CA has launched a SOA Security Gateway, part of its IAM (Identity and Access Management) r12. The announcement brings CA into head-on competition with vendors including IBM and Cisco, though it doesn't really represent another player in the market, as much of the technology comes from an OEM deal with Web services security vendor Vordel.

CA isn't just re-selling Vordel software. Technically, the SOA security portion of Identity and Access Management comes in two components: The CA SOA Security Gateway is simply the Vordel XML Gateway, handling format conversion, application firewall and content screening. The CA SOA Security Manager is a broader offering that integrates the gateway with CA'' own identity management system.

The full IAM suite also includes three other security products: CA Mainframe Security Manager, its SiteMinder access control software for Web-based apps, and CA Directory. The theory is that all can work together as a single sign-on system – one of the original (but so far mostly unrealized) promises of Web services.

Standalone SOA security gateways already have been under pressure, with their core firewall functionality absorbed into network infrastructure hardware or other SOA products. (And increasingly both at once, as in the case of products like IBM's ESB box. For a closer look at these, see our rolling reviews of SOA appliances.) IAM suites represent yet another way to provide the same features, and are an obvious choice for people concerned about SSO.

The deal also is very good news for Vordel, which last month upgraded all its products and moved into SOA governance. It shows that other SOA vendors are not the only potential partners (or acquirers) for SOA startups, and could lead to other security vendors partnering with either Vordel or competitors such as Layer 7 Technologies.