Google Cloud Identity vs. Okta

For example, if the system you are building is a general application service that does not primarily focus on ID management, it would be wise to use a service like Google's rather than developing your own IDaaS. While there may be cases where an IDaaS other than Google's is acceptable, Google is likely one of the best solutions when considering user recognition and ease of use. On the other hand, Gmail addresses are commonly used for other purposes, and users may not pay much attention to password management, so you should avoid using them for systems that require security. To strengthen security, you should consider making multi-factor authentication mandatory, etc.

Incentivized

It has extensive compatibility and rich feature set of integrating with a wide array of core systems and SaaS platforms. Daily I utilize Okta's user-friendly central hub to simplify access the numerous applications we utilize within my company (Google Workspace, Slack, Zoom, Salesforce, Microsoft Office 365, among many others.)

Incentivized

• Two-factor authentication available.
• The Google authentication method is familiar to many users.
• It is expected that it will also support authentication methods that will become common in the future.

Incentivized

• Okta handles lockouts and password changes very seamlessly. Most end users no longer have to contact our IT department to reset their password or unlock their account.
• Okta does MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) very well with the use of their own app, Okta Verify. We utilize this for VPN connections and having MFA or 2FA has strengthened the security of our internal network.
• Okta's administration GUI is easy to use, and easy to set up. Adding applications to the organization is easy and requires very little work to deploy.
• Users can utilize Okta to store passwords securely and safe on their own account. They also can one click login to personal sites if they use Okta to store their password.
• Okta's support system is very knowledgeable and quick to respond to issues. We've had a few cases that were resolved within hours and that helps immensely when working with end users.

Incentivized

• This time, I investigated it in advance, and it worked as expected, so I don't have any specific ideas for improvement.
• Additionally, if we were using another IDAAS, it would have been beneficial to have knowledge on how to integrate it with Google tools, along with some relevant case studies.

Incentivized

• The user interface of Okta is basic and needs improvement. There's some learning curve for new users.
• One time integration effort is high for the initial setup. Took us around 3 weeks.
• Okta times out pretty quick making us login multiple times in the day.

Incentivized

Okta has a passion to provide secure and scalable identity solution. Their passion has come across as advocacy in a way that has deepened my knowledge of the field of authentication. I took identity for granted before but after seeing features such as external authentication I know that Okta can enable my business to reach new heights

I chose Google because I thought it would be the best fit, but I didn't fully consider other cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, etc.), so I rated it 8. We assume that current Japanese users are familiar with Google, because we feel that there are far more people with Google email addresses than those with IDs on other cloud services.

Incentivized

Some of its features are great and some are slightly complex and not easy without vendor support.

Incentivized

The Okta Identity Cloud advertises 4 9's of reliability and I would go as far to say that it may even do better than that. As a true Global organization that operates in just about every region of the world, we have yet to have an issue with The Okta Identity Cloud that has impacted our business operations.

Incentivized

From my perspective, for the things that my group uses it for, Okta is very fast. It is as least as fast as the local password database methods that it replaces on our campus enterprise services. I do not believe that it slows anything down at all. In fact, not having to think too much about the login, because they all look the same, probably speeds things up somewhat.

Incentivized

Their support team has always been extremely responsive and more than willing to go above and beyond the call of duty. They've done screen shares between our help desk staff and end users to work through issues. They are quick to respond and genuinely care about getting issues resolved. Couldn't be happier.

We adopted Google Cloud Identity as an additional feature because it allowed us to integrate with it using multi-factor authentication. The IBM Cloud platform remains valid, and we have no plans to discontinue its use for identity management. From the user's perspective, we simply added more authentication options. This also ensures we are prepared for future use when multi-factor authentication becomes available for user apps on the IBM Cloud.

Incentivized

Previous to Okta, we did not have a central cloud IdP system, each app had it's own authentication and authorization internally. That led to a fairly messy and divergent situation where every system had a different method and look for authentication and authorization. Cross-remembering what password went with what was a constant problem for the Service Desk, who had to know how to manipulate all of the various local password systems.

Incentivized

Being a cloud native application, The Okta Identity Cloud is extremely scalable and easy to setup. By integrating into existing directories and applications via standard techniques and protocols, it is very easy to both initially setup and add additional users as required. Once all the necessary integrations are setup, it's a simple rinse and repeat process to onboard additional users (which can be automated with imports as well)

Incentivized

• From a business perspective, there were two steps.
• First, we switched from our in-house ID management system to a cloud service. This allowed us to focus our development resources on application development.
• At the same time, we were able to localize the handling of personal information, which resulted in increased efficiency in management aspects, including handling external inquiries, and in the development of encryption.
• The second step was adding Google Cloud Identity as an option.
• This allows more users to easily use our services. It can be said that this has improved user convenience.
• I expect Google to accommodate future changes in authentication requirements, such as biometric authentication.

Incentivized

• The initial investment (CapX) on Okta seemed like a lot for our organization (with a limited IT budget), but the investment was 100% worthwhile. We were impressed with how easily/quickly it was up and running in our environment.
• Implementing Okta into our environment has greatly increased our security posture by granting us MFA and SSO. Having MFA helps to lower our Cyber Security Insurance premiums greatly as well.
• As with most IT Security tools, the costs of prevention far outweigh the costs of a compromise. Calculate the costs of a breach and then compare it to the costs of Okta, you will find Okta is an exceptional value for what it offers. Additionally, the ability to automate tasks saves a ton of time/money for us. For example, the integration with our HRIS system means that when HR terminates an employee, we can have Okta automatically disable their accounts and all SSO applications assigned to them. Previously this was a slow and manual process performed by our Service Desk technicians (at an hourly rate).

Incentivized