| Auth software firm grows |
Jan. 23, 2009
A company specializing in open source authentication and auditing software for mixed networks says it grew by a factor of five in 2008. Likewise Software says its products can be used to securely integrate Linux, Unix, and Mac systems with Microsoft Active Directory.
Likewise is based in Bellevue, Wash., where Microsoft also keeps extensive offices. For its part, Microsoft yesterday announced historic layoffs.
Likewise boasts of revenue growth of 500 percent, year-over-year, and new customers that include HP, IBM, Oracle, and Sun. It has ongoing relationships with Apple, Microsoft, Novell, Red Hat, and Ubuntu, it says.
Likewise's main product is a dual-licensed Active Directory Server integration component called "Likewise Open." It also sells a version of Likewise Open with support, and an "Enterprise" version that adds support for NIS (Network Information System) and non-networked authentication. It claims 20,000 users for the open source version of Likewise Open, along with 250 customers for the two commercial versions.
Touted features of the basic "Likewise Open" product include:- Joins non-Windows systems to Active Directory domains in a single step from the command line or from a GUI
- Authenticates users with a single user-name and password, on both Windows and non-Windows
- Enforces the same password policies for non-Windows users and Windows users
- Supports multiple forests with one-way and two-way cross forest trusts
- Caches credentials in case your domain controller goes down
- Provides single sign-on for SSH and Putty
- "Next-generation" authentication engine supports Kerberos, NTLM, and SPNEGO
- No schema changes to Active Directory required
Likewise also offers a free administrative console add-on claimed to run management applications, or snap-ins, on Mac OS X and a variety of Linux platforms, including SUSE, Red Hat, Fedora, CentOS, and Ubuntu. Its touted features include:- Logs authentication and security events in an embedded SQLite database
- GUI displays events from more than 118 Linux, Unix, and Mac platforms in a common, unified format
- Event log supports secure, remote access
CEO Barry Crist stated, "Likewise had a banner year on all fronts. Our open source business model is working effectively in the current difficult economic environment."
Katrinka McCallum, VP of Red Hat's management business, stated, "Red Hat Enterprise Linux is expanding in historically Windows-centric organizations, and our collaboration with Likewise has helped."
Carlos Montero-Luque, VP of product management at Novell, stated, "Likewise Open enables SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop to operate as a well-integrated solution in a Windows-centric environment."
John Matthew, IT project manager at NBC Univdersal, stated, "Likewise has a clear lead in terms of the merits of the product, its business model, and in the technical capabilities of its team."
More details may be available at the company's website, here.
-- Henry Kingman
Do you have comments on this story?
Talkback here
NOTE: Please post your comments regarding our articles using the above link. Be sure to use this article's title as the "Subject" in your posts. Before you create a new thread, please check to see if a discussion thread is already running on the article you plan to comment on. Thanks!
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
7 Advantages of D2D Backup
For decades, tape has been the backup medium of choice. But, now, disk-to-disk (D2D) backup is gaining in favor. Learn why you should make the move in this whitepaper.
4 Legal Reasons to Control Internet Access
The Internet is obviously a valuable resource for many organizations. However, many are exposed to legal liability concerns because they fail to control Internet access. Learn if you're safe in this white paper.
Rapidly Resolve J2EE Application Problems
Whether you are in the process of building J2EE applications or have J2EE applications already running in production, you must ensure that they deliver the expected ROI. Learn how in this white paper.
Load Testing 2.0 for Web 2.0
There are many unknowns in stress testing Web 2.0 applications. Find out how to test the performance of Web 2.0 in this white paper.
Build Better Games Online
For the game infrastructure providers, life is complex. Making money from games has become more complicated. Why? Find out in this white paper.
Building a Virtual Infrastructure from Servers to Storage
This white paper discusses the virtual storage solutions that reduce cost, increase storage utilization, and address the challenges of backing up and restoring Server environments.
Gaining Faster Wireless Connections with WiMAX
Welcome to what is quickly becoming the hyperconnected world where anything that would benefit from being connected to the network will be connected. Learn more in this white paper.
Is Your Desktop a Security Threat?
The new wave of sophisticated crimeware not only targets specific companies, but also targets desktops and laptops as backdoor entryways into those business’ operations and resources. Learn how to stay safe in this white paper.
Increasing SAN Reliability by 100 Percent
Storage area networks (SAN) are a strong part of storage plans. Learn how to increase your reliability and uptime by 100 percent in this case study.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed