Even though this appears to be unrelated to the Microsoft/Novell deal, there is a certain achievement to mark today. A group of companies, including IBM, have been working toward unification of open identity management protocols. This also includes interoperability with Microsoft's proprietary solution. I am rather surprised to see that it is Novell that chimes in with a press release. They truly need to show some interoperability progress, having recently postponed and curtailed yet another opportunity. From Novell's press release, one gets the feeling that the greatest achievement is theirs.

To be clear on this, Microsoft chose to go down a separate aisle and create its separate solution rather than blend in with the open and collaborative initiative.

"We have finally put down the boxing gloves and are trying to figure out how to solve our customers' problems," said Roger Sullivan, the newly elected president of the Liberty Alliance and vice president of Oracle's identity management section.

The Liberty Alliance, whose participants include HP, Sun and IBM, backs the ID-Web Services Framework (ID-WSF), a set of protocols for Web services. Microsoft supports another set, WS-Star.

At the moment, the same goes for Ajax (quote below). Even VPN, among other things. As such, it is not surprising that companies address the European Commission and say that Windows Vista is illegal. It stifles and discourages use of widely-supported protocols and formats. Even JPEG is being jeopardised.

While the alliance already has an impressive list of members, one name remains conspicuously absent: Microsoft.