Comments on: What's behind open-source ID push?

IBM, Novell support Higgins, a previously obscure ID management effort. Why?

[ordaj]

Are you kidding me?

"There are no clear examples of where Higgins would be used, the timelines are sketchy and there are no actual products or workable code, analysts said.

'It is too amorphous--the picture is cloudy. It looks like it might develop into a very interesting picture, but what are the odds (of that happening)? We don't know,' Forrester Research analyst Michael Gavin said."

How come this was never said with Vista or any other Mircosoft announced product? They announce vaporware all the time.

[robertcampbell2]

Exactly

Vaporware plain and simple. Both competitors have shown little interest in this area...until Info card came along. Anyone remember the last vaporware announced by Microsoft?

[ordaj]

Are you kidding me?

"There are no clear examples of where Higgins would be used, the timelines are sketchy and there are no actual products or workable code, analysts said.

'It is too amorphous--the picture is cloudy. It looks like it might develop into a very interesting picture, but what are the odds (of that happening)? We don't know,' Forrester Research analyst Michael Gavin said."

How come this was never said with Vista or any other Mircosoft announced product? They announce vaporware all the time.

[robertcampbell2]

Exactly

Vaporware plain and simple. Both competitors have shown little interest in this area...until Info card came along. Anyone remember the last vaporware announced by Microsoft?

[Zymurgist]

Somewhat misleading article title...

... in that you'd expect it to cover the "why"
as in "why would anyone want/need an 'identity
management' system".

As for why IBM or Novell might mention it,
that's pretty obvious, isn't it -- to let people
know that MS isn't the only game in town.
Further, they have the distinct advantage in
that the majority of the system already exists
as discrete open source components. For them,
there's a little glue to write, but mostly it's
an issue of writing up a standard for deploying
it -- and packaging it.

Of course the Forrester guy thinks it's
ambiguous. By design it's not a product, but a
rather a protocol that can be implemented using
existing off-the-shelf open-source or
proprietary tools.

As far as why anyone would want identity
management software -- for consumers, they want
it because they know companies they do business
with want it and without being on board they'll
be left out in the cold, companies like IBM and
Novell want it because it sells software and
services, vendors want it because even if it
isn't more secure it might provide more
opportunities to recoup losses through
litigation, and criminals want it because though
it will be hard to commit fraud initially, once
intimately familiar with the system you'll be
able to play it like a fiddle for fun and
profit.

[Zymurgist]

Somewhat misleading article title...

... in that you'd expect it to cover the "why"
as in "why would anyone want/need an 'identity
management' system".

As for why IBM or Novell might mention it,
that's pretty obvious, isn't it -- to let people
know that MS isn't the only game in town.
Further, they have the distinct advantage in
that the majority of the system already exists
as discrete open source components. For them,
there's a little glue to write, but mostly it's
an issue of writing up a standard for deploying
it -- and packaging it.

Of course the Forrester guy thinks it's
ambiguous. By design it's not a product, but a
rather a protocol that can be implemented using
existing off-the-shelf open-source or
proprietary tools.

As far as why anyone would want identity
management software -- for consumers, they want
it because they know companies they do business
with want it and without being on board they'll
be left out in the cold, companies like IBM and
Novell want it because it sells software and
services, vendors want it because even if it
isn't more secure it might provide more
opportunities to recoup losses through
litigation, and criminals want it because though
it will be hard to commit fraud initially, once
intimately familiar with the system you'll be
able to play it like a fiddle for fun and
profit.

[nmacehiter]

To get the big picture

Take a look here for why Higgins is important for Novell and IBM

http://www.digitalidworld.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=326&mode=chrono&order=0&thold=0

and also here

http://www.mwdadvisors.com/blog/2006/03/higgins-infocard-and-conspiracy.html

for the challenges it poses for Sun

[nmacehiter]

To get the big picture

Take a look here for why Higgins is important for Novell and IBM

http://www.digitalidworld.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=326&mode=chrono&order=0&thold=0

and also here

http://www.mwdadvisors.com/blog/2006/03/higgins-infocard-and-conspiracy.html

for the challenges it poses for Sun

[locoHost]

Mac and Linux fanboys are hilarious

So as long as a Linux pusher like IBM and Novell is pushing ID management it's all a -great- idea. But MS anounces InfoCard last year and you guys started preaching "the end of the world is upon us!". You guys are hilarious.

[Leppard]

You mean it's a great idea... if it's open

THAT's the difference you're not understanding... yes we think it's a great idea if IBM and Novel are pushing it...because with them it's OPEN. With Microsoft it's not.

Open is better for everyone and more secure then a locked system where you don't know what the hell is going on behind the scenes.

[locoHost]

Mac and Linux fanboys are hilarious

So as long as a Linux pusher like IBM and Novell is pushing ID management it's all a -great- idea. But MS anounces InfoCard last year and you guys started preaching "the end of the world is upon us!". You guys are hilarious.

[Leppard]

You mean it's a great idea... if it's open

THAT's the difference you're not understanding... yes we think it's a great idea if IBM and Novel are pushing it...because with them it's OPEN. With Microsoft it's not.

Open is better for everyone and more secure then a locked system where you don't know what the hell is going on behind the scenes.

[samiamtoo]

Plenty of time

Obviously, the announcement was intended to counter some of the media coverage by the recent Vista press releases from Microsoft. If the author of this article can't figure that out, he is *way* too dense to be covering IT issues.

Regarding the maturity of "Higgins" (or lack of same), I see no reason for the IBM/Novell consortium to be in any particular hurry. What was the last security/privacy initiative from MS that they didn't royally screw up? Remember "MS Wallet"?

[Iohagh]

Virtual Product Announcements Are Vaporware

It seems the duopoly of IBM and its guys and MSN and its guys are in a war of words or vaporware propaganda that basically is about the emporers in this case, both, being without clothes. No patented technology, no timeline, just good press by dubious means which is having good writers write about other writers specualations.

Simply put, the solution to the marketplace isn't coming from MSN due to trust restrictions and not from IBM and crew because they are like mice who are too fat to get away from the cat down the hole.

The marketplace is ready and it will take a lot to stop what is coming, a real solution by a real credible player that serves the wholesale market but put its product universally in the hands of the consumer who doesn't trust anyone else anyway.

Big brother failed, banks fail, Visa failed, Amex failed, MasterCard and all the security companies failed however the FFIEC says solve it so it will be solved because that is a virtual franchise waiting for a real patented solution that works.

That's what I think. Ciao now.

[Iohagh]

Virtual Product Announcements Are Vaporware

It seems the duopoly of IBM and its guys and MSN and its guys are in a war of words or vaporware propaganda that basically is about the emporers in this case, both, being without clothes. No patented technology, no timeline, just good press by dubious means which is having good writers write about other writers specualations.

Simply put, the solution to the marketplace isn't coming from MSN due to trust restrictions and not from IBM and crew because they are like mice who are too fat to get away from the cat down the hole.

The marketplace is ready and it will take a lot to stop what is coming, a real solution by a real credible player that serves the wholesale market but put its product universally in the hands of the consumer who doesn't trust anyone else anyway.

Big brother failed, banks fail, Visa failed, Amex failed, MasterCard and all the security companies failed however the FFIEC says solve it so it will be solved because that is a virtual franchise waiting for a real patented solution that works.

That's what I think. Ciao now.

[samiamtoo]

Plenty of time

Obviously, the announcement was intended to counter some of the media coverage by the recent Vista press releases from Microsoft. If the author of this article can't figure that out, he is *way* too dense to be covering IT issues.

Regarding the maturity of "Higgins" (or lack of same), I see no reason for the IBM/Novell consortium to be in any particular hurry. What was the last security/privacy initiative from MS that they didn't royally screw up? Remember "MS Wallet"?

[Iohagh]

Virtual Product Announcements Are Vaporware

It seems the duopoly of IBM and its guys and MSN and its guys are in a war of words or vaporware propaganda that basically is about the emporers in this case, both, being without clothes. No patented technology, no timeline, just good press by dubious means which is having good writers write about other writers specualations.

Simply put, the solution to the marketplace isn't coming from MSN due to trust restrictions and not from IBM and crew because they are like mice who are too fat to get away from the cat down the hole.

The marketplace is ready and it will take a lot to stop what is coming, a real solution by a real credible player that serves the wholesale market but put its product universally in the hands of the consumer who doesn't trust anyone else anyway.

Big brother failed, banks fail, Visa failed, Amex failed, MasterCard and all the security companies failed however the FFIEC says solve it so it will be solved because that is a virtual franchise waiting for a real patented solution that works.

That's what I think. Ciao now.

[Iohagh]

Virtual Product Announcements Are Vaporware

It seems the duopoly of IBM and its guys and MSN and its guys are in a war of words or vaporware propaganda that basically is about the emporers in this case, both, being without clothes. No patented technology, no timeline, just good press by dubious means which is having good writers write about other writers specualations.

Simply put, the solution to the marketplace isn't coming from MSN due to trust restrictions and not from IBM and crew because they are like mice who are too fat to get away from the cat down the hole.

The marketplace is ready and it will take a lot to stop what is coming, a real solution by a real credible player that serves the wholesale market but put its product universally in the hands of the consumer who doesn't trust anyone else anyway.

Big brother failed, banks fail, Visa failed, Amex failed, MasterCard and all the security companies failed however the FFIEC says solve it so it will be solved because that is a virtual franchise waiting for a real patented solution that works.

That's what I think. Ciao now.