Since SAML (what Google uses for SSO) needs a browser in order function properly, alternative clients such as mobile devices can’t leverage SAML SSO.  Therefore, traditional authentication mechanisms (e.g. user idpassword) are required.  This becomes a challenge when SSO is enabled within Google because password management by the user within the web UI is disabled. 

To allow access for alternative clients, a password needs to be created in Google Apps. 

SSO Easy has two options available through its EasyConnect Single Sign On solution for doing this:

1)  Allow the user to set a password in Google

2)  Synchronize AD passwords with Google

Active Directory is the most common IT repository for storing user credentials and security policies.  IT organizations, for good reason, embrace the idea of this type of effective central management capability for user entitlement information.

Countless organizations are rolling out Google Apps to their users in an effort to reduce costs, improve productivity, and harness the synergy associated with collaboration among users and groups in the organization.  In order to truly benefit from the promise of Google Apps, enabling support for Single Sign On capability is essential.

Google requires that organizations comply with the specifications of the SAML 2.0 protocol in order to enable SSO support.

More and more, organizations who are implementing Google Apps are requiring seamless integration, use and Password sync of credentials that currently reside in Active Directory for enabling SAML 2.0 Single Sign On (SSO) access to Google Apps.