Hewlett-Packard is to acquire federated identity
management specialist Trustgenix.
Trustgenix technology allows users to authenticate their
identity to access accounts on multiple sites, and HP will use the
Trustgenix software to extend the systems management abilities of
its HP OpenView enterprise platform, said the company.
Identity management is an increasingly important issue, and
major suppliers have responded with a series of product launches
and acquisitions of specialist firms. CA last month launched CA
Identity Manager using technology acquired from its purchase of
Netegrity.
CA Identity Manager is designed to unify identity management
across the enterprise, at the same streamlining and simplifying the
administration of internal and external users and their IT
entitlements.
Federated identity management, which see companies opening up
their networks and websites to external users with single sign-ons,
is also an area that Sun Microsystems and Microsoft have decided to
work on jointly.
“Identity federation appeals strongly to companies in the
telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing and
government industries,” said Todd DeLaughter, HP OpenView general
manager.
HP is aiming to complete the Trustgenix acquisition by the end
of the year. The value of the acquisition has not been
disclosed.
HP recently announced plans to acquire storage management
company AppIQ, and IT asset monitoring company Peregrine
Systems.