More small and midsize businesses (SMBs) are expanding their use of the Internet to seize new business opportunities, cater to new audiences, and compete with larger companies. In leveraging the power of the internet, SMBs and services companies are becoming more customer-facing and rich in sensitive data. Maintaining the security and privacy of customers' data is becoming a business mandate.

Information is a major company asset, and its exposure to undesired parties leads to both monetary losses and liability costs that SMBs simply cannot afford. At the same time, the challenges for SMBs to provide a secure environment are far greater then for larger companies. Importantly, small and medium size businesses are least able to afford and manage complex security solutions. Due to their limited IT budgets and technical expertise, SMBs require security solutions that are convenient to implement and easy to manage. Yet, SMB needs are poorly served by most current 3A (authentication, authorization, administration) products, which were formulated for large enterprises or national service providers.

SMBs variable and dynamic environment, characterized by fluid working conditions inside or outside of the corporate network, imposes even higher security requirements. SMBs demand the type of security solutions that will allow easy, cost-effective and secure management of the ever changing distributed mission critical access from:

• Operations at multiple sites, facilities and customer / client premises
• Telecommuting and home office
• Traveling sales, service and support operations
• Customer, client, supplier and partner visits
• Project oriented activities with flexible participation
• Business opportunities to enable customers, suppliers and others to access company information
• Higher percentage of mobile workers

Authernative can help

Faced with the challenges delineated above, SMBs are in search of solutions that will enable them to reassure their customers that critical private information is safe. This translates into a need for multiple layers of protection including user authentication, authorization, administration, and auditing throughout their environment in order to safeguard against unauthorized activity from outside or inside the company.

Authernative has specifically built its solutions for the SMB market. Authernative solutions are inexpensive, easy to implement and manage without burdening technical resources, IT budgets or focus on core business competencies and productivity.

Authernative™ AuthGuard® and PassEnabler® products allow for strong authentication, authorization, administration, and auditing of mobile users, employees, customers, and partners typical of small and medium size business in the professional, scientific and technical services market segments including:

• Legal
• Accounting and Tax
• Architectural and Engineering
• Specialized Design
• Computer Systems Design and Services
• Management & Scientific Consulting
• Scientific R&D Services
• Advertising & Related Services
• Other professional, scientific and technical services

Authernative™ AuthGuard® and PassEnabler® products will provide cost containment, revenue enhancement, security, and business enablement benefits including:

• Privacy and integrity of data; authentication of users; audit trails, user accountability to data; personalized content; reduced risk of data loss / theft; centralized control of trust policies and parameters allowing for competitive, customer, partner, and regulatory compliance.

• Company’s ability to set up user privileges and manage access at a central location allow for personalized services, employee and customer relations management, and convenient real time access.

• Management ability to collaborate with customers, employees, and partners enhance business productivity without fear of compromising the rest of its highly valuable information available on the corporate Intranet and Extranet.

• Allow for brand extension, partnership development, customer loyalty, and overall satisfaction significantly impacting revenue, while assuring security.