Metropolitan police service adopts single sign-on

ActivIdentity® Corporation (NASDAQ: ACTI), a global leader in digital identity assurance, today announced it is enhancing the credentials management capabilities of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) by delivering an enterprise single sign on (SSO) solution in partnership with Capgemini (Paris: CAP), one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services.

Due to the wide ranging roles and responsibilities of the organisation, staff members often need to access up to 10 core and numerous other subsidiary applications on a daily basis. The MPS identified SSO as the most effective means of streamlining this process as part of its ongoing commitment to make access to information as secure and effective as technology allows.

Capgemini, the MPS’s information, communications and technology outsourcing partner, is implementing ActivIdentity SecureLogin® SSO licences for 50,000 users to enhance the efficiency and security of access to six core applications. This deployment to the estate of around 30,000 desktops and laptops was completed at the end of March 2007, following a six month deployment programme for 20,000 users.

“One of my main aims is to eliminate unproductive use of police officers’ time,” explains Ailsa Beaton, Director of Information at MPS. “Adopting a scalable SSO solution is an important component of our strategy for reducing administrative load and freeing up resources to serve London better.”

Capgemini worked with the MPS in an extensive scoping and definition exercise. ActivIdentity SecureLogin® SSO was selected through this competitive evaluation as it was found to offer the greatest ease of use, configuration and scalability, and had minimal impact on the existing IT infrastructure.

“The ActivIdentity solution provides the flexibility to continue SSO-enabling additional applications as the need arises,” explains Martin Urch, Vice-President at Capgemini and Client Director on the MPS Account, “Through its long-term outsourcing partnership, Capgemini is committed to supporting the MPS in its drive to maximise the efficiency of its IT infrastructure, and the ActivIdentity technology will fulfil this objective for the foreseeable future.”

“Our solution delivers on the requirements of both MPS and Capgemini,” comments Marc Hudavert, Vice-President & General Manager at ActivIdentity EMEA. “ActivIdentity SecureLogin SSO meets the MPS current password management and SSO requirements and, because ActivIdentity technology is built on open technology standards, it offers the flexibility to address future identity assurance needs as they evolve. With frame works, such as the Unified Police Security Architecture, currently being developed, the potential significance of this flexibility cannot be underestimated.”

ENDS