Centrify consolidates authentication

Centrify today announced Active Directory integration for Oracle, DB2, Sybase, and Informix databases as well as SAP R/3- and NetWeaver-based applications running on UNIX and Linux systems. The company's Centrify DirectControl allows organizations using Microsoft Active Directory to centrally manage user authentication across a wide range of heterogeneous systems and Web-based applications while also controlling access to popular databases and packaged applications such as Oracle and SAP R/3. Users gain single sign-on to all key systems, applications, and databases they require access to, regardless of the organization's underlying IT infrastructure. Centrify DirectControl is available on more than 80 operating system versions and Web applications, and is available now as a beta release. The final release is due to ship in December of this year. Pricing will be announced when final versions are shipped.

Centrify DirectControl's core feature is its ability to enable UNIX, Linux and Mac servers as well as workstations to participate in an Active Directory domain, according to Centrify.

"By extending Microsoft Active Directory's robust authentication capabilities to SAP and non-Microsoft databases, Centrify is helping enterprises centrally and more securely manage access across their entire IT infrastructure," said Peter Houston, senior director of Identity and Access product management at Microsoft. "Solutions such as Centrify DirectControl extend Active Directory's ability to help organizations address key compliance and audit requirements."

DirectControl's support for heterogeneous databases also enhances the Microsoft Identity Integration Server ("MIIS") Management Agents that provision user accounts in leading relational databases from a centralized Active Directory account management infrastructure, according to the company. The combination of the Microsoft and Centrify solutions provides administrators the tools to automate the provisioning of database user accounts and provides the increased, Kerberos-based security of integration with Active Directory. Users can authenticate themselves to the database on a non-Microsoft system with their Active Directory userid and password or get single sign-on using Kerberos from their desktop login to Active Directory.

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