Alliance targets online security

OpenNetwork Technologies, a developer of e-business security software, announced a reseller and services agreement last week with Calnet Inc.

Calnet, an integration services firm specializing in Java and Extensible Markup Language-based systems for government customers, will incorporate OpenNetwork's flagship product, DirectorySmart, into its e-business framework solutions.

DirectorySmart defines and enforces online security policies and manages user access to protected Web applications. The product can scale to accommodate millions of users without incremental costs, said Rick Sullivan, OpenNetwork's director of channel sales.

Sullivan said the partnership will expand OpenNetwork's presence in the public sector, which is critical as "more and more government organizations are finding the Internet to be an ideal vehicle for accessing, managing and processing public information."

The partnership will focus on helping government organizations deliver mission-critical information to their constituents. Calnet's e-security framework — which includes infrastructure, applications and transactions — can help organizations identify misuse and abuse of IT resources and services, said Rolin Hua, senior director at Calnet.

DirectorySmart enhances Calnet's offerings because of its Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), a single sign-on and platform-independent architecture that many government agencies are demanding, he said.

"This is a very complementary relationship, in that OpenNetwork is a leading developer in e-business security applications, [which] combine with our track record as a professional services company and capabilities in Java, XML and legacy migration knowledge to bring forward an overall package to the public sector," Hua said.

The companies have been working together for about four months and are involved in a project with the Army, Hua said, adding that Calnet's other federal customers include the Defense Information Systems Agency, the Navy and the Department of Health and Human Services.

"This [brings] a sophisticated e-security model to the public sector without relying on proprietary systems or revamping their infrastructure," he said.