Okta upgrades to strengthen ties with Google for Work
Okta is rolling out a series of updates all aimed at improving links and strengthening ties to Google for Work.
The San Francisco-based company is going all in, tapping into Google's three cloud and mobile software pillars.
Okta promised these upgrades will enable IT managers with the ability to secure all Google enterprise offerings, from Apps to Chrome to Android, through its identity and mobility management service.
Some of the new features include Chromebook password sync, permitting employees to login to personal computers with their Okta accounts and access apps offline, and automatic Google Apps provisioning.
Okta went so far as to assert it guarantees "greater security and flexibility than Google Apps Directory Sync synchronizing data with an AD or LDAP directory server."
Bolstering functionality and support for Google is a strong strategic move for Okta, which boasted in Wednesday's announcement that Google Apps is the most commonly provisioned collection of applications in Okta's network of more than 4,000 integrations.
Google for Work, the business-focused unit formerly known as Google Enterprise, was previously upgraded back in October with the intention of providing better customer support to its corporate user base with a focus on chat and in-product assistance.
In December, Google introduced a new partner scheme converging the Work and Education arms of the Google Apps platform.
The integrated suite now known as the the Google for Work and Education Partner Program combined programs for selling and supporting Apps, Chrome, Cloud Platform, Maps and Search into one offering.
Google followed up on promises for Android for Work last month, pushing its BYOD app for older Android smartphones to the Google Play app store.
Much like Samsung Knox and BlackBerry Balance, Android for Work promises to keep personal and work data separate, all on the same device. Now also available its Mobility Management umbrella, Okta is promising even more IT control while also touting users can access mobile work data securely from virtually anywhere.
Internet users who use Google products in the workplace can likely expect more product news on the way this week as the Android maker's annual I/O developer summit kicks off in San Francisco on Thursday.