IBM deepens SOA ties with security deal |
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By Michael S. Mimoso, Senior News Editor
17 May 2004 | SearchWebServices.com |
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IBM Corp. continues to extend its commitment to helping enterprises deploy and manage service-oriented architectures (SOAs).
IBM announced integration deals with four XML firewall vendors to mesh their products with Big Blue's Tivoli Access Manager, a policy-based access control software solution. The goal is to bring more security and management capability to enterprises deploying an SOA.
"This will give customers and partners who integrate with Access Manager
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| IBM's XML firewall partners |
IBM today announced support for these four XML firewalls in its Tivoli Access Manager solution:
Digital Evolution Service Manager: An XML and Web services management and security solution that implements policy enforcement.
Reactivity XML Firewall: A Web services security appliance that enables enterprises to deploy secure Web services.
VordelSecure/VordelDirector: An XML gateway and XML security server that enables organizations to deploy and configure security, both inside and outside the organization.
Layer7 SecureSpan: A standards-based solution for coordinating security and integration policy across a Web services transaction.
Source: IBM Corp. |
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a common identity management infrastructure as a log-in," said Joe Anthony, director of integrated identity management at IBM Tivoli. "Rather than have different security policies for SOA, they can tie back to Access Manager now."
Digital Evolution Inc., Layer 7 Technologies Inc., Reactivity and VordelSecure are the initial partners in this initiative. Their XML firewalls will now redirect authentication and authorization requests to Access Manager. Administrators can use Tivoli to manage access, authorization and authentication to a Web service built on a SOA, reducing management costs and enabling companies to put their services and into production faster and make their development architectures more efficient.
Security has generally been considered a roadblock to Web services gaining widespread adoption, primarily in the area of identity management. However, the recent ratification of WS-Security as an OASIS specification should begin to ease apprehensions there, Anthony said.
"You could secure Web services in the past, but there was no standard," Anthony said. "WS-Security changes that. Now architectures are standards-based, and enterprises know there is an eco-system around security."
IBM, which competes with Netegrity Inc. in this niche, added there is no extra charge for the XML firewall support in Access Manager. IBM Global Services also recently announced new services, including business process assessments, geared toward helping enterprises deploy SOA.
IBM will continue to follow up on its SOA initiative in the coming months, extending Access Manager to support federated identity management, Anthony said.
Anthony added that financial services organizations and telecommunications providers are taking advantage of the efficiencies and savings of Web services and SOA.
"We're seeing an uptick in telcos with all the mergers and acquisitions going on," Anthony said. "They want to take their infrastructures to the next level and make them manageable and adaptable."
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