* Multiple authentication methods (smart card, proximity card, security token, biometric, even username/password) can be used to access the network
I once called Passlogix’ V-GO Simplified Signon product “a venerable SSO application” — and that was over six years ago. Yet it’s still going strong, with more licensees then ever. I also once referred to the company as the perfect example of a vendor that does only one thing, but does it very well. So well, in fact, that the list of other vendors that license the product reads like a “who’s who” of the identity market.
I once called Passlogix’s V-GO Simplified Sign-on product “a venerable SSO application” — and that was over six years ago. Yet it’s still going strong, with more licensees then ever. I also once referred to the company as the perfect example of a vendor that does only one thing, but does it very well. So well, in fact, that the list of other vendors that license the product reads like a “who’s who” of the identity market.
Still, like others it does have the itch to move into somewhat different areas. I used that “venerable” term back in 2003 when talking about Passlogix’s newest product, self-service password reset. Not a huge stretch from SSO, but still something new.
Well now it’s gone and done it again. Just this week it announced Passlogix V-GO Universal Authentication Manager (UAM).
I know, it’s not a big stretch either. But, as I see it, it’s a natural extension of what Passlogix already does. Not that you need the SSO in order to run UAM, but they do work together if you have both.
With SSO, of course, the user provides a single credential and is then authenticated to all of the resources they have access too.
UAM is best visualized as the mirror image — a user can provide one or more of multiple authentication methods (smart card, proximity card, security token, biometric, even username/password) and get access to the network.
The initial version, due to ship next month, will only directly support approximately nine methods, split among knowledge-based, token-based, biometric and out-of-band (e.g., SMS message). But, in what I think is a brilliant move, the Application Programming Interface will support a couple of dozen scenarios for all the various methods. For example, biometric scenarios supported include fingerprint, iris scan, keyboard dynamics, palm-vein scans and more. Any vendor could easily connect its device into the UAM system. Passlogix will eventually enable other methods and scenarios so that users can easily create their own systems. Over time (and a half dozen are planned for the first year) more scenarios will be added to the “in the box” selection.
Passlogix’ Matt Berzinski (product manager for UAM) and Rob Kaiser (program manager for UAM) led me through a dazzling demonstration of the product, which really has more bells, whistles and features than I can hope to describe here. Head over to the Passlogix Web site and check it out for yourself.
