CA Updates User Access Platform

Single Sign-On Shines On

• By Chris McConnell
• 07/25/2002

Enhancing the ways users can access systems and applications, Computer Associates International Inc. (CA) released a major version of its eTrust Admin user access platform Tuesday. The platform allows enterprises to set up single sign-on systems throughout the organization.

CA’s eTrust Admin 2.0 consolidates user privileges into a single repository that can be used for all of the applications and systems in the enterprise. A user can sign on to eTrust Admin, and then have access to each of the systems he or she is entitled to. This obviates the need to keep logons and passwords for each system a user needs, improving user experience and reduces the likelihood users will write down passwords.

The platform also manages entitlements based on user roles. For example, a human resources employee could sign on to the system and have immediate access to the company’s email and PeopleSoft system, while a system administrator gets access to system monitoring tools and other tools for the job.

With the new release, CA says it has streamlined its user management system, making it easier for administrators to move users into a system-defined role or expand the scope of a role. CA suggests the system is simple enough that human resources personnel can delete employees who leave the company or expand the privileges of promoted employees without the help of the IT department.

Version 2.0 also adds self-service features designed to further lessen the IT department’s workload. Users can register themselves with the system, reset their own passwords, and administer personal workflows and profiles. Each of these tasks reduces the amount of work help desk employees need to do to maintain user profiles. CA also says these tasks can be integrated into corporate portals and intranets, making them a seamless part of the employee experience.

eTrust Admin includes connectors that enable enterprises to connect the system to common applications and system platforms. For example, it can communicate with Windows 2000’s Active Directory through an LDAP interface allowing information to be shared between the eTrust repository and Active Directory.