OKTA

Okta, Inc. is an American technology company that provides identity and access management (IAM) services through the cloud-based Okta Identity Cloud. The platform helps organizations securely manage user identities and control access to applications, data, and APIs for both employees and customers.

Okta’s offerings cover two main areas: workforce identity and customer identity. Workforce identity includes single sign-on, multi-factor authentication, lifecycle management, provisioning, and access governance for employees. Customer identity and access management (CIAM) enables external users to sign up, sign in, and manage their profiles across customer-facing applications. In 2021, Okta completed its acquisition of Auth0, a dedicated CIAM platform, to broaden its CIAM capabilities. The company supports industry-standard protocols such as SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, and OpenID Connect, and uses SCIM for automated user provisioning.

History and corporate development: Okta was founded in 2009 in San Francisco by Todd McKinnon and Frederic Kerrest. It built its business around cloud-based identity services and went public on the NASDAQ in 2017 under the ticker OKTA. The Auth0 acquisition in 2021 significantly expanded its customer identity footprint and product scope. Okta has pursued growth through product expansion, partnerships, and integrations with a wide ecosystem of applications and cloud services.

Platform and security: The Okta Identity Cloud is a multi-tenant cloud service that integrates with thousands of applications and directory services, offering provisioning, authentication, authorization, and API access management. Okta emphasizes security, data protection, and regulatory compliance, maintaining certifications appropriate to enterprise customers and various industries.

Market position: Okta is regarded as a leading provider in identity and access management, competing with other IAM and CIAM vendors. Its services are used by organizations of varying sizes across multiple sectors to simplify and strengthen authentication and access control.