Press Release
UNISOURCE ENERGY CHOOSES FISCHER'S IDENTITY MANAGEMENT
SUITE TO ADDRESS SOX, FERC COMPLIANCE
Selection Follows Year-long Evaluation of Nine Identity Management
Solutions
Naples, FL (September 18, 2006) -- Fischer
International, thought leaders in Identity Management, today
announced that UniSource Energy (NYSE: UNS) has selected Fischer
Identity Suite to satisfy the identity-related compliance requirements
of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC), plus emerging regulations. Fischer's advanced provisioning
architecture was chosen to automate and consolidate UniSource's
current paper-based provisioning processes to deliver improved
business efficiency, increased productivity across multiple
departments, automated compliance, and rapid response to audits.
"The drivers for Identity Management at UniSource Energy
Corporation were SOX and FERC compliance. But the time and productivity
enhancements due to the automation are significant," says
Adam Freden, Senior IT Security Specialist, UniSource Energy.
The company currently uses paper-based processes for requesting,
approving, and provisioning access to network resources, phones,
and physical areas via badge readers for employees and contractors.
Automation and Auditability are Keys to Compliance
and Productivity Gains
UniSource selected Fischer Identity Suite to create an automated
provisioning environment to control, approve, audit, and enforce
access to network resources, badge-enabled areas, and physical
assets. Event-driven provisioning and deprovisioning will be
triggered by business events in authoritative systems, such
as HR and Active Directory. Self-service provisioning will also
be deployed, providing end-users with a single, intuitive Web
page for requesting new, updated, or revoked access to resources.
Ongoing compliance will be enabled through Fischer's ability
to validate and enforce Segregation of Duties in real time,
discover and remediate entitlement violations on connected systems,
and enable Data Conservators to monitor which employees and
contractors have access to their sensitive resources. Because
all provisioning events are recorded in Fischer's consolidated
audit database, UniSource Energy will also be able to quickly,
easily, and fully respond to requests from auditors, such as
"Who had access to what, when, and who approved it?"
UniSource Energy is also extending their automated provisioning
environment to mobile users to better ensure compliance and
fast access to resources. Fischer's mobile "iFly"
solution will allow Data Conservators, Managers, Supervisors,
and other "approvers" to process provisioning requests
directly from their PDAs. UniSource Energy will use iFly to
ensure that provisioning requests are processed without delay
and by the best qualified person, no matter the person's location.
Choosing the Best Identity Management Solution: No
Easy Task
Fischer's selection followed a year-long evaluation conducted
by UniSource Energy's IS Security department. Nine vendor solutions
were evaluated, including those from identity and database vendors
already in-house, new IdM players, and custom-built solutions.
Some of the determining factors that led to Fischer's selection
were:
• Simplicity: Ease of use for both end users and administrative
staff
• Amount of required customization
• Ability to connect to all required systems
• Workflow capabilities
• Application platform configuration
• Project management philosophy
"We are extremely pleased to have UniSource Energy as
a customer," said Reneé Bacherman, President and
CEO of Fischer International. "UniSource Energy is a company
of excellence and is dedicated to generating value for their
customers and shareholders. Being selected after such a thorough
analysis underscores the level of value organizations are seeking
in an Identity Management solution, and the level of value we
provide."
About UniSource Energy
UniSource Energy's primary subsidiaries include Tucson Electric
Power, which serves approximately 385,000 customers in southern
Arizona, and UniSource Energy Services, provider of natural
gas and electric service for approximately 234,000 customers
in northern and southern Arizona. For more information about
UniSource Energy and its subsidiaries, visit uns.com.
About Fischer International
Fischer International was founded in 1982 by Addison Fischer,
a security visionary whose many accomplishments are recognized
globally. Headquartered in Naples, Florida, Fischer International
has a distinguished history of innovation and thought leadership
in the security industry. Fischer continues this tradition by
being the first to deliver the next-generation of Identity Management.
The solution, Fischer Identity Suite, is built upon DataForum™,
Fischer’s standards-based provisioning, approval, and
compliance engine. By design, the engine is an integration technology
as Fischer recognized that integration is the lifeblood of enterprise
Identity Management. Additionally, compliance is organically
incorporated throughout because compliance must be part of the
DNA in any Identity Management solution. Like all Fischer solutions,
the Fischer Identity Suite will stand the test of time. For
additional information, please visit www.FischerInternational.com
This news release contains forward-looking information that
involves risks and uncertainties, that include, but are not
limited to: changes in accounting standards; the outcome of
regulatory proceedings; the ongoing restructuring of the electric
industry; regional economic and market conditions which could
affect customer growth and the cost of fuel and power supplies;
changes to long-term contracts; performance of TEP's generating
plants; the weather; changes in asset depreciable lives; changes
related to the recognition of unbilled revenue; the cost of
debt and equity capital; and other factors listed in UniSource
Energy's Form 10-K and 10-Q filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. The preceding factors may cause future
results to differ materially from outcomes currently expected
by UniSource Energy.
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Media Contact:
Dennis McDermott
Chief Marketing Officer
Fischer International
(239) 643-1500
dmd@fischerinternational.com |
