Quest Software Simplifies Identity Management by Leveraging Active Directory

October 17, 2006; 01:25 AM
Quest Software, Inc. helps more than 7,000 organizations manage Microsoft Active Directory and is uniquely positioned to help IT professionals leverage their Microsoft infrastructure to simplify and solve identity management challenges. Today Quest unveiled a set of solutions that efficiently and cost-effectively addresses top identity management issues by leveraging and extending Microsoft Active Directory and Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MIIS). At the same time, the company introduced new versions of two products within the identity management solution set – Quest ActiveRoles Server and Quest’s Vintela Authentication Services (see related releases).

“Identity management can seem like a monolithic undertaking, but the reality is that there are many immediate steps that can be taken to break down and simplify the challenge of managing multiple user identities, directories and authentication methods,” said Mark Thompson, chief technology officer, Quest Software. “Quest’s products, used singly or in combination, offer immediate benefit using the Windows infrastructure most organizations already have in place. The result is increased operational efficiency, improved security, and better regulatory compliance – without a huge investment in time and dollars.”

Quest’s solutions address specific areas of concern related to identity management. These include:

• Provisioning – Most Windows-based organizations use Active Directory to maintain the identity lifecycle of users. Quest’s solutions allow for automated user provisioning, de-provisioning, re-provisioning and role management in Active Directory, thereby increasing IT and user efficiency and decreasing security vulnerabilities that can result from inappropriate access and permissions.
• Password Management – With Quest, organizations can implement a full featured password management strategy to increase security and compliance while increasing operational efficiency by enabling users to reset their own passwords.
• Auditing and Compliance Reporting – Proper management of user identities and access helps companies address many regulatory compliance issues, and Quest completes the process by providing robust audit and reporting capabilities for Active Directory, Group Policy, Windows systems and non-Windows systems.
• Extending Active Directory – With Quest, heterogeneous organizations can extend these provisioning, password management and auditing capabilities to non-Windows systems including Unix and Linux. Quest’s Vintela solutions extend native authentication through Active Directory across the enterprise.

"Microsoft Active Directory and MIIS form an ideal foundation for identity and access management in the enterprise, and solutions from Quest enable customers to extend this foundation to solve challenges such as user provisioning, password management and compliance reporting,” said Peter Houston, senior director of Identity and Access product management at Microsoft. "We are glad to see Quest building on the value provided by Active Directory and MIIS.”

More information about how Quest simplifies Identity Management can be found at http://www.quest.com/identity_management/.

About Quest Software, Inc.

Quest Software, Inc. delivers innovative products that help organizations get more performance and productivity from their applications, databases and Windows infrastructure. Through a deep expertise in IT operations and a continued focus on what works best, Quest helps thousands of customers worldwide meet higher expectations for enterprise IT. Quest’s Windows Management solutions simplify, automate and secure Active Directory, Exchange and Windows, as well as integrate Unix, Linux and Java into the managed environment. Quest Software can be found in offices around the globe and at www.quest.com.

Quest and Quest Software are registered trademarks of Quest Software, Inc. The Quest Software logo and all other Quest Software product or service names and slogans are registered trademarks or trademarks of Quest Software, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may include predictions, estimates and other information that might be considered forward-looking statements, including statements concerning the availability and market acceptance of Quest’s products included in its Identity Management solutions. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ from those anticipated as a result of various factors, including: the impact of adverse changes in general economic conditions on our relationships with customers, strategic partners and vendors; reductions or delays in information technology spending; variations in demand or the size and timing of customer orders; competitive conditions in our various product areas; rapid technological change; risks associated with the development and market acceptance of new products and product strategies; disruptions caused by acquisitions of companies and/or technologies; fluctuating currency exchange rates and risks associated with international operations; the need to attract and retain qualified employees; and other risks inherent in software businesses. For a discussion of these and other related risks, please refer to our recent SEC filings, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date thereof. We undertake no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date thereof.