DENVER, Nov 04, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Ping Identity(R) today announced PingConnect(TM), an on-demand Internet SSO service for SaaS (software as a service) applications. Now available from Ping Identity, and on the Force.com AppExchange, PingConnect increases user adoption, reduces administration and strengthens security.
 

PingConnect is initially available for Salesforce CRM and Google Apps(TM). It leverages Ping Identity's award-winning PingFederate(R) Internet SSO software and PingEnable, the company's expert support, services and methodologies, to deliver an on-demand Internet SSO service. PingConnect makes anytime, anywhere access to Salesforce CRM and Google Apps easier, automates user set up and removal and protects valuable data.

"Through years of working with hundreds of SaaS vendors, business process outsourcers, and their customers, we've clearly seen that PingFederate improves user adoption and streamlines administrative tasks," said Ping Identity CEO Andre Durand. "With PingConnect we're adding the advantages of an on-demand service to provide the benefits of Internet SSO to Salesforce and Google Apps users."

More companies are moving to SaaS applications for inherent benefits like rapid deployment of new capabilities and easier configuration for administrators. In the May 21, 2008, report "On-Demand SFA Can't Guarantee Success," Gartner Vice President and Distinguished Analyst Robert Desisto said, "SaaS alone does not guarantee improved user adoption by salespeople...Salespeople want an SFA solution that's easy to use, provides information that will give them advantage selling, has collaboration tools that enable them to work with other team members, and reduces administrative burdens."

Because PingConnect works with existing user directories and authentication mechanisms, there is no compromise to security and no administrative time wasted in setting up external SaaS directories or manually provisioning users. PingConnect supports all access methods to Salesforce CRM including desktop and mobile browsers, Connect for Microsoft Outlook and emailed report URLs.

To learn more about PingConnect visit www.pingidentity.com.

Ping Identity is the market leader in federated identity management, delivering secure Internet single sign-on (SSO) software and services to more than 260 enterprise customers, government agencies and service providers worldwide. Ping Identity provides secure access to Internet applications through a single login to give organizations an easy and rapidly deployed on-premise or on-demand Internet SSO. For more information visit www.pingidentity.com.

Force.com is the only proven Platform as a Service for building and running business applications in the cloud. The Force.com platform powers the Salesforce CRM applications, more than 800 ISV partner applications like those from CODA and Fujitsu, and more than 85,000 custom applications used by salesforce.com's 47,700 customers such as Japan Post, Kaiser Permanente, KONE and Sprint Nextel.

Force.com is the fastest platform for building and deploying complex business applications. Unlike a stack of disparate client/server hardware and software products, Force.com unifies the development and deployment model from the database to the device, allowing developers to easily assemble applications with clicks, components and code, and then instantly deploy them on salesforce.com's trusted global infrastructure. Customers and partners are using Force.com to build all kinds of business applications from supply chain management to compliance tracking, brand management, accounts receivable, claims processing applications and much more.

Applications built on the Force.com platform can be easily distributed to the entire SaaS community through the Force.com AppExchange marketplace at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/.

Industry Quotes

Salesforce.com

"Ping Identity makes it even easier for users to implement and access Salesforce CRM, helping to drive user adoption and streamline administrative IT tasks," said Clarence So, Chief Marketing Officer, Salesforce.com.

Google
 

"Ping Identity has made it even easier for users to securely access Google Apps for communication and collaboration, while streamlining administrative requirements and easily scaling as companies grow," said Scott McMullan, Google Apps Partner Lead.

Astadia

"SaaS has clearly become a strategic play for enterprise IT. And with SaaS adoption on the rise, more of our customers are asking for Internet single sign-on," said Brent Mellow, Executive Vice President of Astadia, a system integrator which is a Google Enterprise Professional partner and a Salesforce Premier partner employing the largest Salesforce authorized consulting organization in the world. "Ping Identity is meeting this requirement with proven Internet single sign-on solutions that scale to meet individual customer requirements."

Kuppinger Cole

"As customers are increasingly buying into the software as a service (SaaS) model, single sign-on between the enterprise and those SaaS applications becomes important. Ping Identity has invested heavily into making this easy for its customers, and has again upped the ante," said Kuppinger Cole analyst Felix Gaehtgens. "By adding a new form factor to its offering, Ping Identity will be even better placed to tap into this lucrative market."

Gartner

"The move toward cloud-based software as a service can create new enterprise identity islands as an unfortunate side effect," said Gartner analyst Gregg Kreizman. "This is beginning to drive new demands for secure solutions for SaaS user provisioning and Internet single sign-on."

The 451

"Ping has made a strategic commitment to SSO for SaaS and is building active partnerships with SaaS providers to build connectors to simplify the provisioning process," said The 451 Analyst Steve Coplan.

THINKstrategies

"As companies become more comfortable with utilizing on-demand SaaS solutions, they are seeking mechanisms such as PingConnect to enable their end-users to more easily access multiple applications in a secure fashion," said Jeffrey M. Kaplan, Managing Director of THINKstrategies, Inc. and the Founder of the SaaS Showplace ( www.saas-showplace.com). "Salesforce.com and Google share a large number of common customers who will benefit from a single sign-on solution that can also help them administer the provisioning process on-demand in the 'cloud' or be deployed on-premise behind the firewall."

Google Apps is a trademark of Google Inc.
 

SOURCE: Ping Identity