IBM has added a new single sign-on tool to its Tivoli software range to make life easier for small and midsize businesses (SMBs) to link their websites with those of partners and customers.Single sign-on tools aim to save users the trouble of remembering separate passwords for each service they use, and simplify life for systems administrators by using a single identity store to control access to multiple services. Using Federated Identity Manager Business Gateway, an SMB’s employees, customers and partners can log on to the company’s website and then have that site confirm their identity when they connect to applications on related websites, without the need to log in again. The new software is a simplified version of IBM’s existing federated identity management software, making it quicker and cheaper to deploy, the company said Monday. One advantage of the system for small businesses is that they can use the software to federate their systems with those of their larger partners, leaving the lion’s share of the administration to their partners, IBM said. IBM is competing with suppliers such as Microsoft, Sun Microsystems and RSA Security (now part of EMC) to offer federated identity management tools. But IBM is also cooperating with those companies, and others, to develop standards to enable communication between them—a necessity if identity management is to be truly “federated.” The Tivoli software uses security assertions markup language (SAML) version 1.0 and 1.1, Web Services-Federation and WS-Trust to communicate with identity providers and service providers. Based on IBM’s WebSphere Application Server 6.1, Federated Identity Manager Business Gateway can connect to applications built with Java 2 Enterprise Edition or Microsoft’s .Net. The software will run on IBM’s flavor of Unix, AIX 5.2 or 5.3; on Red Hat Enterprise Linux Advanced Server and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 for x86 servers and for IBM’s S/390 mainframe; on Sun’s Solaris 9 and 10; and on Microsoft’s Windows Server 2003, IBM said. Pricing is per user or per server, according to IBM.-Peter Sayer, IDG News Service (Paris Bureau)Related Links: IBM, Novell Team to Fuel SMB Linux Adoption IBM Unveils Servers Running Intel Quad-Core ChipsCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe