Business Layers

Founded in 1999, Business Layers emerged as a software developer focused on enterprise solutions for real-time industry change tracking. The company specialized in what it termed "e-provisioning," a system designed to streamline and manage the allocation and de-allocation of digital resources and services across an organization and its partners. This addressed the critical business need for securely and efficiently managing user access to IT resources as personnel roles and statuses changed.

The company successfully navigated the venture capital landscape, securing a total of $50.5 million over multiple funding rounds. Key investors included notable firms like Ascent Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, and Novell, reflecting strong market confidence in its strategy. The initial funding rounds, including a $13 million Series A in 2000 and a $12.5 million Series B later that year, fueled product development and market entry. A subsequent late-stage round brought in an additional $25 million in 2001.

Business Layers' core product, eProvision Day One, functioned as a directory-based security management system. It enabled enterprises to create a centralized control hub for managing IT assets and user access based on roles and groups. This system automated the business processes required to provision resources for new employees, contractors, or partners, and just as importantly, to de-provision access when relationships ended, a crucial security and efficiency measure. The solution saw adoption by major corporations like Chevron, which deployed it to manage access for tens of thousands of users globally. On December 31, 2003, Business Layers was acquired by Netegrity for $42.5 million, marking a successful exit for the venture-backed company.

Keywords: eProvisioning, identity and access management, enterprise software, digital resource allocation, user provisioning, security management, IT asset management, directory-based security, venture capital, Netegrity acquisition, Ascent Venture Partners, Canaan Partners, business productivity software, enterprise solutions, digital resource management, user access control, IT security, de-provisioning, role-based access control, enterprise security