Microsoft has been offering its first web hosted security service under the Forefront brand since April of this year, dubbed "Forefront Online Security for Exchange" and designed to help keep malware and spam out of email inboxes.The current hosted service targets enterprise MS Exchange customers and includes a web-based console for setting up policies for virus and spam protection.

Microsoft have also released a public beta version of its "Codename: Stirling Security Suite", which is the next generation of the Forefront software.The initial beta version of Stirling was released about a year ago and includes client, server, application security and a single management console. Stirling's components will come in staggered releases starting later this year with Forefront Security for Exchange and Threat Management and continuing through the first half of 2010. As I have stated in other blogs Microsoft have rebranded it's Identity Lifecycle Manager product to Forefront Identity Manager and plans to offer a new set of identity technologies, codenamed Geneva, for helping organisations improve the security of software and services.

In addition to the above, Microsoft have invested approximately $75 million in a partner eco-system, this included making a strategic partnership with RSA. Other companies integrating with "Stirling" or as it will be know "Forefront Identity Suite" include Kaspersky, Brocade, Juniper Networks, Guardium, Imperva, Sourcefire, StillSecure, Q1 Labs and Tipping Point. These moves are part of Microsoft's strategy to provide "Business Ready Security".

The Forefront product line consists of the following:

Microsoft Forefront Client Security (formerly called Microsoft Client Protection)

Microsoft Forefront Identity Management (formerly called ILM2)

Microsoft Forefront Security for Exchange Server (formerly called Microsoft Antigen for Exchange)

Microsoft Forefront Security for SharePoint (formerly called Antigen for SharePoint)

Microsoft Forefront Server Security Management Console

Microsoft Forefront Security for Office Communications Server (currently called Antigen for Instant Messaging)

Microsoft Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2006

Intelligent Application Gateway (IAG) 2007

For more information on Forefront call us on: 0161 906 2233 or email me at: david.poole@salfordsoftware.co.uk