Daiichi Sankyo is a global pharmaceutical company with a rich history spanning over 100 years. With its extensive scientific expertise, the company boasts a workforce of 30,000 employees and operations in more than 50 countries.

Challenge

Daiichi Sankyo faced the challenge of implementing Single Sign-On (SSO) across its offices in Japan, Germany, and the USA. The company required a solution that would not involve hosting SharePoint portals on their servers but still provide robust security and authentication through:

  • Windows Integrated Active Directory (AD)
  • SSO via Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS)
  • SQL Form-Based Authentication (FBA)

What We Did

Our team executed a detailed plan to set up SSO solutions across five geographic locations within a month. The process involved:

  • Extensive testing and adjustments due to small variations in firewalls, AD versions, and Windows server configurations.
  • Collaboration with various IT professionals to ensure a cohesive and secure setup across different regions.

Key Implementations Included:

  • ADFS: Leveraged for SAML token SSO to enable seamless employee access across organizational boundaries.
  • SQL FBA: Utilized to distinctly manage partner access, separating them from the corporate Active Directory.
  • Windows Authentication: Configured for administrative users outside of the ADFS domain for enhanced security management.

Infrastructure Setup:

  • Internal and perimeter network configurations, including dedicated Active Directory Certificate Services, Account Federation Servers, and Resource Federation Servers.
  • Integration of perimeter network SharePoint Server with ADFS to streamline access controls.

The Result

The implementation of a comprehensive SSO solution across Daiichi Sankyo’s international offices resulted in:

  • A seamless single sign-on experience for employees, bridging internal networks with cloud-based SharePoint services.
  • Efficient authentication management for partners without needing to integrate them into the corporate Active Directory.
  • Minimal management overhead with simple maintenance routines, primarily updating certificates periodically.

This project significantly enhanced Daiichi Sankyo’s operational security and user experience, allowing the company to maintain a high level of data integrity and access control globally.