Microsoft Creates Programmes For Improved Integration With Active Directory
Microsoft’s continued interoperability focus includes new programme for ISVs and additional partner support.
1 AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — 5 July 2005 — At its foremost technology show in Europe, Tech•Ed 2005 Europe, Microsoft Corp. today announced a range of new offerings that enable easier interoperability with Microsoft® Active Directory®. The new offerings include the Active Directory Interoperability Programme, which features the Active Directory Password Change Notification Service for use by independent software vendors (ISVs); a new third-party-developed OpenLDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) Management Agent for Microsoft Identity Integration Server 2003 (MIIS); and new third-party support for Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS).
“Microsoft has made a long-term commitment to making interoperability even easier for customers,” said Kim Saunders, director of Interoperability Programs. “By building on our current interoperability technologies in Active Directory and partnering with key ISVs, Microsoft is providing the technologies, technical information and support that will make it even easier for customers to use Active Directory with their non-Windows® systems and applications, and for ISVs to build products that work well with Active Directory.”
Working With What You Have
The new Microsoft Active Directory Interoperability Programme is designed to help partners take advantage of the rich interoperability capabilities built into Active Directory, including ADFS and includes the following:
• Interoperability Developer Labs, for Active Directory interoperability projects in Redmond, Washington
• Active Directory Password Change Notification Service, a technology package that enables ISVs and enterprise customers to deploy solutions that more easily integrate their Active Directory infrastructure with non-Active Directory applications and services
• Intellectual property and protocol technology licensing for Active Directory interoperability, including Kerberos PAC group membership, Authentication and Directory Servers, and new licenses now available for Active Directory Client, Group Policy Client, and Domain Services Interaction (DSIP)
• New one-stop source for Active Directory interoperability information, including technical information for developers and IT professionals delivering solutions for Active Directory interoperability scenarios (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserversystem/interop/default.mspx)
For further information on any aspect of the Active Directory Interoperability Programme please contact intAD@microsoft.com.
Microsoft is also working closely with Kernel Networks in France to extend the current list of LDAP directories supported by MIIS. MIIS is a centralised service that stores and integrates information for organisations with multiple directories. The goal of MIIS is to provide organisations with a unified view of users’ identities across multiple directories and identity systems. MIIS currently supports management agents for several directories such as iPlanet Directory Server 4.x; Sun One Directory Server 5.x; Netscape Directory Server 6.x; Novell eDirectory 8.7.x; and IBM Directory Server.
Kernel Networks will be making the new OpenLDAP Management Agent available on an open and royalty-free basis in the fourth quarter of 2005, enabling customers to freely adopt it and tailor it to their needs. The new OpenLDAP Management Agent will provide connectivity for commercial and non-commercial applications between MIIS 2003 and OpenLDAP 2.x-based directories, allowing customers to integrate OpenLDAP 2.x into an MIIS-based identity management solution.
Interoperability by Design
Microsoft is working closely with others in the industry to deliver the WS-* Web Services (WS) Architecture. This architecture simplifies interoperability across connected systems including single sign-on (SSO) functionality across organisational and platform boundaries. Active Directory Federation Services, a new feature of Active Directory that will be available in Windows Server™ 2003 R2, uses the WS-* architecture to provide an open model for web SSO to web applications in internet-facing scenarios.
As further evidence of the growing industry momentum behind Microsoft’s commitment to interoperability, Centrify Corp. and Vintela Inc. are today announcing their support for extending the new capabilities provided by ADFS to non-Windows environments.
"Customers already rely on Centrify to make optimal use of Active Directory's identity management and policy services to secure their non-Windows environments," said Tom Kemp, CEO of Centrify. "Active Directory Federation Services now vastly simplifies their ability to set up secure, federated relationships for their Windows environments, and Centrify complements Microsoft's solution with web SSO agents for ADFS that extend this secure, trusted relationship to non-Microsoft web servers."
For Jackson Shaw, vice president of product management at Vintela, the opportunity to enable internet application providers to seamlessly provide enhanced security and manageability in federated web environments is key. "Vintela integration solutions address the challenges companies face when trying to provide a single point of authentication and authorisation for a mixed operating system environment,” said Shaw. “Vintela solutions allow organisations to leverage their existing investment in Microsoft products and technologies by adding the ability to integrate and manage Unix, Linux, and Java environments through Microsoft systems and interfaces. Support for ADFS allows our shared customers to quickly take advantage of Active Directory interoperability in a federated web environment."
Microsoft strongly believes interoperability is the proven approach for dealing with the diversity and heterogeneity of the marketplace. Through Microsoft Active Directory interoperability developer labs, expanded IP and technology license offerings, and new technical content, Microsoft is continuing to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to partners working on interoperability.
About Microsoft Tech•Ed Europe
In its 12th year in Europe, Tech•Ed is Microsoft’s definitive European conference for building, deploying, securing and managing connected solutions. With a strong mix of developer, infrastructure and messaging content, Microsoft Tech•Ed Europe is Microsoft’s premier technical training conference for a wide range of technology professionals.
About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 12,000 people in over 55 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
#########
This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corporation disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to use of the material for other purposes. Microsoft Corporation shall not, at any time, be liable for any special, direct, indirect or consequential damages, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other action arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of the material. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting any kind of warranty.
Microsoft, Active Directory, Windows and Windows Server are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Microsoft PR Contacts
Dawn Beauparlant, Waggener Edstrom
Phone: +1 206 240 8088
E-mail:dawnb@wagged.com
Microsoft EMEA Response
Phone: +44 870 243 0515
E-mail:emearesponse@wagged.com
Note to editors
If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft in EMEA, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/emea or the EMEA Press Centre at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at the time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact the Microsoft EMEA Press Office at +44 870 243 0515 or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/contactus.
If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft Corp., please visit the Microsoft web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft’s corporate information pages.
