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Scott VanSickle
Amber Carso
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MENLO PARK, Calif. (July 9, 1999) – The Open Group, a leading consortium dedicated to enterprise integration, today announced plans to create certification tests and procedures for directory interoperability which will be open to all independent software vendors (ISVs). IBM, Lotus and Novell, members of the newly created Directory Interoperability Forum, and Hewlett-Packard, member of The Open Group Directory Program, all have stated their full endorsement for the planned testing. As a result of these tests, LDAP products and applications, which use directory services, will be able to be tested and certified for interoperability.
Directory-enabled applications help IT managers integrate and adopt new applications and technologies without having to redesign the network infrastructure. Examples of directory information include e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and other user identity information vital to conducting e-business. A vendor and technology-neutral directory standard will help ISVs develop applications more efficiently, allowing them to get products to market faster while guaranteeing the interoperability of applications from multiple vendors.
“The Open Group is dedicated to helping organizations integrate their applications and middleware throughout their enterprise,” said Allen Brown, COO and Acting President of The Open Group. “We are pleased to be working on providing directory interoperability programs which will increase reliability and customer confidence in multi-vendor LDAP application and product solutions.”
Directory products and applications,
which pass the certification process, can apply for an Open Group brand. Under this breakthrough program, LDAP platform
suppliers will stand behind a formal guarantee to the buyer that their product conforms to
the interoperability standard over the life of the product. IT and network managers will
be able to confidently implement multi-vendor directory solutions.
IBM, Lotus, Novell, Hewlett-Packard and The Open Group will formally announce and begin definition of the detailed plan at the upcoming Open Group quarterly member conference: “Privacy for the Global Enterprise”, to be held in Montreal July 19-23. The Directory Program Group, within The Open Group, will drive the definition, development and operation of the certification plans. All LDAP suppliers, application providers and IT buyers with interest in directory services interoperability are invited to attend the Montreal session to participate in the definition of the certification and brand program.
The initial phase of the program will be available within three months under the trusted Open Brand mark. The program will evolve and expand to accommodate the evolution of enterprise directory capability. LDAP application providers will also be able to participate in a certification process that, upon successful and audited completion, will enable them to declare their application product are LDAP compliant. The program is designed to insure simplicity, ease of registration without compromise on conformance and is open to all suppliers.
Products that conform to the standard
specifications can receive the Open Brand, awarded by The Open Group. Established over ten
years ago, the Open Brand ensures that products fulfill all the criteria of open
computing. Represented by the "X" mark, the Open Brand provides the purchaser
with a binding supplier guarantee that each registered product not only conforms to open
standards but will continue to conform. The Open Brand also guarantees that in the event
of problems, the fault will be corrected within a prescribed time frame.
ABOUT THE OPEN GROUP
The Open Group is committed to delivering greater business efficiency by bringing together buyers and suppliers of information systems to lower the cost and risks associated with integrating new technology across the enterprise. The Open Group, a vender and technology-neutral consortium, ensures that multi-vendor information technology matches the demands and needs of customers. This is achieved through the development and deployment of frameworks, polices, best practices and standards in pursuit of the group’s IT DialTone vision --- the concept of making all technology as open and accessible as using a telephone.
By leveraging the expertise of its sponsors – Compaq (NSYE: CPQ), Fujitsu, HP (NYSE: HWP), Hitachi (TSE:6501), IBM (NYSE: IBM), NCR (NYSE: NCR), Siemens, Sun (NASDAQ: SUNW) - and other members comprising leading software companies, Fortune 500 users and government departments, The Open Group is well on its way to achieving the DialTone vision. Embracing the maxim: "we can do so much more together than alone", The Open Group is helping its members to stay ahead in the race to use technology to gain competitive advantage.
Additional information about The Open Group is available at the consortium’s web site at http://www.opengroup.org.
Note to editors: IT DialTone and The Open Group are trademarks of The Open Group in the US and other countries. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only, and may be trademarks of their respective owners.