PKI modernization has a reputation problem. Ask any security leader how long a full PKI overhaul takes, and you will hear estimates measured in years. That perception keeps organizations locked into aging infrastructure, manual certificate workflows, and compounding operational risk.
In practice, organizations deploying proper certificate automation are completing implementation in months and seeing payback before the first renewal cycle.
A Forrester Total Economic Impact study found that the composite organization achieved payback in less than six months. Interviewees noted that they completed Keyfactor implementation in phases over a few months. One telecom organization moved quickly to EJBCA, transitioning core PKI infrastructure on a timeline that defied the previously held belief that it would take multiple years to complete.
This post breaks down what a phased PKI deployment actually looks like, how quickly value accumulates, and what to budget for in terms of resources, and what is the expected timeline. If your team has been putting off PKI modernization because the project feels too big, the data suggests the opposite: the longer you wait, the more it costs.
What a phased PKI deployment looks like
A four-month implementation with dedicated resources
The composite organization considered in the study (the hypothetical organization modelled after all the ones that were interviewed) completed its Keyfactor deployment in approximately four months. The team dedicated five internal resources at roughly 75% of working hours during that period, deploying EJBCA for PKI infrastructure and Keyfactor Command for certificate lifecycle automation.
This is not an aspirational timeline. It reflects a real-world implementation with standard enterprise constraints: existing infrastructure to integrate with, compliance requirements to satisfy, and internal stakeholders to align.
The key was a phased approach. Rather than attempting to migrate everything simultaneously, the team prioritized high-impact certificates first and expanded coverage incrementally.
Prioritize near-term renewals first
Smart deployment starts with the certificates that matter most right now. The composite organization prioritized transitioning manually managed certificates with near-term renewal dates. This approach delivered immediate value by preventing imminent expiration risks, the most common cause of costly outages.
By targeting certificates closest to expiration, organizations can demonstrate automation ROI within weeks of deployment. Every certificate that renews automatically instead of manually is a prevented outage and recovered engineering time.
How phased migration works
One of the most common objections to PKI modernization is the perceived need to abandon existing infrastructure overnight. That is not how it works.
During a Keyfactor webinar, a practitioner said, “I wouldn’t say rip and replace, that would be a really tough thing to do. Roots of trust are not something you can easily do that with. So it usually is a transition of grandfathering over to a new PKI platform.”
Keyfactor supports this gradual approach with flexible deployment options. Organizations can run SaaS, hybrid, or on-premises configurations, and maintain existing certificate authorities (including Microsoft ADCS) while progressively migrating workloads to modern infrastructure. Legacy CAs remain operational during the transition, eliminating the risk of a disruptive cutover.
How quickly value accumulates
Payback in under six months
The financial case for fast deployment is compelling. The Forrester study found that the composite organization achieved payback in less than six months, with Year 1 benefits of $4.25 million against Year 1 costs of approximately $1.3 million.
Benefits begin accumulating before the full rollout is complete. As soon as the first certificates are automated, teams reclaim the hours previously spent on manual tracking, renewal, and incident response. For the full financial breakdown behind the 356% ROI, see our first post in this series: The real cost of PKI: what certificate management actually costs your organization.
Benefits that grow year over year
The compounding nature of PKI automation is one of its strongest financial arguments. The Forrester study documented benefits growing from $4.25 million in Year 1 to $5.08 million in Year 2 and $6.18 million in Year 3.
This growth is structural, and the benefits can be felt throughout the organization. As more certificates migrate onto the platform and the overall certificate estate grows 8 to 12% annually, each additional automated certificate compounds the time savings. Manual processes that scaled linearly with certificate volume are replaced by automation that absorbs growth with minimal incremental effort.
For a deeper look at how automation compounds as your certificate estate scales, see Certificate lifecycle automation: how to manage certificates at enterprise scale.
What to budget for: Internal resources for implementation and ongoing management
During the four-month implementation phase, expect to allocate five full-time equivalents at approximately 75% of working hours. These resources handle integration, configuration, initial certificate migration, and validation.
After deployment, ongoing management requires roughly 2.5 FTEs at an average fully loaded cost of $156,000 each. Their activities include continued automation expansion, onboarding new teams and use cases, retiring legacy infrastructure, and maintaining visibility across the certificate estate.
This staffing model represents a significant reduction from the pre-modernization baseline. The Forrester study documented organizations freeing up PKI engineering time that was previously consumed by manual certificate operations, infrastructure maintenance, and incident response.
How Keyfactor can help
Keyfactor’s deployment approach is designed for the phased, low-risk migration that enterprise security teams need.
- SaaS-first with hybrid flexibility.
Start with a cloud-delivered platform and extend to on-premises or hybrid configurations as your environment requires. No infrastructure buildout is needed to get started. - Phased migration support alongside legacy systems.
Run Keyfactor alongside Microsoft ADCS or other legacy certificate authorities during the transition. There is no requirement to decommission existing infrastructure on day one. - Continuous partner support throughout deployment.
As one customer described: “We got constant support from Keyfactor to ensure that whatever design or architecture we put together would scale.” Implementation is a partnership, not a handoff. - Immediate automation wins with the highest-impact certificates.
Start with the certificates closest to expiration or the workflows consuming the most manual effort. Value begins accumulating from the first automated renewal.
This is the final post in our four-part series on PKI modernization. Across the series, we have examined the hidden costs of legacy PKI, the preventable risk of certificate outages, how automation compounds at enterprise scale, and now the practical path to fast deployment. The Forrester Total Economic Impact study provides the independent validation behind each of these findings. Download the full Forrester TEI report to see the complete analysis, or contact Keyfactor to discuss your organization’s PKI modernization roadmap.
Got fast PKI modernization questions? We’ve got answers.
How long does a typical Keyfactor PKI deployment take?
Most organizations complete their initial Keyfactor deployment in approximately four months. The Forrester study‘s composite organization followed a phased approach, starting with the highest-impact certificates and expanding coverage incrementally.
Do I need to replace my existing certificate authorities to use Keyfactor?
No. Keyfactor integrates with existing certificate authorities, including Microsoft ADCS. Organizations typically run Keyfactor alongside legacy infrastructure during a gradual transition rather than performing a disruptive rip-and-replace migration.
How many internal resources are needed for implementation?
The Forrester composite allocated five full-time equivalents at approximately 75% of working hours during the four-month implementation phase. After deployment, ongoing management requires roughly 2.5 FTEs.
When do organizations start seeing ROI from Keyfactor?
Payback occurs in less than six months. Benefits begin accumulating as soon as the first certificates are automated, before the full rollout is complete. Year 1 benefits in the Forrester study totaled $4.25 million.
What does Keyfactor cost for a large enterprise?
Annual SaaS subscription for up to one million certificates is approximately $485,000, with a one-time professional services fee of $53,500. There are no per-certificate fees, so costs remain predictable as your certificate estate grows.
Can Keyfactor run in my existing on-premises environment?
Yes. Keyfactor offers SaaS, hybrid, as-an-appliance and on-premises deployment options. Most organizations start with SaaS and extend to hybrid configurations as needed, but fully on-premises deployment is supported.
How does phased migration actually work in practice?
Organizations typically begin by automating certificates with the nearest renewal dates, then progressively onboard additional certificate types, teams, and use cases. Existing CAs continue operating throughout the transition. Roots of trust are grandfathered over to the new platform rather than replaced abruptly.
What happens to our PKI staff after automation is deployed?
PKI automation reduces the time your team spends on manual certificate tracking, renewal, and incident response. The Forrester study documented significant labor efficiency gains. Most organizations reallocate freed-up engineering capacity to higher-value security initiatives rather than reducing headcount.
