How AI21 implemented SSO in days with WorkOS

Finding the SSO key to unlock the enterprise segment

AI21 Labs provides NLP (natural language processing) and LLM (large language model) solutions to developers, startups, and large businesses to use as they build their own AI-powered products.

As AI21’s solutions grew in popularity, they found themselves talking with more and more enterprise clients. Those enterprise clients underscored their need for SSO, something AI21 didn’t offer at the time.

“You can’t open an enterprise conversation without SSO,” said Dor Zimberg, Software Engineering Manager at AI21. “We decided that, as an agile team, now is the time to prioritize adding SSO.”

To retain and grow enterprise interest, AI21 wanted to implement an SSO solution fast, while still making sure the solution they chose was developer-friendly and could serve AI21 long-term as they scaled. The solution also needed to integrate with their existing infrastructure and fit seamlessly into their developers’ workflow.

On the infrastructure front, Firebase played an essential role in authenticating AI21’s customers, with millions of users already active on their platform relying on Firebase-powered authentication. Swapping out Firebase to accommodate a new SSO solution was not an option for AI21.

Additionally, AI21’s development team didn’t want to manage or maintain a solution that required laborious implementation processes, extensive maintenance, or learning proprietary technology. AI21’s Director of Engineering heard through developer communities that WorkOS offered clear documentation and a modern developer experience.

After building a proof of concept, the AI21 team chose WorkOS to power their SSO solution, favoring its documentation, helpful support teams, and ease of implementation.

From proof of concept to implementation in days

“With WorkOS we got exactly what we needed, and the integration process was straightforward,” said Zimberg.

After setting up a proof of concept, it only took AI21 a matter of days to implement and integrate with WorkOS.

The WorkOS SSO API gives developers the power to set up SSO faster, minimizing the integration scope to optimize for speed. Using the API, the AI21 team could integrate quickly, debug easily, and have confidence that they had the coverage they needed to meet their enterprise client’s requirements. The WorkOS API integrates with the leading identity providers (IdPs) like Okta, Azure, and dozens more.

“You might have a third-party solution with a big name, but in the end, that solution needs to benefit the developer,” said Zimberg. “If one solution is cheaper, but the developer experience is clunky, then your team will be waking up in the middle of the night because of bugs and alerts. I want my developers to sleep well. With WorkOS, they do.”

As AI21 integrated, WorkOS support team was there to assist them whenever they needed it, despite the time zone difference between Tel Aviv and the US. Using a shared Slack channel, AI21 developers could ask any questions they had along the way and get a prompt response directly from engineers. Ensuring a fast, efficient, implementation process meant that AI21 could focus more on their strengths and scaling their company.

“Every company has their strength. Ours is creating AI systems for the enterprise, and AI applications for consumers. We knew we wanted to rely on a trusted third-party to power our SSO. We’re glad we chose WorkOS.”

Expanding enterprise success

As AI21 continues growing their business, they have a clear view of what’s ahead. AI21 pointed out that one of the key points they considered when choosing an SSO vendor was pricing clarity.

Going with other vendors with opaque pricing, complex price escalations, and various modifiers, AI21 wouldn’t be able to accurately budget and plan for their future. WorkOS pricing model was intuitive and gave AI21 the visibility they needed.

Today, AI21 is more than equipped to serve the enterprise. Adding SSO unlocked a whole new pool of customers they can reach. Having recently completed a Series C round with funding from Google, Intel, NVIDIA, and more, they now have the fuel and the infrastructure they need to scale. WorkOS is proud to be a part of their success.