Workday, a big name in HR and finance software, just bought C1.ai, a company that helps manage who can access what in the digital world. This deal means that from the moment someone joins a company to the day they leave, and even for all those AI helpers running in the background, access will be handled smoothly.
Right now, many businesses struggle with giving people access to tools like email or project apps. It’s often done by hand, with tickets and spreadsheets, which is slow and risky. With AI agents becoming common, this problem is getting worse. C1.ai’s research says almost all big companies use these autonomous agents, but most don’t have good ways to control them.
Workday already keeps track of employees, money, and now agents. By adding C1.ai, it will become the go-to place for making sure every person and every AI has exactly the access they need, when they need it. No more waiting for permissions or leaving doors open for hackers.
Gerrit Kazmaier from Workday says this will help secure the mix of humans and AI working together. Alex Bovee from C1.ai adds that it’s time to move away from old IT requests and manage access in real-time.
Imagine a new hire getting set up instantly, or someone changing roles and losing old access automatically. For AI agents, they can be given just the right powers and shut down when their job is done. This makes work faster and safer.
The deal should wrap up early next year, with help from banks and lawyers on both sides. Workday serves thousands of companies, and C1.ai is known for keeping identity management tight in the age of AI.
