Identity as the ultimate integrator

Get a grip on productivity-sapping SaaS sprawl

There’s a technology fix for almost every business challenge. Enhance customer service, improve collaboration, manage communications and marketing, integrate vendors and partners, collect and crunch data, pay and collect the bills — there’s a tool or platform to address all of it. Each digital technology promises efficiency transformation, greater insights, and a competitive edge. But combined, they create IT sprawl.

This journey usually starts innocently: Finance needs a specialized tool, the sales team finds a purpose-built app to automate workflows, and soon, every department has a tech solution catering to their needs. After layering additional platforms for modern workforce integration, the average knowledge worker uses about 11 different applications. That’s compared to just six in 2019. 

Another trend magnifies sprawl: M&A strategies accelerate growth,  often resulting in overlapping tools, inconsistent security policies, and disconnected workflows. At this point, a growing technology stack is a given, but do we have to accept the frustrations of trying to navigate it all?

The impact is tangible

Productivity losses caused by technology roadblocks are such a pervasive challenge that they’ve become a management research topic. A 2023 study found that 70% of workers lose 20 hours a week to fragmented systems. In a Gartner survey that same year, 47% of digital workers said they struggled to find information or data needed to perform their jobs effectively.  

At the same time, cybersecurity incidents are on the rise, and the threat of a breach has made network monitoring a significant focus for IT teams. With attackers working full-time to exploit any vulnerability, efforts to make life easy for employees could enable bad actors. The challenge is fortifying security while enhancing access and productivity in an evolving technology stack.

Identity is the missing link

When security across your environment is managed at the identity level, employees, vendors, and partners seamlessly access the tools they need without waiting for IT intervention. Technology users can continue with their flow while your IT team focuses on more meaningful projects. 

Identity unites authentication policies across your different environments, automating access provisioning and ensuring a unified experience that’s also more secure. Users can access what they need when they need it while knowing sensitive data and processes remain secure from bad actors.

Identity-based access is about making life easier for those you trust — and much harder for those you don’t.

Control the chaos with Okta identity innovations

For organizations struggling with sprawling, disconnected IT environments, Okta provides a comprehensive identity platform that integrates seamlessly across ecosystems. The result: reduced friction, enhanced security, and better overall experiences.

Here’s how it works:

• The Okta Integration Network (OIN) includes over 8,000 prebuilt identity integrations you can deploy without custom coding. We’ve already done the hard work, so you can plug Okta into leading SaaS and security tools, including Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, AWS, Salesforce, Workday, ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, and CrowdStrike.
• Okta Universal Directory is a centralized hub that unifies user identities in cloud and on-prem directories, including Active Directory, LDAP, and HR systems. Employees get a consistent access experience, and your IT team gets a central place to manage all identities.
• Cross-Tenant Identity Federation is your solution for accelerating time-to-value from M&A. Connect subsidiaries, acquisitions, or partner organizations without making users manage multiple accounts.
• Single Sign-On (SSO) provides users with true one-click access to all their apps, regardless of where they’re located, because productivity shouldn’t be stymied by login fatigue and frustration.

Identity improves the bottom line

This isn’t just about making life easier. At Okta, we believe IT and security teams should be able to invest more in business-critical initiatives that grow revenue, like product development, research, and cost containment. 

They shouldn’t spend large chunks of their day manually provisioning, granting access, and handling password resets. Okta is the ultimate integrator — a connected identity platform that brings order to disjointed systems, eliminates friction, and improves security. The result is more time for everyone to focus on market leadership, innovation, and service. The only people who won’t be happy are the bad guys who find themselves shut out in the cold.

Learn more about Okta: https://www.okta.com 

Learn more about Securing with identity: https://www.okta.com/solutions/secure-Identity

Talk to a member of the Sales team: https://okta.com/contact-sales