RSA Security Inc. has upgraded its ClearTrust server software for policy-based access to Web applications, adding support for Security Assertions Markup Language (SAML) 1.1 and identity-management features licensed from Thor Technologies Inc.

Expected to ship by the end of the month, ClearTrust 5.5 will allow security managers to establish Web access controls based on both SAML and Microsoft Corp. login credentials, said Brian Breton, RSA senior product market manager. The latest version of ClearTrust also incorporates some capabilities from the Thor Xellerate identity management software. These include user self-service and password management, as well as an automated workflow process for an organization's members to authorize changes.

ClearTrust competes against vendors that include Netegrity Inc., Oblix Inc. and IBM Corp.

"This is the next step for RSA ClearTrust in terms of identity and access management," said Breton, adding that ClearTrust will also ship with what Breton calls "transactional smart rules" to allow greater customization of rules for authentication and access control.

ClearTrust 5.5 runs on Windows 2003, Solaris 8 and 9, and Windows 2000, with support for Linux, HP-UX and AIX planned in the next few months. RSA ClearTrust starts at US$26 per user for up to 1,000 users, with volume discounts applying thereafter.