Okta out for channel mindshare

Cloud-based identity management vendor Okta has marked its first 12 months in Europe with news it has signed up 60 customers and 30 local channel partners across the region.

The San Francisco-based firm provides directory services, single sign-on, strong authentication, provisioning, workflow, and built-in reporting to enable IT departments to manage user access across any application, person or device. UK customers include Gatwick Airport, Peterborough Council and M&C Saatchi.

Speaking at its European Cloud Summit in London, Okta EMEA VP, Philip Turner, explains: “We set out 12 months ago with an aggressive growth plan — which we’re delivering against furiously. We’ve built a strong UK sales and marketing team and we are seeing the fruits of our labour in the high-calibre customers and partners participating in today’s event.”

Okta claims more than 75 percent of its sales are indirect in EMEA, but this includes its relationships with technology partners such as Box. Pure channel sales currently account for less than 10 percent of its total sales in the region.

However, Bill Fitzgerald, VP channel sales worldwide tells Channel Pro that the firm is investing in the channel with the goal of winning mindshare – including recently revamping its certification process, shortening the timescale of partner certification from 6-10 months to just four days.

“We see a lot of value from LARs – they talk to a lot of prospects about identity,” says Fitzgerald, who reveals that he is due to speak with two major channel companies while visiting London this week.

He adds that Okta is aiming for 25-35 percent channel sales worldwide, and in EMEA he “would expect it to be more.”

The vendor currently divides its sales channel into two parts: the Okta Technology Alliance (OTA) comprises technology partners such as Box and ServiceNow, while its Okta Solution Partners (OSP) are VARs and SIs that integrate cloud and mobile technologies into their customers’ existing infrastructure.