Hitachi Updates Password Synchronization Tool from M-Tech

July 15, 2008 Alex Woodie

Fresh off its acquisition of the identity management company M-Tech Information Technology, Hitachi‘s ID Systems subsidiary announced P-Synch version 6.4.2, a new release of its password synchronization tool, and a component of M-Tech’s identity management suite.

Hitachi, the $87 billion Japanese electronics giant, acquired a majority interest in Calgary, Alberta-based M-Tech in April, and subsequently renamed the company Hitachi ID Systems. Hitachi plans to integrate M-Tech’s identity management software into its information security solutions in preparation for an expected surge in spending in identity management, from $2.6 billion in 2006 to more than $12 billion in 2014, according to a recent Forrester report.

Key to that strategy will be P-Synch, the password synchronization tool that supports IBM i5/OS and other enterprise computer systems, and which is a core component of M-Tech’s five-piece identity management suite, along with ID-Synch, ID-Archive, ID-Access, and ID-Certify.

Last week Hitachi ID Systems launched P-Synch version 6.4.2. The new release brings support for Windows Server 2008 and Lotus Notes R8, a better system for conducting self-service password resets through a VPN connection, official support for triggering password synchronization from a 64-bit Windows Server OS, and the capability to have multiple and separate password policies on the same Active Directory domain trigger system.

Hitachi is also doing some housecleaning with the release, and announced that customers will have until the end of 2009 to move up to P-Synch version 6.2.9. Customers running older releases will no longer be guaranteed support after that.