and compliance with strict security standards
This approach shifted operational responsibility to those who actually manage the users—reducing the load on EDSN’s service desk and increasing agility for market parties.
Federation and Future-readiness
To enable seamless onboarding and reduce password fatigue, EDSN has laid the groundwork for federation with the Identity Providers (IdPs) of external organizations. While technically ready, legal agreements—especially with grid operators (RNBs)—are still required before rollout.
Tangible Results
The deployment of the new IAM platform has delivered significant improvements across EDSN’s digital landscape. By modernizing identity and access management, EDSN has streamlined operations, enhanced security, and greatly improved the user experience. These results reflect the joint commitment of EDSN and IdentIT to deliver lasting value and prepare for a secure, scalable future.
- Significant drop in support tickets, especially for activation and password issues
- Improved user experience, thanks to SSO and contextual login
- Scalable architecture, ready for future federation and compliant with frameworks like NIS2
A Strong Collaboration
The partnership between EDSN and IdentIT is built on open communication, shared ownership, and a commitment to continuous improvement. IdentIT doesn’t just deliver what’s asked—they challenge assumptions, think alongside EDSN, and proactively suggest improvements. This collaborative mindset has been crucial for building a future-proof IAM foundation.
Looking Ahead
With a modern IAM platform firmly in place, EDSN and IdentIT are committed to further advancing identity management capabilities. Their focus remains on driving innovation, strengthening security, and enabling seamless collaboration across the ecosystem. Together, we are working on:
- Further federation roll-out
- Organizational role management
- Minimizing vendor lock-in through modular platform components
- Extending self-service capabilities across the ecosystem
The partnership continues to evolve as EDSN moves toward a fully cloud-based, secure, and scalable identity infrastructure—designed to meet both current operational needs and future market demands.
