IBM expands single-sign-on capability

03.02.2006
IBM said Friday that it will begin shipping software in March designed to broaden its single-password sign-on capability to help reduce end-user confusion over multiple log-ins. The product, IBM Tivoli Access Manager for Enterprise Single Sign-On, relies on technology from Passlogix and adds single-password access for Lotus Notes, SAP and Microsoft Windows-based applications, among others, IBM said in a statement.

Joe Anthony, director of identity management for IBM Tivoli, said in an interview that IBM has for several years provided software for single sign-on to Web functions. The new product adds the ability to tie single sign-on to Web functions with other enterprise applications.

Pricing has not been announced for the new product. Four modules, sold separately, will also ship at the same time to provide additional functions. One of the modules will work with kiosks, similar to the ones used in many hospitals, so more than one worker can access his permitted applications from the kiosk by entering a password and without the delay of rebooting, Anthony said.

Other modules will assist desktop password resets, provide authentication for biometric devices or smart tags, and provision single-sign-on passwords.

Anthony said IBM's new product and other tools give IBM a greater breadth of single-sign-on products than offerings from CA Inc. in Islandia, N.Y., and ActivIdentity Corp. in Fremont, Calif.