BMC pushes ID management software

BMC Software plans to extend its identity management software with better management tools.

BMC on Thursday said it will incorporate technology developed by Business Layers, a Rochelle Park, New Jersey-based company, into its existing Control-SA identity management software. Business Layers specializes in provisioning software, which is used to manage user accounts on computer networks.

The new product, to be called Control-SA/eProvision, will allow businesses to both assign and manage user access to their networks.

Identity management software has become more popular among large companies because it allows new employees to be set up with network resources in minutes, rather than days, while requiring them to have only a single password for access to servers, printers and other proprietary equipment. Because of significant savings in time and money, manufacturers say, identity management systems can pay for themselves in a year.

Besides BMC, which specialises in enterprise management software, companies including IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems are expanding their efforts to develop identity management products.

Sun on Tuesday said that it had acquired Waveset Technologies, a maker of security software, in an all-cash transaction. The company plans to use Waveset's technology to expand its systems' security capabilities and manage identity information across a number of devices, including radio frequency identity (RFID) tags.

In addition, a number of smaller companies such as Oblix, Blockade Systems, Netegrity and Critical Path offer identity management software.

Research firm IDC predicts that sales of identity management systems will grow to $4.6bn in 2007, nearly doubling the $2.4bn in revenue they generated last year.

BMC said its new software will allow companies to better register and manage user accounts and passwords, and to audit compliance with internal security regulations.

The new software will be available by year's end.

Mike Ricciuti writes for CNET News.com. Rob Lemos contributed to this report.