NetVision was founded in 1996 by a team of network directory experts to improve the efficiency of administering business networks. NetVision's Synchronicity* product line integrates heterogeneous networks by employing eDirectory for instantly and automatically communicating account and password changes among platforms. Synchronicity currently supports Windows NT*, Lotus Domino*/Notes*, Microsoft Exchange*, and NetWare®.

(On September 14, 1999, after years of serving customers through its own sales channels, NetVision joined Novell in announcing that Synchronicity integration tools have been added to Novell's directory-enabled product line.)

Multi-platform networks are a mixed blessing. They add significant value to everyday business operations, and are a requirement for implementing best-of-breed technologies. But they can also add significant system administration overhead. Every server platform in a network comes with its own point of administrative access, requiring account and password information to be input separately for each. This manual process must be performed not just for initial entry of individual or group password and account information, but every time a change occurs.

Since change is a constant in any profitable organization, making these redundant changes adds considerably to administration expense—and aggravation. It takes time for system administrators to complete a round of changes, during which users must remember to use previous passwords. Inevitably they are frustrated by incorrect logins or forget their old passwords, resulting in calls to the already overloaded staff-compounding their burden. Worst of all, the inconsistency in account management is a security liability, potentially allowing hackers to gain access to the network.

NetVision rejected other solutions to these problems that would entail reengineering access to native platforms' datastores. Intrusive solutions of this nature require a costly network overhaul to the customer and a significant effort for the developer. Instead, NetVision found in eDirectory an elegant basis for synchronizing user/group account and password changes among platforms that requires no modifications to native code. Synchronicity uses eDirectory to store user and group account information, and continually monitors eDirectory for changes to user or group accounts or passwords. Whenever a change occurs, it instantly sends commands to all supported platforms on the network to invoke corresponding changes in their administration modules. Synchronicity is aptly named, for it assures that all platforms are updated at once, in perfect synchrony.

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), a four-year college based in Hyde Park, NY, typified the problem and the solution. The CIA's network contains several Windows NT, NetWare, and UNIX servers. In implementing a recent project to deploy Lotus Domino for document management over the web, the college encountered frustration from users and system administrators alike because of account and password differences. "Our users had as many as five passwords on the system, which meant we had to use multiple tools multiple times whenever there was a change," said Rick Tietjen, associate director of the CIA's IS department. "We needed to simplify the administration process and control group security from a single point. eDirectory is our established environment, so we welcomed Synchronicity and its reliance on eDirectory to address our problems."

Synchronicity increases overall network manageability by synchronizing user passwords and consolidating the related administration into one single, secure point through eDirectory. "Now that Synchronicity is in place, we've saved time and improved productivity for our administrators," Tietjen continued. "On top of that, we've eliminated the frustration our users were experiencing, and achieved the security control we were seeking. I'd say network administrator productivity has jumped by 50% as a result."

And it comes with another benefit, according to Tietjen. "Synchronicity doesn't add another directory to The Culinary Institute of America's networking environment," commented Tietjen. "Synchronicity leverages our existing eDirectory structure as its datastore. This approach makes it possible for us to extend our directory investment and avoid supporting additional directory infrastructures."

Analysts estimate that system administration expense generally amounts to 70% of the total cost of a network. Organizations with situations similar to the CIA's stand to save over a third of their network's costs by introducing Synchronicity.

Synchronicity works out-of-the-box to synchronize passwords and user/group information transparently. And since NetVision's approach entails no modifications to the platforms themselves, customers are spared the costs of retraining and re-engineering. In fact, no directory replication or user intervention is required, and there are no new tools, languages or interfaces to learn. Just ask The Culinary Institute of America. That's cooking—with eDirectory.

*All other marks are the properties of their respective holders.