authentik is a unified identity platform that supports machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, enabling authentication and authorization between devices, systems, and applications. M2M communication involves the exchange of data between machines, which is crucial in IoT and other industries such as oil and gas, finance, and more. authentik's M2M functionality provides a unified platform for authentication, allowing users to simplify authentication processes, speed up processing, and add security to inter-application and complex systems. The platform supports OAuth2-based M2M communication and offers various use cases, including building Docker images, collecting Prometheus metrics from multiple clusters, and implementing GitOps with Loki. authentik's M2M functionality enables organizations to optimize their workflows, improve data processing, and enhance overall security, making it an attractive solution for industries that rely on machine-to-machine communication.