Microsoft releases public Beta 1 of Stirling security bundle

On April 8, Microsoft made available to any and all interested testers a public beta of "Stirling," a bundle of several of next-generation versions of its security and management wares.

The elements of Stirling include Forefront Client Security, Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint and the next generation of Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration Server (ISA Server) -- which Microsoft is renaming Forefront Threat Management Gateway -- and a unified management console.

The final release of Stirling is slated for the first half of 2009, the Softies reiterated on Tuesday.

Microsoft has been privately testing Stirling over the last few months. The public Stirling beta is downloadable from the Microsoft site and/or is available in prson at the Microsoft booth at the RSA Conference in San Francisco this week.