NerveWire Tackles Identity Control

Kurt Gutzmann, chief technical architect at NerveWire, said the enterprise management consulting and systems integration firm, based here, is developing the Integrated Identity Management Solution, which incorporates authentication and authorization software, single sign-on technology and security framework tools. The solution is slated to become available this month.

NerveWire's vendor partners for the solution include Netegrity and RSA Security, Gutzmann said.

NerveWire's effort stems from the results of a survey it conducted last month of more than 100 IT executives at large North American companies. About 50 percent of respondents said the value of an identity management solution is as much as 10 times its cost. Companies that implemented such solutions also reported improved customer service, satisfaction and retention, as well as increased productivity and cost savings, the study found.

Although corporate IT budgets remain tight, businesses continue to invest in identity management solutions because they deliver a quantifiable return on investment, according to a recent report by Giga Information Group. For example, a single Web sign-on is estimated to yield annual savings of $350 per user in data management, $12,000 per application in the development of security and user-management features, and $70,000 in general support improvements, Giga found.

Another vendor that recently unveiled an identity management product is Rainbow Technologies, Irvine, Calif. Rainbow's new NetSwift iGate is a low-cost VPN appliance that authenticates remote users and works in conjunction with Rainbow's iKey security token, which automatically authenticates users by confirming their passwords.

The iKey product includes third-party applications and a developer toolkit for customized solutions, "which [solution providers can turn around and sell for tens of thousands of dollars," said Luis Curet, vice president of sales at Rainbow.

JEFF O'HEIR contributed to this story.