The number of identities we have to remember continues to grow. Gone are the mainframe days when we each had to remember only one identity. Evolution to client/server applications and the Internet has dramatically increased the number of identities we have to remember. Because of this increase, we have seen the emergence of a common challenge: keeping track of all of our passwords and system identities. IT managers are also struggling and asking questions such as: How do I reduce the help desk costs associated with forgotten passwords? How do I get my staff members not to write down their passwords on stickies? How do I secure, control, and audit the passwords associated with privileged accounts?

The pursuit of enterprise single sign-on (SSO) for the enterprise was born out of the costs associated with having so many user IDs and passwords the operational, security, and efficiency costs are significant. In this document, we discuss the challenges mentioned above in detail, how Quest approaches enterprise single sign-on and a unique solution that addresses nearly all facets of the challenges.