Centrify Improves Active Directory Control Over Mac

The latest version of Centrify's DirectControl, which can also integrate Linux and Unix systems with Active Directory, lets Macs running OS X automatically request, download and install a digital certificate when accessing a corporate network via Wi-Fi or virtual private network (VPN). In addition, the upgrade makes it possible to use Active Directory credentials to unlock a Mac hard drive that's been encrypted with Apple's FireVault technology.

For government customers, DirectControl provides access to the Mac through a smartcard, typically a photo ID with a chip that provides authentication. Apple dropped the drivers for smartcards in the latest version of Mac OS X, called Lion or version 10.7, according to David McNeely, senior director of product management for Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Centrify.

Sales of Macs have been increasing steadily for some time. In the September quarter, Apple reported a 26 percent jump in sales year over year. As a result, a growing number of employees are asking to use their Macs on corporate networks, which often use Active Directory. DirectConnect provides the Mac with services available to Windows PCs. "An administrator can manage a Mac in the same way he manages a Windows machine," McNeely says. DirectControl pricing starts at $65 per workstation. The latest version for the Mac was introduced Tuesday.

Centrify launched its Partner Network in 2007 to establish a "channel-friendly distribution model." The company, which started with 25 partners, lists more than 40 resellers or consultants worldwide on its web site.