HP introduced identity management software that enables enterprise customers to allow their business partners secure access to information that resides on different systems across corporate boundaries.

Announced at HP's Software Universe event, HP OpenView Select Federation uses industry-standard federation protocols to link multiple accounts with different providers on the Internet so that authentication occurs only once and securely. When a user navigates to different sites belonging to the same federation, the HP software recognizes that user and is able to provide a secure, personalized experience based on the user's preferences and identity.

The new solution will be available in two versions. The Enterprise edition will target business-to-enterprise and business-to-business usage, and the Premium edition will target customers in the telecommunication, mobile and business-to-consumer space.

"Identity theft and privacy are growing concerns for consumers, and identity management poses a constant compliance issue for enterprises and service providers with various systems," said Todd DeLaughter, vice president and general manager of Management Software Organization at HP. "By enabling rapid integration of different systems, HP is adding value in identity-based services by ensuring that enterprises and service providers succeed, while also protecting consumer privacy."

HP OpenView Select Federation is being made available through an original equipment manufacturing agreement with Trustgenix Inc, a provider of software federation solutions that establish secure, privacy-protected exchange of user data among cooperating organizations.

"Trustgenix is proud to be working with HP to provide a strategic component of their identity management suite. As the leading provider of Federation Solutions, Trustgenix products have a proven track record and one of the most comprehensive interoperability portfolios," said Atul Tulshibagwale, chief executive officer of Trustgenix. "With this agreement, customers can now more easily adopt modern IT infrastructures rapidly without disruption to their existing IT environments."

HP OpenView Select Federation is the only protocol-agnostic and vendor- agnostic solution available on the market today. It offers support for Liberty Alliance, SAML and WS Federation protocols while also interoperating with any vendor's identity management solution. With Select Federation, customers can protect their current IT investments while readily interoperating with their partners' heterogeneous IT infrastructures.

Research firm IDC expects the identity management market to reach nearly $4 billion by 2007, up from approximately $600 million in 2002. The effective management of identity, access and accountability on multiple applications and connect points is not only an operations and security necessity, it also provides a distinct business advantage by enabling enterprises to more efficiently and reliably deliver products and services.

Select Federation Key To Mobile And Telecommunications Industries

HP OpenView Select Federation enables service providers to offer secure, mobile federated identity services while protecting the privacy of service consumers. Federated identity is particularly important to the early adopters in the mobile and telecommunications industries as many mobile issues, including data-sharing between services, roaming, privacy, usability and regulation, are identity-related.

Select Federation integrates the mobile and fixed approaches to web services, including mobile-specific authentication methods, utilization of SIM-U/SIM for authentication and mobile terminals that are now being produced to "speak" the same federation protocols as HP OpenView Select Federation.

Various groups benefit from this new solution. For operators, benefits include new revenue, interoperability, regulatory compliance and the positioning of the mobile network as the preferred channel for trusted services. For service providers, benefits include a larger available market and a lower cost of business. Finally, end users will realize benefits such as enhanced convenience, more services, improved privacy and a lower cost.

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company's offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended Oct. 31, HP revenue totaled $79.9 billion. More information about HP is available at www.hp.com.