Citrix Launches MetaFrame Password Manager, Preps MetaFrame XP Update

The Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based company said Wednesday it has begun shipping Citrix MetaFrame Password Manager, priced at $179 for concurrent-connected users, a model that lowers the price to less than $60 per user, the company said. MetaFrame Password Manager, one of several products billed under the company's new MetaFrame Access Suite brand, was developed under the code name of Project Bimini.

Once a user authenticates to a system using a single password, MetaFrame Password Manager automatically logs the user into any password-protected system while enforcing password policies. It also monitors all password-related events and can automate tasks such as password changes, the company said.

Citrix maintains that its single sign-on product compares favorably to other offerings because it does not require scripting or application-level integration. And Citrix solution providers say they're seeing strong interest in the product.

"We have a lot of people we've targeted for this [product]," said Paul Kunze, director of sales at IntraSystems, a Randolph, Mass.-based Citrix solution provider. "When you have people with multiple passwords, it tends to make people write down the passwords, and that's the last thing you want. If a remote user has multiple authentication keys and they have to log into different apps, you can have Password Manager intelligently learn their password."

Citrix, which is banking heavily on the security aspects of its terminal services software, plans to detail other enhanced products at its annual user conference next month, including a MetaFrame XP update, sources said.

According to a Citrix document examined by CRN, the third feature release of MetaFrame XP will offer Windows Server 2003 support, Universal Print Driver II, SpeedScreen browser acceleration, Web Interface 2.0 (formerly NFuse) and simplified license activation.