Press release: AccessMaster NG

AccessMaster NG: a new-generation software suite to secure the extended enterprise

With a modular and integrated architecture, the Evidian AccessMaster NG (New Generation) software suite allows organizations to deploy a consistent identity and access management policy on the whole information system, step by step, with rapid return on investment. It therefore helps enterprises to develop exchanges in full confidence in a networked world, while protecting their critical applications and reducing security management costs.

Paris, October 7, 2003: Evidian today announced AccessMaster NG, a new-generation enterprise security management software suite, resulting from the major evolution and integration of its AccessMaster and PortalXpert software suites, already recognized as leading security management software solutions.

Answering the identity and access management complexity in heterogeneous environments

AccessMaster NG has been designed to answer the needs of enterprises that want to deploy consistent security policies, with rapid return on investment (ROI). The first comprehensive, integrated and modular identity and access management software suite, AccessMaster NG satisfies in a simple way the security needs of networked enterprises.

Comprehensive, AccessMaster NG covers most environments (web, mainframes, citrix, Windows, Unix, Linux…), directories (OpenLdap, Microsoft, Sun, Novell, IBM…), authentication modes (password, token, certificate, biometrics…) and organization (centralized, decentralized and multi-domains). Integrated, it enables consistent identity and access management, from web to legacy. Modular, it allows organizations to manage their security progressively according to their priorities, while opening to future evolutions in complete flexibility.

Relying on Evidian's recognized technology in access control for distributed environments, Single-Sign-On (SSO) and integrated security policy management, AccessMaster NG offers numerous new features:

• Unified identity and access management, from web to legacy: AccessMaster NG allows to globally manage profiles and rights, all along the user life cycle through a direct interface with the multiple LDAP directories of the enterprise, its subsidiaries and -possibly- its partners. This open, unified approach for both web and non-web environments favors flexible and consistent user management, leveraging the existing directories (employee directory from HR, e-business community directory, subsidiary directory, customer directory…) without imposing the deployment of a unique, centralized directory.
• The support of multi-domain security policies: In the extended enterprise, as in e-business communities, users are not always all managed in a purely centralized way. Regional branches, subsidiaries or even partners can choose to manage their own users independently. Compliance with the SAML standard allows AccessMaster NG security servers within an organization to verify third-party users' identities from the security servers of the domain they belong to (subsidiary, partner…). Once the third-party users are authenticated, they can be dynamically assigned the appropriate access rights depending on the level of trust granted to the third-party organization. This flexible approach—distinguishing authentication and access control—solves in a simple way the exponential complexity of user management between multiple distinct organizations.
• Advanced and customizable delegated management, user self-service and approval workflow: Adapting to the distributed security policies of each enterprise, all the AccessMaster NG modules now integrate advanced and customizable delegated management, user self-service and approval workflow functions. An approval workflow procedure makes it possible to automatically escalate requests for account creation, modification or revocation to the appropriate decision levels: operational managers, human resources, etc.
• Advanced certificate and cryptocard management, even in heterogeneous environments: While offering its own registration and certification authorities, AccessMaster NG also interfaces with the main certification authorities on the market (Microsoft, Sun, Entrust…). This facilitates a consistent Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) management, even in heterogeneous, multi-PKI environments, such as federations of partners.
• A flexible, modular architecture: Whether they plan to deploy an entry-level SSO, control access for key applications or manage identities, enterprises can choose to deploy a single or several AccessMaster NG modules. Independent, these modules allow simple deployment, with rapid ROI. Integrated, they natively interoperate with the other modules, which can be added one by one, as needed. AccessMaster NG modules also interoperate easily with other market solutions, notably in identity management, thus offering great flexibility.
• A broad set of APIs. AccessMaster NG Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) have been extended, allowing enterprises and integrators to easily interface AccessMaster NG with third-party solutions, as well as to develop specific new functionality rapidly.

The first truly comprehensive, integrated and modular identity and access management software suite for the enterprise

AccessMaster architecture has been reviewed to allow progressive deployment of security policies, with rapid ROI at each step. AccessMaster NG now comprises eight independent and complementary modules, answering three kinds of need: identity management, secure access control, and plug-and-play single sign-on:

Identity management

Evidian Identity Manager: consistent management of employees, partners and customers, within multiple LDAP directories (MS Active Directory, OpenLDAP, Sun ONE Directory, Novell e-Directory, IBM Lotus Directory, …) 

Evidian Provisioning Manager: Automation of user management across distributed enterprise systems and applications, with dedicated agents: Windows NT/2000/2003, Unix, Linux, MVS, GCOS, SAP, Lotus Notes, Netware, MS Exchange, MS SQL Server,...

Evidian Certificate Manager: creation, certification, storage and revocation of keys and cryptocards.

Evidian Approval Workflow: approval cycle management of user profiles and rights (creation, modification and revocation) by the appropriate managers: operations, IT, security, HR, etc.

Secure access control

Evidian Secure Access Manager—Web Edition. Centralized management of authentication, access control and audit, in Internet and Intranet environments.

Evidian Secure Access Manager—Standard Edition. Centralized management of authentication, access control and audit, in client-server and mainframe environments.

Plug-and-play single sign-on

Evidian SSO Xpress—Standard Edition. Plug-and-play SSO for Windows environments. This is an entry level-web SSO module, able to evolve towards Secure Access Manager—Standard Edition. 

Independent and integrated, each module natively interoperates with other modules, which can therefore be added progressively when needed, making it possible to set up a global and integrated security policy.

Proven technology

AccessMaster NG is developed by Bull Evidian, recognized as the European leader in access control and user management software. In 2000, 2001, and again in 2002, Evidian's offer received the worldwide 'Best Access Control Solution' award from SC Magazine, the premier magazine in IT security.

Leading corporations, government organizations, banking, financial, and manufacturing companies around the world rely on Bull Evidian to secure their IT and telecom infrastructure. Customers include EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company), CNAM (the French health system) and T-Mobile (the leading German mobile operator).

Availability

AccessMaster NG will be available as of October 2003, except Certificate Manager and SSO Xpress—Standard Edition modules, which will be available in December 2003, and Approval workflow, which will be available in the first semester of 2004. The AccessMaster NG security server is available on Windows 2000 and 2003, AIX and Solaris.