The Simple Sign-On suite from Version3 provides Active Directory based tools for administrators focused primarily on identity management, connection management, and application publishing to user desktops. The suite allows for the management of Windows and/or SharePoint applications. Four versions of the Simple Sign-On product are offered: The Enterprise Edition, targeted for standard use on Enterprise Windows desktops; the Web Edition, which includes all of the Enteprise Edition features and additionally enables browser-based SSO; the Enhanced Authentication Edition, which is a stand alone component of the Web edition and includes extended features such as mutual authentication for IIS server farms and built in support for Active Directory Authorization Manager; and the new Access Control Edition with basic access management functionality.

The product is installed on any domain controller on the Active Directory domain, with separate MSI-based client components required for the Windows 2000/XP desktops. The vendor notes that Windows 98/ME/NT4 clients are supported with limited functionality and that they require additional software.

For identity management, Simple Sign-On integrates with AD and allows for the managed (automated) logon for the user to designated Windows, Internet, or extranet applications. The vendor notes that scripting expertise is not required to manage the logon process for applications, as an application recorder is provided that can be utilized to define the responses required. The user's credentials to access the process are stored in their AD record and can be different for each application; the user therefore needs only authenticate themselves to AD and then Simple Sign-On can automatically authenticate them to the managed applications when launched.

The connection management capabilities of the product allow for the automated designation of network drive mappings and connections to shared printers, again, based on user AD information (account, connection group, or workstation object). Simple Sign-on can automatically connect to the designated network share and download the necessary printer drivers for shared printers; the shared printer drivers needn't be manually installed.

Finally, the application publishing features allow for the automated loading of application shortcuts or icons on the user's desktop or start menu, based on what application groups the user belongs to and whether or not they have access to the actual application itself, either on a shared server or on their own desktop machine. Applications can be either managed or unmanaged; managed applications are those for which the logon process is handled automatically by Simple Sign-On (as described above). The product searches for the availability of the application based on the existence of the actual target .exe file and/or the existence of the icon defined for the application. Icons on the desktop for which the user no longer has access are automatically removed. Icons can be placed anywhere on the user's desktop.

A further capability of Simple Sign-On is application monitoring; the ability to monitor the user's desktop for pre-defined events. Such events can include application start and stop, printer access, WMI events, etc; and events can be logged and/or responded to, such as closing a specific application or launching a new application.

(Note that not all features described above may be available in all Simple Sign-On versions. Visit the vendor's Web site for further details.)

Simple Sign-On is available now. Base pricing for SSO Enterprise is $29/user; for SSO Web is $39/user; for SSO Enhance Authentication is $2,795/server; and for SSO Access Control (for Education/Government deployments) $1,899 for up to 5000 users, with additional 5,000 user increments priced at $1,500. Volume and Corporate pricing is available.

Contact Version3 for further information.