Manage log-in data for different cloud services securely and centrally
With the SAML app in the Univention App Center, the software manufacturer Univention has now developed a single sign-on solution for logging on to different important cloud services. The application makes it possible to store user names and passwords internally and maintain them. In this way, companies can provide their employees with access to web services such as Dropbox, Salesforce or Google Apps without the employees having to register personally and log on afresh every time, as the central access can be performed via the infrastructure solution Univention Corporate Server (UCS), in which SAML can be easily integrated.
Bremen, 24th October 2013. Due to the ever-greater dispersion and increased use of web services in companies and organisations, there is an ever-increasing demand for central, secure identity management for the use of these services. With its new SAML identity provider application, Univention has now released a solution on the market with which users only need log on once centrally and can then use a wide range of Internet services such as Dropbox or Google Apps. However, the application offers users not only this single sign-on feature but also the possibility of releasing specific services by the administrator as well as centrally managing passwords. In addition, the passwords are securely stored internally in the company’s own IT infrastructure as was previously done externally by the Internet service provider.
From a technical perspective, SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language) is the leading and open standard for authentication on the Internet. A typical application scenario for the app, for example, is when users want to use web services like Google Apps from a service provider in a company without having to entrust all the user data to the external provider. With SAML, Univention is now offering an identity provider which can be integrated in Univention Corporate Server (UCS) and which allows the user to use these services after checking the data.
UCS users can now use different, released web services without having to store and maintain user data there. The centralised administration of the user identities and the single sign-on function mean it is no longer necessary to remember more and more different passwords for the various web services. In addition, data sovereignty remains with the user as no user account information is exchanged with the service provider.
The app is installed via the Univention App Center integrated in the UCS, where a wide range of applications from Univention itself as well as other manufacturers are available for quick installation. Following the installation, the required service provider can be set up and the users activated in the central user administration. The SAML app already includes a preconfiguration for Google Apps for Business, Salesforce and a SAML test environment, and the manufacturer has announced that more are to follow soon.
The app was developed for UCS Version 3.2 planned for the end of November, but has been made available for the current Version UCS 3.1. due to the high demand among UCS customers. The web identity management solution is available in the Univention App Center and can be tested easily using the free download version of UCS.
Further information can be found at:
http://univention.com/products/univention-app-center/simplesamlphp/
About Univention
Univention is a leading European provider of Open Source products for the cost-efficient operation and effective administration of IT infrastructures. At the heart of our offer is the Linux infrastructure solution Univention Corporate Server (UCS). UCS is a modern enterprise Linux distribution with an integrated Open Source solution for identity and infrastructure management, which makes efficient, centrally controlled administration possible even in challenging environments. The core product UCS is complemented with, among other things, products building on it for the cross-platform administration of thin clients, support of Linux desktops and an integrated virtualization solution. Thanks to the supplied connectors, the products are ideal for use with, for example, Microsoft’s Active Directory, integrate perfectly in existing infrastructures and allow simple migration. A large number of software producers offer optimised packages for operation with UCS, which can be integrated in the UCS management
system among other things. UCS is thus the Open Source integration platform for IT infrastructure operation and management.
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