HP to acquire identity management firm

By Dawn Kawamoto
Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: November 30, 2005 9:18 AM PST

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Hewlett-Packard plans to acquire Trustgenix, a company that allows users to authenticate their identity to access accounts on multiple sites.

The deal, announced Wednesday, is designed to enhance HP's OpenView system management software and increase its presence in the enterprise management arena. Last September, HP announced plans to acquire AppIQ, a storage management company, and Peregrine Systems, which makes software that monitors a company's IT assets.

Trustgenix, a Santa Clara, Calif.-based company, develops so-called identity federation software, which is designed to allow customers and partners to log in their user identification and password only once in order to access partner Web sites without re-entering the data.

"Identity federation appeals strongly to companies in the telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing and government industries," Todd DeLaughter, HP's OpenView general manager, said in a statement.

HP's OpenView has been the subject of a number of critical security flaws, which were addressed last month in a security advisory by NGS Software. HP has since issued a patch for those flaws.

The company expects to close its acquisition of Trustgenix within the next 30 days. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.