Okta, the provider of secure identity management and single sign-on for the enterprise has updated its Identity Cloud to power a new independent directory standard and integration ecosystem for the extended enterprise. According to the company the updates include a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) interface for Okta Universal Directory, an expanded Okta Integration Network, automated access for customers and partners, and end-to-end auditing.
“While the benefits of the cloud have been well established for years, many organizations are still unable to take full advantage of innovative new services due to their reliance on legacy infrastructure, which adds complexity and cost to implement and use,” said Eric Berg, Chief Product Officer, Okta.
“Modern IT requires a dynamic system that can help them match the race car pace of technology innovation. We’re investing heavily in building on our independent and neutral platform to manage these demands – and today’s new features make the Okta Identity Cloud the most comprehensive integration solution available for businesses today.”
The company claims that the enhancements to its Identity Cloud will make it easier for IT administrators to manage the breadth of on-premises and cloud-based applications, devices, and people involved in modern business.
New features
Automated Access and Lifecycle for contractors, customers and partners: The company is also extending its Lifecycle Management service with self-service registration and lifecycle policies that will help IT automate access for external users such as customers or partners, from registration to audit.
Okta claims that the new registration flow enables IT teams to automate access across every lifecycle state – from onboarding through offboarding – for external users where an identity is not mastered from a directory, HR, CRM or partner system. New support for time and email-based lifecycle states automates access recertification.
Okta Universal Directory supports a broader set of apps and resources: the company now now supports LDAP-enabled applications to directly authenticate against its Universal Directory, eliminating the need for on-premises directories for small and mid-sized organizations.
Using this, cloud and mobile IT teams can authenticate developer tools, databases, or other legacy apps, and can use the Universal Directory as their core directory. Enterprises can accelerate their move off legacy on-premise directories, replacing them with the Universal Directory as the connection point to traditional LDAP-enabled applications such as Atlassian on-prem, Github on-prem, and popular VPNs.
New Integration Network connects IT ecosystem: By increasing its investments in new integration categories and deeper capabilities, the renamed Okta Integration Network lets the company provide a unified identity layer across diverse business networks and systems.
Working with technology partners, the Integration Network offers customers new solutions around workflow management, business analytics, security automation and hybrid IT. Through its IT partner ecosystem the company aims to solve the breadth of challenges that IT departments face when moving to the cloud.
