Netegrity, Inc. this week released a new version of its SiteMinder authorization software that expands support for authorizations of online transactions and adds tools to ease management.

SiteMinder 5.0 allows companies to dictate who can access what data and applications, based on predefined policies. It works with various authentication methods, from simple passwords to smart cards and tokens, to identify users. SiteMinder Web agents then intercept user requests for access to data and applications and refer to a policy server to determine whether access should be granted.

While previous versions supported access mainly to static applications and data, 5.0 is intended to address more dynamic online transactions. Netegrity added a new policy mechanism it calls eTelligent Rules that enables SiteMinder to use data from a variety of sources in making its authorization decisions. Such sources can include Web pages, directories, databases and XML-based Web services provided by third parties, such as VeriSigns PKI-based authentication services.

Another such third party is D&B, formerly Dun & Bradstreet. Netegrity announced a partnership that will enable SiteMinder users to use D&B's database of corporate information, including its Identity Services and credit data. That will help companies dynamically authenticate the identity and credit worthiness of new customers and suppliers as they do business online.

Netegrity also added new management capabilities to SiteMinder 5.0, including One View Monitor, a facility that enables administrators to view all SiteMinder components from any SNMP-based management console. That enables SiteMinder status information to be integrated with SNMP-based management systems from Hewlett-Packard, Computer Associates and Tivoli, among others.

With SiteMinder 5.0, customers can also now centrally manage the configuration of distributed agents, including the distribution of changes. Previously, such changes had to be implemented invidually at each agent.

Netegrity has also added in SiteMinder 5.0 support for single sign-on across a range of Microsoft Windows and COM+ applications.

SiteMinder 5.0 will be available this month. Pricing starts at $20 per user but can drop to less than $1 per user, depending on volume and the type of application.