Works with Any Authentication Device; Lowers Costs of Strong Authentication

Passlogix®, Inc., has announced v-GO Universal Authentication Manager (v-GO UAM), the first strong authentication solution that will enable Microsoft Windows to accept any identification device for logon – including door access (RFID) badges, government-issued citizen identity cards, standalone or built-in laptop biometrics, one time passwords via mobile phones, and question and answer sequences. The solution provides fast and secure network access for users and lowers the cost of back-end strong authentication infrastructure in corporate networks from more than $100 to just $15 per user.

According to Phil Schacter, Vice President and Service Director for Burton Group Security and Risk Management Strategies, “Many organizations require the flexibility to maintain a mix of password and stronger authentication credentials, depending on the risk profile associated with each use case and its community of users.”

v-GO UAM delivers major savings for strong authentication deployments by eliminating the need to maintain a separate infrastructure with proprietary authentication servers. Instead, Microsoft Active Directory is used for data storage and administration. Organizations that are already using authentication devices such as proximity badges for door access can achieve additional savings by using those same devices for Windows logon, removing the need for additional device investment to secure network access.

v-GO UAM also keeps the user logon process simple. Users who have door access badges, for example, simply tap their badge on a badge reader attached to their computer and enter a PIN code. They tap their badge again to lock their computer or log out. Users with smart cards, such as government-issued identity cards, insert and remove their card from the smart card reader in the computer.

“Until now, organizations that wanted to use strong authentication for Windows logon had to pay more than $100 per user for the supporting software and servers. They were also usually limited to one type of authentication device, had costly changes of the back-end infrastructure if they wanted to switch authenticators, and had to impose a confusing logon process on their end-users,” said Stephane Fymat, Vice President of Strategy and Product Management for Passlogix. “By solving these problems with a universal device strategy, simple interface and affordable non-proprietary back-end, v-GO UAM finally makes it possible to deploy strong authentication enterprise-wide.”

Advantages of v-GO UAM include:

•   An open architecture that supports any type of device from any manufacturer, rather than locking organizations into a single method that is typically proprietary. This open approach enables organizations to leverage their physical access control infrastructure for network logon if desired, buy new authentication credentials from any vendor, switch authenticators without changing their infrastructure, and support multiple authentication methods that may be required by different end users from a single administrative interface.
•   Faster and more secure logon to Windows than passwords, particularly for organizations that are subject to data protection regulations such as HIPAA, PCI DSS and FISMA. It also eliminates forgotten Windows passwords.
•   An intuitive user interface that usually eliminates the need for end-user training.
•   No need for dedicated servers, eliminating deployment and administrative complexity, scalability barriers, and central points of failure associated with strong authentication in large organizations.
•   Roaming capabilities, allowing users to sign on to the network from any enterprise workstation.
•   Low total cost of ownership, at just $15 per user, that cost-justifies enterprise-wide strong authentication deployments.
•   Optional deployment with v-GO Single Sign-On, the market-leading enterprise single sign-on solution. While v-GO UAM can be deployed on a standalone basis, v-GO UAM and v-GO SSO work together to enable users to be re-authorized to sensitive applications with the same identification device they used to logon to Windows.

Pricing and Availability
v-GO UAM is available both on a standalone basis at $15 per user and as part of Passlogix’s v-GO Access Accelerator Suite. Volume discounts are also available. The first release will support a broad range of cards including smart cards, door access cards and government-issued identification cards. Support for biometrics, question and answer validation (challenge & response) and other methods will be available shortly thereafter.

For more information, visit http://www.passlogix.com/products/v-GO_universal_authenticationmanager/

About Passlogix
Passlogix, Inc., is the developer of the v-GO Access Accelerator Suite, the leading solution set for speeding user access to applications throughout the extended enterprise by eliminating critical pain points in sign-on, provisioning and authentication processes. With more than 21 million licenses sold, the v-GO suite improves business efficiency, strengthens security and compliance, and dramatically reduces IDM system deployment times. The company's patented technology - launched in 1996 with the market's first usable enterprise single sign-on solution - shortens implementation and payback cycles by adapting to any existing infrastructure without the need for custom coding or replacing legacy hardware or software. Passlogix is headquartered in New York City with offices throughout the United States, United Kingdom, France and Asia. For more information, visit www.passlogix.com