News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren Rotman" <>]

Internet2 Collaborates with Microsoft Corporation to Enable Interoperability
of Federated Authentication Software

Shibboleth to Interoperate with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - December 6, 2005 - Internet2(R), the foremost U.S.
advanced networking consortium, today announced that it has developed a new
extension of Shibboleth, the widely-deployed federated authentication
software, in support of Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2, introduced today.
The new extension of Shibboleth version 1.3 provides interoperability with
Microsoft's Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), allowing sites
using ADFS to participate in the rapidly growing number of Shibboleth-based
federations worldwide.

Shibboleth is standards-based, open source middleware software providing
both intra-domain and inter-domain single-sign on (SSO) capability.
Shibboleth implements the OASIS Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)
standard specification, and is certified for use with the United States
E-Authentication Federation. Both Shibboleth and Microsoft's ADFS provide a
mechanism for institutions to share resources across organizational
boundaries and to make informed authorization decisions for individual
access of protected online resources. By enabling interoperability,
Microsoft and the Internet2 community ensure prolonged value of both
technologies, allowing institutions to more effectively leverage their
investments in these solutions. 

"The Internet2 community has been a pioneer in developing a robust,
standards-based federated authentication architecture," said Ken
Klingenstein, director of the middleware initiative for Internet2. "ADFS
interoperability is an important extension and validation of the Shibboleth
technology as it continues to gain traction among both commercial and higher
education institutions." 

As more and more companies and organizations make information materials and
resources accessible online, the need for secure access solutions has become
critical. The federated authentication model implemented by both Internet2
and Microsoft has proven to provide online resource providers and
institutions with a solid platform for exchanging information in a highly
secure and privacy-preserving manner. 

"The interoperability of ADFS and Shibboleth will allow federation
agreements among companies and organizations regardless of the underlying
technical solution they choose to deploy," said Jeff Price, Senior Director
in the Windows Server Division at Microsoft. "Our work with partners such as
Internet2 ensures the viability of federated technologies and provides
customers a streamlined, secure, and confidential means for accessing
web-based resources." 

For more information on Shibboleth, visit:  http://shibboleth.internet2.edu

About Internet2
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities working with industry and government,
Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and
technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of
tomorrow's Internet.  Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia,
industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy.

For more information, visit: www.internet2.edu. 

Product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered
owners.

Contact:
Lauren Rotman

202.331.5345

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