Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 Now Available -- Redmondmag.com

Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 Now Available

By Kurt Mackie
06/14/2012

Microsoft released Forefront Identity Manager 2010 R2 today.

The product is an identity and access management solution for use across Windows and heterogeneous computing environments, according to Microsoft. It's one of seven solutions in Microsoft's enterprise-grade Forefront security software product line.

Microsoft released an R2 interim version of the Identity Manager 2010 product based on two improvements. The R2 version includes an "improved" password reset self-service facility for end users and greater control for IT pros in setting role-based network access, according to a Microsoft blog post.

The role-based access control in the R2 product is derived from Microsoft's integration of technology from Bhold Software. Microsoft's Bhold technology, purchased in September and now integrated with Identity Manager 2010 R2, allows users to "define and manage access based on user roles," according to the blog post. At the time of the Bhold asset purchase, Gartner analyst Ian Glazer described it as adding a missing governance piece to Microsoft's identity and access technologies.

Microsoft refers to its integrated Bhold assets as the "Microsoft Bhold Suite," which includes "role-based access control, attestation, analytics, reporting, FIM integration and FIM provisioning." The suite was released earlier this month and is available to purchasers of the new Identity Management 2010 R2 product or to those with Software Assurance coverage on the preceding product.

Microsoft also claims that Identity Management 2010 R2 has improved its "self-service password reset" feature. This feature now works with "many of the most popular Web browsers," according to Microsoft's blog, but the browsers it works weren't listed, except for Internet Explorer. The self-service password reset feature also works with extranets now, which enables better support for mobile users.

Microsoft also made a few technical improvements to Identity Manager 2010 R2, including the use System Center Service Manager Data Warehouse for storing reports. Reports now can be run through SQL Server Reporting Services.

An evaluation copy of Identity Manager 2010 R2 can be accessed here. The software requirements include multiple Microsoft products, such as 64-bit Windows Server 2008 and 64-bit SQL Server 2008 versions.

About the Author

Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media's Converge360 group.

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