JIJ Adopts Authlete for Mathematical Optimization Development Platform's Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure

We're pleased to announce that JIJ Inc.(JIJ) has adopted Authlete’s OAuth and OpenID Connect (OIDC) backend service.

JIJ provides JijZept, a mathematical optimization development platform that uses quantum computing and artificial intelligence. By enabling large-scale optimization computations, JIJ helps solve challenges in critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, transportation, logistics, and manufacturing.

The AI and quantum computing startup selected Authlete to renew the authentication and authorization infrastructure of its service. With Authlete, JIJ has reduced the operational burden of meeting customers' stringent security requirements while building a highly extensible authentication and authorization infrastructure that can adapt flexibly to service pivots.

Challenges With the Previous Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure

JIJ's primary customers are companies supporting critical infrastructure, with the platform deployed particularly in departments that require high levels of confidentiality, including core business operations, R&D, and business development. Serving them requires meeting strict security requirements, such as egress allowlisting and in-country data residency in Japan.

Previously, JIJ's authentication and authorization infrastructure was built on AWS with Amazon Cognito as the identity provider (IdP). However, this led to a heavy administrative burden during customer onboarding; for every new deployment, JIJ had to manually document Cognito-specific network requirements in security questionnaires to secure customer approval. In addition, while JIJ uses Google Cloud as its service infrastructure, maintaining AWS solely for authentication and authorization posed challenges for optimizing engineers’ learning and operational and maintenance costs. As a result, JIJ decided to build a new authentication and authorization infrastructure on Google Cloud.

Requirements and Strategy for the New Infrastructure

In developing the new authentication and authorization infrastructure to replace the previous system, JIJ defined the following essential functional requirements to meet customers’ strict security needs and enhance operational efficiency:

• Automated user provisioning and management workflows
• Custom domain support and custom login UI implementation
• Strict data residency (storing data within Japan)

To minimize the internal resources required, JIJ also decided to use fully managed services.

Why Authlete 

Based on these requirements, JIJ adopted Authlete as its OAuth/OIDC engine based on the following key factors:

• ‍Full architectural control: Authlete delivers OAuth and OIDC protocol processing and token management as Web APIs. By utilizing these APIs, JIJ can outsource the development and operations of OAuth/OIDC processing while retaining full control over data storage locations, domain name configuration, login UI, and password policies. This also enables customization tailored to specific customer needs.
• ‍Streamlined security compliance through standards conformance: Authlete strictly adheres to OAuth/OIDC specifications. This allows JIJ to clearly explain the specifications and features of its solution to customers.
• ‍Flexibility to adapt to evolving requirements: Authlete's extensive feature set can be easily enabled and configured via its management console, enabling rapid response to new requirements. This flexibility perfectly matched JIJ's needs as a startup, where service expansion and pivots are a natural part of growth.

The New Authentication and Authorization Infrastructure Built With Authlete

With support from Instiny, a technology consultancy with deep expertise in Authlete, JIJ built its new authentication and authorization infrastructure. JIJ completed the process from requirements definition through validation in three to four months. During this period, the target relying party was switched to JijZept IDE due to a service pivot, but because Authlete ensured compliance with OAuth/OIDC standards, JIJ managed the transition smoothly.

‍Comment From Yoshiki Sakamoto, Software Engineer, Software Development Team, JIJ Inc.

"By building a new OAuth 2.1/OIDC-compliant authentication and authorization infrastructure with Authlete, we dramatically reduced the effort required to meet our customers' security requirements. In addition, because we strictly adhered to open standards, when a pivot required us to integrate with a new service, we were able to adapt quickly with only minor configuration additions. As we enter the new era of AI and MCP, we look forward to seeing Authlete continue to focus on developer experience."

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