Posted 9:11 AM (0) comments

Geneva was better

At it's Worldwide Partners Conference today, Microsoft announced the formal names for the products and services that had been going under the code name "Geneva":

• Active Directory Federation Services – formerly known as “Geneva” Server(and a name in use since at least 2005. See this press release )
  
• Windows Identity Foundation – formerly known as “Geneva” Framework (this name was suggested back in 2006, but for a slightly different product).
  
• Windows Cardspace – same as current version (also around since 2006).
  

Not nearly as catchy as "Vista", but that name has too much baggage. My preference would have been for Geneva Federation Services, Geneva Identity Foundation and GenevaCards. But, then, I don't make the big bucks!

Labels: cardspace, federation, Geneva, metasystem, Microsoft

Posted 10:57 AM (0) comments

Understanding Geneva

Kuppinger-Cole's Felix Gaehtgens is posting from Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference (PDC) about the just announced platform called "Geneva". Read the article for sure, but Felix also thinks, as he wrote to me, "...most people really don't 'get it' (even a lot of the other analysts, press people and developers keep mixing up concepts). " So in an attempt to clear up the confusion, he'll be hosting a Webinar this Friday to explain it all.

It's planned so that most people will have daylight access (8:30 AM PST / 11:30 AM EST / 4:30 PM CET) - well, except for the Asia-Pacific region, but I'm sure it will be archived for them.

Geneva, the successor to Active Directory Federation Services, is without a doubt the most important Identity announcement Microsoft has ever made.

Unfortunately, it won't ship for at least a year.

If you can get your hands on an early release, do so. In the meantime, listen to Felix' webinar.

Other good readings on Geneva:

Mike Jones
Pam Dingle
Don Schmidt
Vittorio Bertocci
Gerry Gebel

Labels: ADFS, cardspace, Geneva, Microsoft, Zermatt