Leaders in Application Access Management
Version3, Inc., based in Columbia, South Carolina, provides progressive development of collaboration software for the global online community. Version3 created Version3 Simple Sign-On, an identity management solution based on Microsoft Active Directory®. It gives users seamless and secure access to run their Windows-based applications without compromising security by having to remember or separately track their user IDs and passwords.

Version3 expertise focuses on Microsoft's communications and knowledge management software solutions, including Microsoft® Outlook®, Microsoft® Exchange Server, Microsoft® Windows® SharePoint™ Services, Microsoft® Office SharePoint™ Portal Server, and Microsoft® SQL Server™.

Why do I need Simple Sign-On?
Organizations today are struggling to manage and support their network users and the applications they use. They also struggle to manage the peripheral issues surrounding those applications and users. The cost of this support is growing in a dynamic and exponential fashion. For the user community, they are somewhat overwhelmed by having to authenticate and use one application after another. It is not unusual for someone to have 4 or 5 programs that they log into and use on a daily basis. These issues plus many more are why Simple Sign-On was developed.

The Problems for Users!
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, network users are using more and more applications to accomplish their jobs. Many of these applications have sensitive information, so there is built-in security requiring the user to type in an application user name and password. This is on top of the user name and password they already typed in for the network authentication. So now the user not only logs onto the network, but also onto the application or applications. This becomes a cumbersome task and in many way, a security issue. How is it a security issue? Well, many users can not remember all of their vast application logon names and passwords, so what do they do. They write them down somewhere on their desk. Imagine walking up to the financial secretary's desk and seeing the name and password to the application that hold your employment records. Now you see the problem!

The Problems for Administrators!
Administrators of today's network are in many cases overwhelmed and understaffed. Or they are asked to do the job that they are not comfortable with or qualified to do. It is difficult enough to manage network servers, workstations, and printers, without the issues of the applications. So when the administrators have to manage logons to applications or the other issues associated those applications, it can seem a bit daunting to them.

Just image spending in upwards of 40% of your time as a network administrator resetting passwords for applications just because the user forgot it! When do you have time to do your own work? Or you have to learn a complex scripting tool and almost become a programmer to write a logon script because you are told to automate drive mappings and printer connections based on groups, users, or workstations. Or you now have to customize the publishing of application, so you bring in some non-network specific tool that does not integrate well with your active directory network. Or lastly, you have a malicious user that is running programs that could damage your network, but you have to catch him or her in the act before you can do anything to stop it.

These are just a few issues that the typical network administrator has to address each day. Where does he or she begin to find a product to fulfill these issues, but not make the job harder than it already is?

That is where Version3 Simple Sign-On can help!

What is Simple Sign-On?
Many organizations, both private and public, are migrating to Microsoft's Active Directory as the directory service of choice. There are many features built into active directory that make it a very affective way to manage network users, workstations, and other network services. There is also support within active directory to help deploy and manage the installation of applications. But as with all directory services, there are always features that can be added to it enhance its usage. That is where Version3 Simple Sign-On comes into play. Version3 has developed a totally integrated active directory based product that adds features to an active directory based network to assist the support staff in its efforts to support network users and the applications they use. Simple Sign-On also helps the users by simplifying the usage of their applications.

Simple Sign-On assist the support staff by adding features to active directory to make it a more effective directory service. And since it is integrated into Microsoft's Active Directory, it does not require the learning of a new interface to take advantage of it. Once installed, it is simply another tool within the Active Directory Users and Computers interface to help manage applications and the issues surrounding those applications and the users that use them.