Microsoft delivers beta of its next release of Forefront Identity Manager
FIM fans: There's a new beta available for download of the next version of Microsoft's Forefront Identity Manager.
The Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 beta is available via the Microsoft Connect site. The coming release includes the following features, according to Microsoft:
- Credential management with web based password reset
- Historical reporting using integration to the System Center Service Manager data warehouse
- Greater ease of use through enhanced initial load performance, improved diagnostics and and enhanced load and scale performance
- Additional support for Microsoft Outlook 2010, and Microsoft SharePoint Foundation 2010
I've asked Microsoft when the company plans to ship the R2 version of FIM 2010 and will update if/when I hear back. The answer: First half of 2012. Microsoft made FIM 2010 available to customers in March 2010.
FIM is Microsoft's digital-identity-management product that integrates with Active Directory and Exchange Server. It is the successor to the Microsoft Identity Lifecycle Manager offering (and before that, the Microsoft Identity Integration Server and Certificate Lifecycle Manager products). FIM handles tasks like identity schronization, certificate management, user password resets, user provisioning, etc.
FIM is one of the products from Microsoft's Identity group, which is working on security and identity products for both server and cloud. There's been a reorg in that group, and last I heard, Microsoft is seeking a new leader for the Identity division.
By the way -- since I'm talking about an enterprise product here -- it might be a good time to mention that I'm going to be joining Paul Thurrott as a cohost of Windows Weekly on the TWiT Network (as was announced on the show last week). I'm going to be trying to sneak in more enterprise content (don't tell Leo Laporte) as part of my mission there. If you have Microsoft and/or Microsoft-related enterprise news that you think deserves a shout-out on Windows Weekly, send me more information about it using the blog contact form below. Remember: Keeping your pitch short and making sure it's timely will make me more likely to respond....