The cloud could be called an enabling technology or delivery mechanism. It’s spawned several product ‘segments’, from online applications, to storage, to entire hardware/software platforms that users can rent. Okta’s vision, or that of co-Founder and CEO Todd McKinnon, is that the real endgame for the cloud is probably online applications or the ‘Software as a Service’ segment. One could argue this vision, since McKinnon’s former role was VP of Engineering for SalesForce.com, one of the first successful SaaS companies.

Regardless of the accuracy of this prediction, the need to simplify the user and IT experience within SaaS client companies is pretty clear. There’s also a need to unhook SaaS development companies from having to develop user access solutions on top of their core technologies.

Okta’s Service provides single sign-on for web applications in the cloud and behind the firewall. Currently they’ve integrated over 1000 applications from SalesForce.com, WebEx and Google Apps to business applications from ADP, Big Machines, Microsoft and Oracle. For users Okta simplifies the day to day interface with the collection of independent cloud-based services that have become part of their workflow processes. It eliminates the need to set up new applications and keep track of sign-on and authentication details for each one.

For IT, Okta centralizes the administration of users and integrated applications. It provides an administrative home page for application configuration and activity logs and allows for easy integration of new applications as well. Okta controls users’ access to applications, simplifies the importation of users into new applications and automates de-provisioning as they leave the company. It also provides a comprehensive reporting system to track activity and assure compliance.

Okta supports Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) or the vendor’s proprietary protocol to secure single sign-on. Or they can integrate leveraging their own Secure Web Authentication technology. It’s also fully integrated with Active Directory. Okta is priced per user, per month and is available directly through Okta and their system’s integrator partners.

Storage Swiss Take

Software as a Service does seem poised to grow, partly for the same reasons that mobile devices have. Users are incorporating independent, online software applications into their workflows, much like they’ve chosen to use mobile computing devices instead of desktops or laptop computers. Okta is one of those products that handles a lot of details and in the process, can significantly improve the overall user experience. And, it can make IT’s life easier as well. One analogy is that Okta is like a Visa credit card, replacing a separate credit card for each store or online retailer you use. This is technology that helps all parties in the cloud application services loop.