When new Google Cloud customers
start using the platform, it's common to log into the Google
Cloud Console with a Gmail account and then use Google Groups to collaborate
with teammates who are in similar roles. Although this approach is easy to
start with, it can present challenges later because the team's identities
are not centrally managed. This can be problematic If for example,
someone leaves the organization. With the setup, there's no easy way to
immediately remove a user's access to the team's cloud resources. With a tool called Cloud Identity,
organizations can define policies and manage their users and
groups using the Google Admin Console. Admins can log in and manage Google Cloud
resources using the same user names and passwords they already used in existing
Active Directory or LDAP systems. Using Cloud Identity also means that
when someone leaves an organization, an administrator can use the Google Admin
Console to disable their account and remove them from groups. Cloud Identity is available
in a free edition and also in a premium edition that provides
capabilities to manage mobile devices. If you're a Google Cloud customer who
is also a Google Workspace Customer, this functionality is already available
to you in the Google Admin Console.