CA and HP are announcing better integration within their respective identity management suites so that customers can more easily secure application access and enforce compliance policies.

CA is expected to showcase at the RSA Conference this week how its SiteMinder, Single Sign-On and Security Command Center applications can now work together.

SiteMinder, obtained via CA's Netegrity acquisition, centralises management of user authentication and access across internal and external Web sites. Single Sign-On provides secure user access to legacy applications, databases and client/server applications.

Integrating the two products would allow customers to log on once and access all resources with a single user ID and password, CA said. Integration with Command Center would enable customers of the management console to receive events and alerts from SiteMinder.

For its part, HP is set to unveil its OpenView Select Audit, a fourth application in the company's identity management suite that can help customers design policies and track compliance with them. The software works with HP's other identity management products: Select Identity, Select Access and Select Federation.

Select Audit software is installed on the same application server as any of the other applications or on a stand-alone server. It uses what HP calls audit connectors to collect the necessary data from HP and third-party systems, and then aggregates and normalises the data to compare it against the policies. Administrators use a Web-based interface to create policies and view reports.

HP is also expected to reveal Version 4.0 of its Select Identity software, which now automates change and compliance management. For example, HP said when systems and applications were added, upgraded or retired, the software would automatically adjust authorised user access rights.

This release also allows for administrative duties to be segregated and for audit features to be implemented that prevent changes being made if they don't align with documented processes.

HP also had integrated its OpenView Select Access and Service Desk applications to reduce the costs and effort associated with password resets and profile updates, the company said.

Also at the show, HP is expected to debut Version 4.0 of its Select Identity software, which now automates change and compliance management. For example, when systems and applications were added, upgraded or retired, the software would automatically adjust authorized user access rights, the company said.

Select Audit is scheduled for availability in May. Select Identity 4.0 is set for availability in March. Pricing for the integrated suite of identity management applications starts at $US39 per seat for internal use.

Improved integration among identity management products amassed by vendors in recent years is an unmistakable trend, according to Forrester principal analyst, Jonathan Penn.

"Identity management consists of a set of discrete products that also have elements of overlapping and common functionality: workflow, a roles framework, interfaces for self service and delegated administration and a directory," he wrote in a recent report. "Large vendors sought to build portfolios that would integrate by sharing these services, which simplifies their coordinated use by customers."

IBM is among other vendors providing improved identity management integration. The company recently announced that it would couple its Tivoli Access Manager with technology licensed from Passlogix.

IBM said the unified software, slated for availability this quarter, would offer customers single password access for Lotus Notes, SAP and Microsoft Windows-based applications, among others.

Another example is BMC, which last month introduced Identity Management for .Net, providing workflow, directory management, audit, self-service, password management, Web single sign-on and federation.