Microsoft, BHOLD and what the parrot saw

Microsoft has acquired certain assets of BHOLD, a leading provider of identity and access governance functionality. BHOLD will continue as an independent entity. The terms of the deal will not be disclosed. Roadmap and licensing will be announced later.

Both Ian Glazer (Gartner) and Martin Kuppinger (Kuppinger Cole) blogged about the acquisition today. I’m the parrot and here’s what I saw after reading the announcement:

1. It was an acquisition of “certain assets” of BHOLD. So basically the IP (software) got bought leaving behind debts and various other obligations.
2. The “certain assets” apparently didn’t include the customers: “Current BHOLD customers’ support experience for their current products will remain the responsibility of BHOLD.”
3. As Ian Glazer says: “Voelker was acquired by Quest. BHOLD is now Microsoft. This leaves Omada standing alone.” The guys at Omada have big egos so I hope this is a wake up call for them. I think you’re FIM-software days might be numbered.
4. Ian further says: “This is a sensible deal for Microsoft. Forefront Identity Manager lacks IAG capabilities and an acquisition strategy makes perfect sense.” I agree. It is a sensible deal. But Ian asks the excellent question of how and when the BHOLD goo will show up in FIM. Integrated? Stand-alone? No one knows at the moment but we’ll probably hear something from Microsoft on this topic soon.
5. Ian also said: “Catch that last bit? Authorization management. BHOLD had some interesting ways of behaving like a PDP for SharePoint.” I actually think this bit might be more important to FIM’s long-term cloud management aspirations. Again, we’ll probably hear something from Microsoft on this topic soon.

So net-net this was a good deal for Microsoft. And what does the parrot see as the top 3 things Microsoft needs to do now that they have acquired “certain assets”?? Execute, execute, execute.

Technorati Tags: identity management,Microsoft,BHOLD

How to ensure Active Directory availability

We’ve released a white paper on this topic that you can find here (registration required) or here.

Today’s IT organizations refer to Active Directory as the ―heart of their infrastructure. Active Directory sits at the center of a Windows-based environment, and without it, the entire network can become useless. Because Active Directory is the key to the authentication and authorization functions that grant users access to nearly every resource they use throughout the day, an impaired Active Directory can cause performance, security, and availability problems throughout the network.

To manage Active Directory successfully, you’ll need tools to monitor its health and detect impending problems, as well as tools that can help correct those problems and even help you recover from a failure.

This paper explores some of the key capabilities you need to maintain a healthy Active Directory infrastructure, and examines techniques and technologies that can help recover from a failure, mistake or other problem condition.

I'll put a plug in for Spotlight on Active Directory. This is an awesome tool. In fact, if I was an AD admin or concerned with AD operations at all I'd have Spotlight on Active Directory at-hand or - at a bare minimum - bookmark the link to download it if I ever needed it: http://www.quest.com/spotlight-on-active-directory-pack/. The fact of the matter is we offer a fully functional 30-day evaluation license. So, if you ever find yourself in a bad situation you should download it and get some free diagnostics. It might just save your butt.

Technorati Tags: Quest Software,QSFT,Active Directory,Spotlight on Active Directory

Escalation Engineer – Identity Management in the UK

If anyone out there is interested in a position at Quest in beautiful Somerset here’s a link to the job here. Feel free to e-mail me if you’d like to get more info or an introduction.

We are looking for an extremely bright individual with a solid background in IT to join our highly skilled, customer-focused team of escalation engineers for our first-class Identity Management solutions. Escalation engineers provide expert technical support for advanced issues, and act as a critical link between Quest Support and the engineering teams. If you have systems administration or technical support experience in either a Windows Active Directory or Unix/Linux environment, and can demonstrate a passion for problem-solving, then we want to talk to you.

We are always looking ahead at cutting edge technologies, so this is a fantastic opportunity to get your career off to a great start or simply to keep you ahead of the curve working for one of the top companies in the industry. Through Quest Software’s award-winning solutions, our customers can get more from their IT investments; we attract and hire only the best to deliver our commitments to our customers.

This role is based in Somerset, UK at one of Quest’s global Research and Development sites.

Technorati Tags: QSFT,Quest Software

FISMA Security Guide for Quest Password Manager

We just released guidance on the security features of Quest Password Manager. It reviews access control, customer data protection, secure network communication, and more. There is also an appendix that describes how Password Manager’s security features meet the NIST-recommended security standards as detailed in the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA).

You can download a copy from here (registration required) or here.

Technorati Tags: QSFT,Quest Software,Quest Password Manager,security,identity management,FISMA

ActiveRoles Server European User Group 2011

16:00 – 19:00 Sunday, 16 October
InterContinental Frankfurt

http://www.theexpertsconference.com/europe/2011/general-information/quest-user-groups/

We’re pleased to introduce this ActiveRoles Server user group meeting to “The Experts Conference”. This meeting will bring together users for an interactive discussion around best practices and roadmap plans. Join the ActiveRoles Server product, development and program manager team as we discuss best practices for ActiveRoles Server’s AD Windows Security, delegation and day-to-day Active Directory management. We’ll cover integration scenarios, group management, and more. Join us for an information-packed session!

For more information and to register, please email: Allison.Main@quest.com

Technorati Tags: QSFT,Quest Software,ActiveRoles,ARS,TEC,The Experts Conference