Dan’l Lewin, Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Emerging Business Development for Microsoft, was on the big stage at JavaOne this morning, delivering a keynote presentation focused on interoperability among disparate information system platforms.  Acknowledging the critical importance of Identity in enabling interoperability, Dan’l remarked, "Identity is Fundamental," and "

Nothing is more important than Identity."   He further remarked, "we just assume that Identity will be federated" as we move to cloud computing.

I started this blog on May 13, 2005 – the day Scott McNealy and Steve Ballmer met in a press conference to announce commitment to interoperability between the Microsoft and Sun platforms.  In that maiden post, I stated:

"Identity Management is the key to enabling interoperability. It is the pivot about which the Microsoft/Sun relationship turns. Why – because Identity, by its very nature, transcends platforms. Regardless of which application or platform is being used, a user’s basic identity doesn’t change. So, in a naturally heterogenous world, an ability to rise above the differences between computer platforms is necessary if companies are to reach goals of efficiency and connectivity they require for business success."

It is heartening to hear Dan’l give essentially the same message today, and to see the progress that has been made in the past four years. 

It was also encouraging to hear both Dan’l and Aisling MacRunnels, Sun VP, Application Platform Software Marketing, re-state their respective committment to fostering interoperability between the Java and .Net computing platforms.  Aisling announced that Sun had strengthened its commitment to interoperability efforts by agreeing to participate in the Stonehenge project and contribute the Metro-based StockTrader application code to that project.

What do you think the next four years will bring?

Technorati Tags: SunMicrosystems, Microsoft, Interoperability, Identity, IdentityManagement, StoneHenge, Metro, JavaOne