Digital identity and process platforms form a central architectural layer for the consistent management of digital identities, the enforcement of security and compliance requirements, and the orchestration of complex digital processes across different applications, organizations, and channels. This article outlines the challenges organizations will face in 2026 and explains how integrated identity and process platforms enable security, scalability, regulatory compliance, and an improved user experience.

Current market drivers 2026: Why digital identity and process platforms are now critical

The year 2026 represents a decisive turning point for digital identities and security architectures in Europe. Several regulatory and technological developments are confronting organizations with new challenges—particularly mid-sized companies and regulated industries. These developments increase the pressure to replace fragmented security and process landscapes with integrated platforms.

NIS-2 Directive

One key driver is the NIS-2 Directive, which has been in force since the end of 2024 and will be enforced with far-reaching sanctions starting in 2026. In Germany alone, more than 30,000 mid-sized companies are affected, including those in the energy, waste management, manufacturing, and food sectors. Many of these organizations currently lack both a consistent identity and access management framework and reliable evidence of access controls, reporting processes, and assigned responsibilities. As a result, demand is rising sharply for integrated platforms that can represent identities, entitlements, and processes in an audit-proof manner.

EUDI Wallet

At the same time, the EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) is emerging as a new European standard. From 2026 onward, EU member states will be required to provide digital identity wallets for citizens and businesses. For sectors such as e-commerce, banking, insurance, and mobility services, this means existing systems must be adapted to securely integrate state-verified digital identities into business processes. Platform-based approaches are required to act as an integration and orchestration layer between wallets, line-of-business applications, and compliance requirements.

At the same time, the threat landscape is intensifying due to AI-driven identity abuse. Deepfakes, automated phishing, and social engineering are becoming increasingly sophisticated and will reach a new level in 2026. Financial institutions and large HR departments in particular face the challenge of not only controlling access, but reliably proving that a real human being is behind a digital identity. Traditional authentication methods are reaching their limits in this context.

Cyber Resilience Act (CRA)

Additional requirements for supply chain security are introduced by the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). From September 2026, comprehensive reporting and due diligence obligations will apply to hardware and software manufacturers. Organizations must be able to clearly document who has access to critical development environments and how software components are secured. As a result, the identities of developers, systems, and services become a key security factor across the entire software supply chain.

Digital sovereignty

Finally, the issue of digital sovereignty is gaining importance, particularly at the municipal level. Cities and municipal utilities are tasked with expanding digital citizen services without creating new dependencies on non-European cloud providers. Local identity infrastructures and sovereign platform models are therefore increasingly moving into focus.

What this means for enterprise processes in 2026

Organizations are confronted with new requirements arising from NIS-2, the CRA, and eIDAS 2.0 while simultaneously struggling with legacy standalone solutions. As a result, they need platforms that reduce complexity, consolidate regulatory requirements, and bring security, identity, and processes together within a consistent architectural framework.

Increasing complexity of digital identities and processes

Digital services today are highly distributed. They span cloud and on-premises systems, mobile devices, external partners, and multiple regulatory jurisdictions. At the same time, requirements are increasing with regard to:

Market analyses confirm this trend. According to Markets and Markets, the global market for digital identity solutions is growing rapidly and is expected to expand within a few years from a volume in the double-digit billion USD range to more than USD 70 billion. Key drivers include digital government services, mobile identities, and regulatory frameworks such as eIDAS and the GDPR.

Many organizations continue to respond with isolated solutions—for example, separate identity management systems, process tools, or specialized line-of-business applications. The result is fragmented identities, inconsistent security policies, high integration costs, and limited scalability.

Definition: What are digital identity and process platforms?

A digital identity and process platform is an integrated, modular software platform that:

It combines identity management, security enforcement, and process orchestration within a single, consistent architecture.

Key characteristics include:

Unlike traditional IAM systems, BPM tools, or standalone solutions, digital identity and process platforms follow a platform-based, architecture-driven approach that enables long-term scalability and regulatory compliance.

Architectural foundation

Digital identity and process platforms typically follow a multi-layered architecture that clearly separates functional responsibilities while remaining tightly integrated.

Identity Layer

Security & Trust Layer

Process & Orchestration Layer

Client Layer

Platforms such as KOBIL mPower rely on a modular architecture in which identity, security, and orchestration layers are logically separated but closely interconnected.

Differentiation from related solution approaches

Standalone applications treat identity and processes as isolated elements. Because they lack a shared foundation, they do not function as a true platform.

IAM systems address identity management effectively, but they do not cover business processes and therefore cannot operate as a complete platform.

Mobile apps offer only limited support for both identity and processes. They improve access, but without a unified structure, they fall short of platform-level capabilities.

Digital identity and process platforms bring identity and processes together within a single architecture. By integrating both, they function as full platforms that can scale, adapt, and support complex digital ecosystems.

This distinction makes clear that platforms do not replace individual functions; instead, they integrate existing components into a consistent overall architecture.

Market development and strategic relevance

Analysts such as Gartner observe a clear shift away from isolated identity or line-of-business applications toward platform-based architectures. The objective is to implement security, user experience, and regulatory compliance not in a piecemeal manner, but strategically and at scale.

Sectors particularly affected include:

In these areas, digital identity and process platforms are increasingly becoming the strategic foundation of digital ecosystems.

Best practice: Platform-based implementation in the banking sector

In banking environments, customers must be given highly secure yet convenient access to services such as online banking, payment authorizations (PSD2), or digital contract execution. Historically grown standalone solutions with separate login and security mechanisms lead to media discontinuities, high maintenance effort, and inconsistent security.

By deploying a central digital identity and process platform, banks can:

Customers use a single secure mobile application as the client layer. The platform handles identity verification, entitlement management, process control, and compliance. This reduces complexity, lowers costs, and ensures regulatory compliance (e.g., DORA).

KOBIL mPower as a digital identity and process platform

With mPower, KOBIL provides a digital identity and process platform of the kind increasingly required in enterprise environments. mPower specifically addresses the challenges of fragmented IT and security landscapes by consolidating identity management, security enforcement, and process orchestration into an integrated, modular platform.

At its core, mPower acts as a central control layer for digital identities and security-critical processes. Digital identities of users, organizations, applications, and devices are managed consistently and used across all connected systems. Security and compliance requirements—such as strong authentication, transaction approvals, audit-proof logging, or regulatory mandates including eIDAS, GDPR, or DORA—are not implemented as isolated features but enforced end-to-end throughout processes.

A key characteristic of KOBIL mPower is the tight integration of identity verification, security logic, and process control. Transactions and business processes can be orchestrated based on rules and secured contextually—for example, depending on user role, device, location, or regulatory framework. This enables organizations to manage complex digital workflows consistently across different line-of-business applications, organizational boundaries, and channels without having to operate separate security or process solutions for each use case.

As a platform, KOBIL mPower is deliberately modular and integrates existing line-of-business systems via standardized interfaces rather than replacing them. Mobile and web-based clients serve as secure access points through which users can access processes and services without media discontinuities. In this way, KOBIL mPower supports the transition from historically grown standalone solutions to a scalable, regulatory-compliant, and sustainable platform architecture.

Outlook

As digitalization continues to advance, the demand for integrated platform solutions will keep growing. Digital identity and process platforms have already established themselves as the foundation for trustworthy and regulatory-compliant digital ecosystems. Core capabilities such as AI-based anomaly and fraud detection, real-time responses to identity abuse, and the integration of decentralized identities (DID) are being continuously enhanced. At the same time, the orchestration layer is gaining strategic importance, as it connects identities, security mechanisms, and business processes across system and organizational boundaries.

As a result, digital identity and process platforms are increasingly evolving into intelligent control layers that holistically support security, interoperability, and digital sovereignty.

Key Facts: Digital Identity and Process Platforms