ROI Timeline: Why Avatier Pays Back Faster Than Okta

The speed at which your identity management solution delivers a return on investment can significantly impact your organization’s security posture and bottom line. While Okta has established itself as a major player in the identity and access management (IAM) space, many CISOs and IT leaders are discovering that Avatier’s Identity Management Anywhere platform delivers faster, more substantial returns with lower total cost of ownership.

The Growing Urgency of Identity Management ROI

Identity management has evolved from a back-office IT function to a business-critical capability that directly impacts operational efficiency, security posture, and compliance readiness. According to Gartner, organizations with mature identity management processes experience 50% fewer identity-related security incidents.

The stakes are higher than ever:

• The average cost of a data breach reached $4.45 million in 2023, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report
• Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report found that 61% of breaches involved credential data
• Forrester Research reports that companies spend an average of $1,197 per employee annually on password-related support costs

In this environment, implementing an IAM solution with the fastest possible time-to-value isn’t just good business—it’s essential for risk management.

Implementation Speed: Months vs. Weeks

Okta’s Extended Implementation Timeline

Okta implementations typically follow a traditional enterprise software deployment model:

1. Initial assessment and planning: 4-6 weeks
2. Configuration and customization: 8-12 weeks
3. Integration with existing systems: 6-10 weeks
4. Testing and validation: 4-6 weeks
5. Staged rollout: 6-12 weeks

This results in a typical implementation timeline of 6-9 months for medium to large enterprises, with some implementations extending to a year or more depending on complexity.

Avatier’s Accelerated Deployment Approach

In stark contrast, Avatier’s Identity Anywhere platform leverages modern containerized architecture and pre-built connectors to dramatically reduce implementation time:

1. Initial assessment and planning: 2-3 weeks
2. Configuration using no-code tools: 2-4 weeks
3. Integration through 500+ pre-built connectors: 2-3 weeks
4. Testing and validation: 1-2 weeks
5. Rapid rollout: 2-4 weeks

This compressed timeline means Avatier customers typically see full implementation in 9-16 weeks—less than half the time of a comparable Okta deployment.

A Fortune 1000 manufacturing company recently reported completing their Avatier implementation in just 11 weeks, compared to their initial estimate of 7-8 months for an Okta deployment.

Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Licensing Structure Differences

Okta’s pricing model typically includes:

• Base platform fees
• Per-user licensing costs
• Premium add-ons for advanced features
• Professional services for implementation
• Annual maintenance and support

Avatier’s licensing approach eliminates many of these cost centers:

• More inclusive base platform with fewer add-ons
• Competitive per-user pricing with volume discounts
• Professional services with knowledge transfer focus
• Containerized deployment reduces infrastructure costs

Hidden Cost Factors

The total cost difference becomes even more apparent when considering these often-overlooked factors:

1. Internal resource requirements: Okta implementations typically require 2-3x more internal IT staff hours than comparable Avatier deployments.
2. Integration complexity: While both platforms offer extensive integrations, Avatier’s application connectors are designed for IT administrators rather than developers, reducing specialized labor costs.
3. Upgrade costs: Avatier’s containerized architecture significantly reduces the cost and complexity of version upgrades compared to traditional deployment models.
4. Training and adoption: Avatier’s intuitive interface and consumer-grade user experience reduce training costs and accelerate user adoption.

Productivity Gains and Operational Efficiencies

Help Desk and IT Operations Impact

One of the most immediate ROI indicators comes from reduced help desk burden:

• Organizations implementing Avatier’s self-service password management report an average 85% reduction in password-related help desk tickets
• Gartner estimates the average help desk password reset costs $70 per incident
• A 10,000-employee organization experiencing just one password reset per employee annually would save $595,000 in the first year alone

Okta customers report similar password reset benefits, but Avatier’s comprehensive self-service approach extends these efficiencies across more IAM processes:

• Self-service group management reduces administrative overhead by up to 70%
• Automated access certification cuts review time by up to 80%
• Workflow automation eliminates manual provisioning tasks by up to 95%

User Productivity Enhancement

Beyond IT operational savings, identity management solutions deliver substantial productivity gains through reduced friction:

• Single sign-on reduces login time by an average of 50 seconds per application access
• For a knowledge worker accessing 15 applications daily, this translates to 52 hours saved annually
• At an average fully-loaded cost of $50/hour, that’s $2,600 in productivity gains per employee annually

Avatier’s Single Sign-On (SSO) solution provides these benefits while integrating seamlessly with multifactor authentication and privileged access workflows.

Security Risk Reduction and Compliance Benefits

Quantifying Security Risk Reduction

Both Okta and Avatier help organizations reduce security risks, but Avatier’s integrated approach to identity governance delivers more comprehensive risk reduction:

• Automated access certification reduces inappropriate access by up to 90%
• Real-time policy enforcement prevents up to 95% of potential access policy violations
• Separation of duties controls eliminate up to 85% of toxic access combinations

A mid-sized financial services organization implementing Avatier reported a 76% reduction in accounts with excessive privileges within the first six months—directly reducing their attack surface and compliance exposure.

Compliance Automation and Audit Readiness

Regulatory compliance remains a major driver for identity management investments:

• Avatier’s Access Governance automation reduces audit preparation time by up to 80%
• Comprehensive audit trails and reporting satisfy requirements across multiple frameworks (SOX, HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, etc.)
• Continuous compliance monitoring reduces the risk of violations and associated penalties

The Breakeven Timeline Comparison

When all factors are considered, the ROI timeline difference becomes clear:

Typical Okta ROI Timeline

• Month 0-9: Implementation phase (costs accumulating)
• Month 10-12: Early operational benefits begin
• Month 13-18: Accelerating operational savings
• Month 19-24: Full benefit realization
• Month 24-30: Breakeven point for most organizations

Typical Avatier ROI Timeline

• Month 0-3: Implementation phase (costs accumulating)
• Month 4-6: Early operational benefits begin
• Month 7-9: Accelerating operational savings
• Month 10-12: Full benefit realization
• Month 12-16: Breakeven point for most organizations

This accelerated ROI timeline means Avatier customers typically achieve breakeven 8-14 months sooner than comparable Okta implementations.

Real-World ROI Case Studies

Financial Services: 211% ROI in 14 Months

A regional bank with 5,000 employees switched from a planned Okta implementation to Avatier and documented these results:

• Implementation completed in 14 weeks vs. estimated 28 weeks for Okta
• 92% reduction in password-related help desk tickets
• 76% time savings for user provisioning and deprovisioning
• $1.2M annual savings in operational costs
• Breakeven achieved at 14 months with 211% ROI over three years

Healthcare: $3.2M Savings Over Five Years

A healthcare network with 12,000 employees and contractors evaluated both platforms and selected Avatier, resulting in:

• 63% lower total implementation costs compared to Okta proposal
• 87% reduction in access certification effort
• 94% improvement in provisioning speed
• $3.2M in documented savings over five years
• Compliance penalties avoided: estimated $400,000

Making the Switch: Migration Considerations

For organizations currently using Okta or considering both platforms, these migration factors impact ROI:

1. Integration preservation: Avatier can leverage many existing identity integrations, preserving previous investments
2. Phased transition: Coexistence capabilities allow gradual migration without disruption
3. Data portability: Automated tools simplify user data and policy migration
4. Training efficiency: Avatier’s intuitive interface reduces retraining requirements

Conclusion: The Clear ROI Advantage

While both Okta and Avatier deliver positive returns on investment for identity management, the timeline difference is substantial. Avatier’s combination of faster implementation, lower total cost of ownership, and broader operational efficiencies creates a clear ROI advantage.

For organizations prioritizing rapid time-to-value and maximum return on their identity management investment, Avatier consistently delivers superior results. The platform’s modern architecture, comprehensive automation capabilities, and focus on self-service functionality create a compelling financial case that goes well beyond basic identity management.

To explore how quickly your organization can achieve positive ROI with Avatier’s identity management solutions, contact our team for a personalized assessment and ROI projection based on your specific environment and requirements.

Try Avatier today