Centralizing Identity to manage 17 organizations in one place
With 8,200 employees working across 17 distinct divisions, the City of Memphis manages a wide range of employees — from police and fire departments to technical IT and finance teams. To maintain compliance with security and regulatory standards for these organizations, the city needed to simplify processes for managing these varying identities. Their existing Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems were outdated and fragmented and lacked cohesive oversight, which caused critical security and operational issues. “We needed a way to centralize control over how identities were managed or how people accessed solutions in our environment,” says Augustine Boateng, deputy chief information officer of the city of Memphis. “Passwords were being written down, shared, and reused across multiple systems, creating security vulnerabilities like frequent email compromises.”
These issues were compounded by the lack of centralized workflows for onboarding and offboarding employees, leaving some with lingering access to sensitive systems like financial databases even after leaving the organization. Boateng adds, “HR was on my neck, asking how we could get these processes under control.” Additionally, regular password resets consumed significant IT resources, and the city needed an enterprise-grade Identity solution to address these escalating challenges.
Prioritizing compliance and security without sacrificing UX
When the city of Memphis began their search for an IAM platform, they sought a solution that would meet and exceed the city’s sprawling requirements and grow alongside the organization. With a complex network of legacy systems and over 100 applications already in use, they needed a solution that could seamlessly integrate with both existing and modern technologies, and ease of integration was a decisive factor. “When we started putting down our requirements, the list of solutions that could meet them got small really fast,” says Boateng. “We needed something robust but also adaptable to our environment, including tools like Adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication and automation for onboarding and offboarding. That was Okta.”
Another driving factor was simplicity for both administrators and end users. Okta Workforce Identity stood out for its intuitive administrative tools and adaptive Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) capabilities, reducing user friction while meeting compliance mandates. “From a management standpoint, Okta just made sense,” adds Mike Barlow, IT security manager. “The administrative side is so straightforward that it proved itself almost immediately.” The city also wanted a trusted partner that could provide cloud-first reliability and support. Gartner recommendations and peer endorsements confirmed Okta’s reputation as a robust, scalable solution with the flexibility to adapt to the city’s evolving needs.
Streamlining Identity to better protect city infrastructure
By integrating over 100 applications and counting, Okta has centralized Identity and streamlined processes for both end users and administrators. Tools like Single Sign-On (SSO) have reduced friction for employees managing multiple applications, while adaptive MFA ensures compliance with mandates such as Criminal Justice Information Systems, Payment Card Industry requirements, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act standards.
Through Okta Workflows, the city is automating more of its onboarding and offboarding processes—including employee changes during life events such as name updates or job transitions—so that user provisioning is driven directly from their HR system, significantly reducing onboarding time. “Previously, it took hours to provision accounts for new recruits—sometimes longer,” says Boateng. “Now, it’s done in minutes.” Automating offboarding workflows also ensures account access is promptly revoked following an employee’s departure, reducing security risks associated with lingering accounts.
The administrative experience has also been vastly improved. By automating app provisioning and enforcing tighter access controls through geo-fencing and adaptive policies, the city has seen a 95% reduction in account compromises and help desk calls for password resets. These improvements have freed IT teams to focus on strategic priorities, such as expanding automation, addressing vulnerabilities, and running security-focused training for employees. “Okta has transformed how we manage Identity,” says Boateng. “It streamlined processes, improved security, and allowed us to think bigger about what’s next for Memphis.”
About the City of Memphis
Founded in 1819, Memphis is Tennessee’s largest city and a global cultural icon. Home of the Blues and the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll, Memphis honors its rich past while shaping the future—from the National Civil Rights Museum's unique historical perspective to St. Jude’s life-changing research. Memphis moves to its own beat—bold, soulful, and unstoppable.
