So your organization has decided it needs to get a handle on managing the passwords for end users. A single sign on product is a great way to achieve that. Now the question becomes which product do I need? While the names may be similar, there is a big difference between Enterprise and Web SSO.

Enterprise SSO is designed (as the name implies) to provide single sign on to practically all the applications an end user would need. This includes web apps, Windows executables (thick clients), Java apps and mainframe/terminal emulator (greenscreen) apps. It works in a non-intrusive way by capturing the user ID and password for the application when the user logs in. The next time the application is launched, Enterprise ESSO will detect it and automatically enter the credentials on the user’s behalf and log them in. It can also be programmed to handle password changes (i.e. first time temporary passwords, 90 day password expiration). There is an executable installed on the end user’s desktop and profiles are created to recognize the login/password change screens for an application so the agent can respond to them. Since no changes are made to the applications, this provides a relatively quick and encompassing way to provide SSO to most apps a user would have. Read more