News
Microsoft Partners Aren't Sleeping on NAP
More than 100 partners have committed to supporting Microsoft's Network
Access Protection (NAP) technology for quarantining and remediating edge
devices, such as roaming laptops.
"It's the who's who in all of the major categories," Mike Schutz, group
product manager in Microsoft's edge and security organization, said when
Microsoft announced the partner support in February.
NAP support ships in Windows Vista and will ship in Windows Server "Longhorn,"
scheduled for later this year. NAP is designed to provide components and
an application programming interface that help administrators enforce
compliance with health policies for network access or communications.
Using NAP, third-party developers and administrators can build solutions
for validating computers that connect to their networks, provide needed
updates or access to needed resources and limit the access of non-compliant
computers.
One important name on Microsoft's list of supporters is Cisco Systems
Inc., although the two companies have been working together for awhile
to ensure NAP and Cisco's Network Admission Control (NAC) would interoperate.
Other major players lining up to support NAP include Citrix Systems Inc.,
McAfee Inc., Nortel Networks, RSA Inc. (a division of EMC Corp.), Symantec
Corp. and Trend Micro Inc.
About the Author
Stuart J. Johnston has covered technology, especially Microsoft, since February 1988 for InfoWorld, Computerworld, Information Week, and PC World, as well as for Enterprise Developer, XML & Web Services, and .NET magazines.