SpinSys SSO/IAM/Federated Authentication Highlights

Michael Peterson
Software Architect
SpinSys

SpinSys, a recognized leader in providing Single Sign-On (SSO), Identity Access Management (IAM) and Federated Authentication solutions, has extensive experience in establishing enterprise identity solutions as well as integrating their own managed systems with existing solutions. Their experience ranges from working with Microsoft Active Directory (AD) and Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) in both corporate and government environments to integrating consumer products with OAuth2 endpoints provided by third party providers such as Google and Facebook. They have specialized expertise in working within the confines of DoD and Federal environments while setting up x509 (both CAC and PIV) certificate authentication. This expertise combined with a knowledgeable, experienced staff allows SpinSys to provide services to meet the requirements of any client.Past Performance Highlights

Over the years, SpinSys has assisted several clients in meeting their single sign-on requirements by providing solutions at both the enterprise and application level. Their experience in working with clients of various sizes has allowed them to provide single-sign solutions that can be scaled and tailored to any client’s needs.

Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division – SSO PIV/LDAP integration

Helping DOJ/CRT keep pace with the latest technology, SpinSys continuously upgrades their base software; the latest refresh served as a technology upgrade from a client-server to a web-based application system. The recent upgrade also included the development and deployment of a Single Sign-On (SSO) feature, which utilized Active Directory LDAP integration with DOJ JCON, a PIV-enabled system, to allow users log in through a single portal for role-based access to multiple applications. The SpinSys COTS product was enhanced to work within DOJ SSO requirements.

DHA CarePoint (PIV/CAC)

While SpinSys was establishing the CarePoint Application Portal SharePoint 2013 environment, DHA was looking for a robust, enterprise identity solution. They had already seen various attempts at creating custom FBA providers to enable CAC authentication. SpinSys prototyped and then established an enclave wide solution by extending the existing Active Directory (AD) implementation with Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS). AD FS allows DHA to maintain a central account repository with AD and provides a secure, standards based identity provider (IdP) to enable federated CAC as well as PIV authentication. The central repository gives DHA one place to create or disable a user across all systems.

Fortune 500 Financial Institution – COTS SSO Integration

The Fortune 500 Financial Institution corporate legal system utilizes the Spin Business Framework for application development and configuration. While implementing the legal system, SpinSys was tasked to federate with an existing enterprise COTS SSO product. SpinSys configured authentication providers to accept custom HTTP headers and authenticate the user based upon them while working with Fortune 500 Financial Institution, This allowed them to centrally manage their user accounts at their corporate help desk instead of forcing the legal department’s administrators to take on that responsibility.

Tableau (DHA SSO Integration)

DHA utilizes Tableau as part of their Business Intelligence platform. The challenge was to provide a single sign-on solution that would allow users to seamlessly integrate Tableau dashboards with DHA’s CarePoint Application Platform. DHA did not want to duplicate user accounts and have the responsibility to manage accounts in multiple locations. The SSO solution was required to support both CAC as well as PIV. SpinSys was able to quickly federate Tableau with the Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) server previously provisioned by SpinSys. This provided a seamless experience to the end users and allowed DHA to centrally manage a single account across all systems.

Department of the Navy – Office of the CIO

SpinSys built a CAC authentication module that integrates with the asset management solution implemented by their development teams. Out of the box, the COTS product leveraged username/password authentication but the Navy required CAC authentication to meet Information Assurance guidelines. SpinSys ensured that all software components and databases continued to satisfy DoD and Navy regulations and standards, including IA regulations, regular STIG implementation, and safeguards to ensure continued security compliance and accreditation of the system, environments, and personnel.

SpinSys’ development/modernization support includes analysis, recommendation, acquisition, configuration, deployment and related software engineering services required to implement a proposed Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software for an Identity Access Management (IDAM) solution to replace the current limited functionality custom code. The proposed COTS solution would not only support CAC authentication, but also provides additional functionalities including streamlined automated new account creation or reactivation through a self-service portal.

SpinSys Proves Successful at Major Part of HITECH Act

SpinSys, a leading small business provider of enterprise-wide solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies, is pleased to announce the success of its HIPAA 5010 ICD-10 Standard Compliant Referral Exchange, implemented during a period of nine months, and an integral part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act.

The HITECH Act was signed into law by President Obama in 2009 for the purpose of improving American healthcare delivery and patient care through investment in Health Information Technology (HIT), and meaningful use. The HITECH Act sets the stage for improved health care quality, safety, and efficiency through the use of HIT and meaningful use, which includes electronic health records (EHRs), as well as private and secure electronic health information exchange. Meaningful Use is the term given to ensure the use of certified EHR technology in a meaningful manner, and is deployed in three stages; (1) Data Capture and Sharing, (2) Advance Clinical Processes, and (3) Improved Outcomes.

To meet the deadline of October 1, 2014, those in the healthcare industry should already be on Stage Two of Meaningful Use. SpinSys is already ahead of the curve by meeting the qualifications of Meaningful Use (Stage Two) for their DoD client. SpinSys was able to set up a 5010 Standard Compliant Referral Exchange hub for their DoD client within nine months, enabling the secure electronic interchange of clinical referrals or consults between the MTFs (Military Treatment Facilities) and health insurance organizations. There is a single referral exchange hub that managed the exchange of over 2 million referrals in 2013. SpinSys works with four health insurance providers including United Health, Humana, and Health Net.

“We had the unique opportunity of providing this referral exchange to our military clients via our Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) enabled  data collection and sharing platform – the Multi-platform Data, Aggregation, Collection and Analytics (MDACA) platform.  For those looking to replace existing solutions that are no longer CMS compliant, our exchange hub can help make the transition to a compliant system  agile, seamless and cost effective,”  says Sharath Sadashivan, Product Development Manager, at SpinSys.

According to a recent survey from the not-for-profit Workgroup for Electronic Data Exchange (WEDI), the entire healthcare industry is “behind the curve” in its preparedness. The survey showed that more than 20% of vendors surveyed indicated they were either less than or only halfway finished with their ICD-10-related product enhancements, and those preparations wouldn’t be ready until later this year. One in four health plans surveyed had not completed their ICD-10 impact assessments, while only about a third of the plans expected to begin or had already begun external testing with other data exchange partners by the end of 2013.

“With the start of the New Year, it’s troubling to see so many behind the curve of such an important issue and mandate. SpinSys unique agile approach and tools utilizing open standards help keep us ahead of the curve,” stated SpinSys, Founder and CEO, Wael Ali. “With the swift implementation of the HIPAA 5010 ICD-10 Standard Compliant Referral Exchange done in nine months’ time, this achievement provides yet another testimony to the success of our products, solutions, and services.”

SpinSys Awarded SeaPort-e Prime Contract

SpinSys, a leading small business provider of enterprise-wide solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies, has been awarded a prime contract under the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Warfare Centers’ Seaport Enhanced (Seaport-e) Multiple Award Contract (MAC) vehicle.

The SeaPort-e contract vehicle utilizes a web-based, e-business procurement portal, to facilitate performance-based service acquisition, leverage buying power, improve business intelligence and reduce cycle time. The ordering community of SeaPort-e was expanded in 2004 to include all Virtual SYSCOM activities. Other activities, including the Military Sealift Command, Strategic Systems Programs, Office of Naval Research, Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the United States Marine Corps have also chosen to use SeaPort-e.

SpinSys contract term is for a five year base period and two-five year option terms. This is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) type contract with ceiling of ~$8B (including option terms). Ordering types include Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF), Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF), Firm Fixed Price (FFP) and Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF).

SpinSys will provide engineering, technical and programmatic related services in response to task orders issued under this contract that potentially span the entire spectrum of mission areas supported by the activities and technical capabilities that comprise the various ordering offices.

Wael Ali, President and CEO of SpinSys: “SeaPort-e provides an effective and valuable means of contracting for professional support services and enhancing small business participation. As a small business, SpinSys will leverage this contract to provide cost-effective solutions and services to our existing client base and also introduce our solutions and services to potential new clients, expanding our footprint in the DoD community.”

SpinSys Awarded U.S. Navy Sea Warriors Contract

SpinSys, a leading provider of enterprise-wide solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal Government agencies, has been awarded a contract to provide, assess, and support business process re-engineering, document re-generation, and the sustainment of changes to Department of Defense Information Technology Portfolio Repository (DITPR), and Department of the Navy Application and Database Management System (DADMS).

The initial task of the contract is a baseline assessment of the two mission critical Navy systems, DOD Information Technology Portfolio Repository (DITPR) and Department of Navy Application and Database Management System (DADMS). The assessment will review the source code, servers, databases, and web services of the current applications and provide a detailed assessment report of their conditions to the Navy – strengths, weaknesses, risks, suggestions etc. The second portion of the contract consists of long term maintenance, SpinSys will take over the day to day operational support of DITPR/DADMS complete with SpinSys’ helpdesk solution.

“Legacy systems are the backbone of what keeps a company running. They are successful, mature, and have been in existence for a long period of time. Though they can still thrive, these older technologies are more difficult to maintain and are a key issue for many legacy system owner,” states Spin Systems CEO and President, Wael Ali. “With our experience and expansive background in legacy systems, SpinSys has developed a proven method for legacy system migration and sustainment that includes a hybrid approach of both manual and automated processes. This is our first contract with the United States Navy, and we look forward to providing them with our cost-effective and innovative solutions in the future.”

The Sea Warrior Program (PMW 240) manages a complex portfolio of IT systems to support Navy human resource management, criminal justice, fleet support, afloat business applications, Navy and DoD portfolio management, DON administration, and joint aviation aircraft scheduling. The PMW 240 program is part of the PEO EIS and was assigned the program management responsibilities for DITPR and DADMS. Together, DITPR and DADMS make up the DADMS IT platform.

SpinSys & GT Software Partner for Legacy Projects

SpinSys, a leading provider of enterprise-wide cloud based and information management solutions to federal government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies, has announced a reseller partnership with GT Software, a provider of innovative enterprise modernization, migration and data access solutions, to expand their COBOL legacy migration and modernization solution sets.

Legacy systems are the backbone to any company. By nature, they are successful, mature, and have been in existence for a long period of time. Though these systems thrive, one weakness of legacy software is that it was constructed with only the technologies available during that time, as opposed to the most modern software technologies of today. Older technologies are more difficult to maintain and are key issues for many legacy system owners.

GT Software is the leader in migrations of candidate applications from IBM mainframes to the Microsoft .NET/Windows environment. Their suite of legacy system enhancement solutions allow users and developers to unlock, open, access and redistribute data in legacy databases and systems, while supporting standard web service access to mainframe data and assets. “We’re seeing cost savings from 60% to 80% being achieved with relative ease, and better performance as well with our approach. Once migrated, your legacy business rules are easily exposed to C# and VB.NET, and modernization options abound,” states Raul Menendez, Director of Development at GT Software.

“The decision to partner with GT Software only made sense. There’s a natural and technical synergy between SpinSys and GT Software’s .Net and JAVA products.  Their experience and professionalism are ideal for what we look for in a partnership, in addition to their proven track record, and place as a market leader.  We look forward to working with GT Software in the near future,” says SpinSys CIO, Chakib Jaber. SpinSys’ approach for legacy system migration includes a combination of code reuse, automation, and minimal manual techniques to ensure successful migration. One of the key elements to SpinSys’ legacy migration is the use of the Spin Business Framework (SBF), a highly configurable business application framework that can swiftly build enterprise-level information management systems for almost any vertical application coupled with the GT Software tool set . SBF features include rapid application development, document management, document assembly, workflow, team collaboration, reporting, and executive dashboards. SBF also supports multiple applications and business groups.

SpinSys Wins Red Hat Innovation Award

Spin Systems, Inc., a leading provider of enterprise-wide medical, legal and financial solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies, proudly announces today that it has been named the 2013 Red Hat Innovation Award for Best Middleware Implementation.

SpinSys Attends Assoc. of Legal Administrators Conference

SpinSys, a leading provider of enterprise-wide legal solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal Government agencies, will be attending & exhibiting at the upcoming 2013 Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) Annual Conference & Exposition on April 14-17 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, in National Harbor, Maryland.

“This is the first time SpinSys will be exhibiting at the ALA Conference, and we look forward to delving further into the legal market, meet with prospective customers, and discuss how our products provide them with the ability to collect information in a simple and fast manner, and make more informed decisions,” says Wael Ali, President and CEO of SpinSys.

SpinSys provides an array of innovative products, technical services and solutions for Government and commercial clients. While in attendance, SpinSys will showcase SBF CASES, a web-based rapid application building tool that can be swiftly configured and scaled to build enterprise level management systems, specifically those in the legal field. Architected for flexibility and modularity, the SBF CASES platform offers an adaptable foundation for building solutions that adjust to any case centric processes, such as document management or SharePoint integration or reporting.

About the ALA Annual Conference

The Association of Legal Administrators (ALA) Annual Conference & Exposition is the legal management profession’s most comprehensive event of its kind. Featuring dynamic and relevant education presented by recognized leaders in their field, the ALA Annual Conference will enhance your knowledge, develop your management skills, and enable you to achieve greater personal and professional growth.

ALA’s three-day Exposition is a vital extension of the educational program and provides the opportunity to update yourself on the latest technologies, find solutions to business issues, solve problems, uncover emerging trends, and develop valuable resources and partnerships in the legal industry.

SpinSys Joins OSEHRA as its Newest Member

SpinSys, a leading provider of enterprise-wide legal solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal Government agencies, has become the newest Corporate Member of OSEHRA (Open Source Electronic Health Record Agent), a nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating innovation in electronic health record software.

OSEHRA’s mission is to facilitate, through the use of the best practices in open source softwaredevelopment, the improvement and maintenance of EHR information systems.  OSEHRA simply and powerfully establishes anorganized framework for users, developers, service providers, researchers, universities and for-profit companies to communicate, collaborate, and share.   “SpinSys is excited to be a part of OSEHRA’s Membership program.  We look forward to finding new and innovative ways to support the electronic healthcare community, and forging stronger collaborative relationships with OSEHRA and its members,” says Wael Ali, President and CEO of SpinSys. SpinSys provides an array of innovative products, technical services and solutions for Government clients.  For example, SpinSys has been instrumental in developing multi-functional healthcare informatics tools, inthe Military Health System (MHS).  These include large scale data collection, warehousing, aggregation and transmission systems using the Multi-platform Data Aggregation and Collection Application (MDACA).

“As a leader in developing new approaches to advance our objectives in accelerating innovation in open source health information technology, we welcome SpinSys as our newest Corporate Member,” states Dr. Seong Ki Mun, OSEHRA Chief Executive Officer and President.

The OSEHRA Membership program allows members to be part of a community dedicated to thefuture of electronic health record innovation and other open source healthinformatics initiatives.

SpinSys Joins Red Hat Partner Program

SpinSys, a leading provider of enterprise-wide medical, legal and financial solutions to Fortune 500 companies and federal government agencies, announced today that it has joined the Red Hat partner program.

SpinSys has broad knowledge of technologies based on Red Hat and Red Hat JBoss Middleware solutions  and created a solution that collects more than 1.2 billion records per day from medical diagnostic devices, electronic medical records, information kiosks, and other sources. In addition to reducing costs and improving efficiency, the solution is designed to help clients access healthcare records in seconds rather than weeks or months.

“We decided to partner with Red Hat because of our positive experience with them in the past. Red Hat’s technologies help SpinSys offer better and more cost-effective solutions to our clients,” said Wael Ali, President of SpinSys. “Joining the Red Hat partner program is an important milestone for Spin Systems, as it allows us to reinforce our capacity in the area of integration, as well as solidify ourselves as a strong competitor.”

The partnership highlights SpinSys’ range of expertise in Red Hat technologies, and demonstrates its commitment to the global open source community and to helping its clients leverage the flexibility, performance gains and economic benefits available through open source technologies.