Latest news with #identitygovernance
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Making Identity Governance Accessible
Clear, transparent pricing models can reshape how organizations adopt identity governance—making ... More critical security tools more accessible than ever. Identity is the frontline of today's cybersecurity battles. Whether it's stolen credentials, over-provisioned access, or dormant accounts, attackers have found that the easiest way in is often through the front door—by posing as someone who already belongs. And yet, for many organizations, the systems meant to manage identity and access are either too costly, too complex, or simply out of reach. This tension is pushing the Identity Governance and Administration market to evolve. Even small and mid-sized organizations need identity tools they can deploy quickly, manage easily, and afford without budgetary gymnastics. The cybersecurity community agrees: identity is the new perimeter. I talk to executives from technology and cybersecurity vendors across the spectrum. Regardless of the area of focus of the company or the solutions they provide, the discussion frequently comes back to the importance of identity security. But that awareness hasn't necessarily translated into action, particularly among resource-constrained companies. While Fortune 500 enterprises deploy full-fledged IGA platforms with lifecycle management, access reviews, and privileged access monitoring, smaller firms often make do with spreadsheets, email approvals, and best guesses. The result? A growing identity gap where bad actors have more opportunities to exploit excessive access or outdated entitlements in environments with fewer safeguards. I spoke with Subbu Rama, CEO of BalkanID, about these challenges. He explained, 'If somebody gets into Tony's account, acts as Tony, and Tony is not least privileged, now you actually have exposed too much in your company—and now that's the keys to the whole kingdom.' Many IGA solutions were built in a different era—one where long implementation cycles, high-touch professional services, and six-figure price tags were the norm. They assumed companies had security teams to spare and the patience to customize workflows for months before realizing value. The environment looks very different today. Organizations are leaner, faster, and operating in a digital landscape that changes daily. They need tools that can adapt just as quickly, not platforms that require a project manager just to get started. In response to growing demand from lean security teams, a new generation of IGA platforms is emerging. These solutions are built for speed, simplicity, and scalability. They can often be deployed in under an hour and are designed with modular features that organizations can enable as needed. But one of the most transformative aspects of this new model is how these platforms are priced.. Traditionally, IGA pricing has been a black box. Organizations are often required to sit through multiple sales calls before they get any sense of what the solution will cost—and even then, pricing is frequently bundled, inconsistent, or tied to long-term contracts. This lack of transparency creates friction and mistrust at a time when security teams need clarity and flexibility. BalkanID's new product, BalkanID Lite, challenges that approach. It's a self-service offering designed for mid-market companies that need essential identity governance features without the enterprise-level price tag or implementation burden. What sets it apart isn't just its features—it's the way it's priced. BalkanID publishes clear, modular pricing directly on its website. Organizations can see what each component costs, pick only what they need, and understand exactly what they're committing to. It's an approach borrowed from consumer experiences—simple, upfront, and predictable. 'We wanted to solve [the problem] by making the pricing completely transparent,' Rama explained. 'Just like you buy cars now—hey, do I want a low-end model? That's all I care about, like a Model 3? Sure. Here's the Model 3. Want a Model X? Here's the pricing for a Model X.' By removing the need for negotiations and eliminating hidden fees, this model empowers customers to make informed decisions based on their actual needs and budgets. It also reflects a broader trend in SaaS: transparency is becoming a feature, not just a nice-to-have. The evolution of tools is important, but so is the mindset shift. For years, identity governance was viewed primarily as a compliance necessity—something done quarterly to satisfy auditors. That's no longer enough. As threat actors grow more sophisticated, identity governance must become continuous and dynamic. Least privilege can't be a one-time review—it needs to be a living principle embedded into how access is granted, adjusted, and revoked. The challenge is balancing that level of control with the need for business agility. According to Rama, the future of identity governance is modular. It's accessible. It's aligned with how companies actually work today. For SMBs and mid-market players, that means having options that don't require tradeoffs between productivity and protection. It also means recognizing that the value of a security tool isn't just in its features—it's in how quickly and consistently it delivers results without becoming a burden to manage. As companies reassess their security priorities, identity governance is getting the long-overdue attention it deserves. And thanks to this wave of more agile, transparent, and user-friendly platforms, that attention might finally translate into action. Because identity risk isn't reserved for the Fortune 500—and neither should be the tools to manage it.
Globe and Mail
22-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Should You Buy, Hold or Sell OKTA Stock Before Q1 Earnings Release?
Okta OKTA is set to release first-quarter fiscal 2026 results on May 27. For the fiscal first quarter of 2026, Okta anticipates non-GAAP earnings in the range of 76-77 cents per share. Revenues are expected to be in the range of $678-$680 million, indicating growth of 10% from the year-ago period's reported figure. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has remained steady at 77 cents per share over the past 30 days, indicating year-over-year growth of 18.46%. The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $679.73 million, indicating an increase of 10.17% from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. Okta's earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all the trailing four quarters, with the average earnings surprise being 15.70%. (Find the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.) Let's see how things have shaped up for Okta prior to this announcement: Factors to Note for Okta OKTA's expanding product portfolio, especially in security and identity governance, is expected to have helped it win clients, driving top-line growth in the to-be-reported quarter. It exited fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 with 19,650 customers and $4.215 billion in remaining performance obligations, reflecting strong growth prospects for subscription revenues. Customers with more than $100 thousand in Annual Contract Value increased 7% year over year to 4,800. Continued momentum from new products like Okta Identity Governance, Privileged Access, Identity Threat Protection with Okta AI, Workforce Identity Suites and Auth for GenAI is expected to have been a tailwind in the to-be-reported quarter. More than 20% of the fiscal fourth-quarter bookings came from these products. The trend is expected to have continued in the to-be-reported quarter. Okta Identity Governance, in particular, has grown to more than 1,300 customers contributing more than $100 million in annual contract value within just two years of launch. This rapid adoption is expected to drive bookings to grow further in the to-be-reported quarter. Okta is expected to benefit from a rich partner base that includes the likes of Amazon's AMZN cloud computing platform Amazon Web Services (AWS), CrowdStrike, Google, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Netskope, Palo Alto Networks, Plaid, Proofpoint, Salesforce, ServiceNow, VMware, Workday, Yubico and Zscaler. Okta's increasing strength in its partner ecosystem, particularly through its relationship with Amazon Web Services, supported its security efforts. With more than 70% of deals influenced by partners in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, Okta was able to leverage its security capabilities more effectively. In fact, OKTA surpassed $1 billion in aggregate total contract value through its partnership with Amazon Web Services. Benefits from this partnership are likely to have been reflected in the to-be-reported quarter's performance. OKTA Shares Outperform Sector, Industry Okta shares have surged 54.9% in the year-to-date period against the Zacks Computer & Technology sector's decline of 2%. The Zacks Security industry has increased 17.1% in the same time frame. The outperformance can be attributed to the strong demand for its identity security solutions and rich partner base. OKTA Stock's Performance OKTA Stock is Currently Overvalued OKTA stock is not so cheap, as the Value Score of F suggests a stretched valuation at this moment. In terms of forward 12-month Price/Sales, OKTA is trading at 7.22X, higher than the Computer & Technology broader sector's 6.14X. Price/Sales(F12M) OKTA Suffers From Stiff Competition Okta's robust portfolio is helping it expand its clientele. It benefits from positive industry trends, including growing demand for identity solutions. However, the company faces stiff competition from CyberArk CYBR and Microsoft MSFT, which are also rapidly expanding its footprint in the identity and access management space. This competitive pressure is highlighted by Microsoft's strong performance in the security segment. Microsoft's Entra identity offering now serves more than 900 million monthly active users. Furthermore, Microsoft now serves 1.4 million security customers in the security segment, with more than 900,000 of these customers utilizing four or more workloads, representing a 21% year-over-year increase in the third quarter of fiscal 2025. CyberArk is also making advancements to strengthen its position. In April 2025, CyberArk announced the CyberArk Secure AI Agents Solution, which will allow organizations to implement identity-first security for agentic AI using the CyberArk Identity Security Platform. Conclusion Okta is suffering from challenging macroeconomic conditions due to higher tariffs, which could put pressure on its future performance. Intense competition and stretched valuation also remain a concern. These factors could affect the company's performance in the to-be-reported quarter despite strong product momentum. OKTA currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), which implies that investors should stay away from investing in this stock at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Only $1 to See All Zacks' Buys and Sells We're not kidding. Several years ago, we shocked our members by offering them 30-day access to all our picks for the total sum of only $1. No obligation to spend another cent. Thousands have taken advantage of this opportunity. Thousands did not - they thought there must be a catch. Yes, we do have a reason. 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