IBM and Novell on Monday are expected to announce an open-source response to Microsoft"s forthcoming InfoCard identity management technology.
The companies plan to contribute to an open-source initiative code-named Higgins Project. The project aims to help people manage their plethora of Internet logins and passwords by integrating identity, profile and relationship information used across authentication systems on the Net.
The initiative also includes the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School and Parity Communications, a company developing "social commerce" software that has been operating in stealth mode. The open-source project, managed by the Eclipse Foundation, is a response to Microsoft"s InfoCard identity management technology, Anthony Nadalin, distinguished engineer and chief security architect at IBM, said in an interview.