Server and Tools Business News Bytes blog : Stirling

Business Ready Security at WPC 2009

grantkd — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:52:00 GMT

This week in New Orleans, Microsoft is hosting the annual Worldwide Partner Conference where Microsoft made several identity and security announcements as part of their Business Ready Security strategy including the following:

o Forefront codename “Stirling” - the next generation of the Forefront Security Suite will be officially known as Forefront Protection Suite (FPS). FPS will include the products in the current suite, plus the Forefront Protection Manager (formerly known as the “Stirling” management console) and the Forefront Threat Management Gateway Web Security Service.

o FPS pricing will remain the same as the current Forefront Security Suite and all of the component solutions will continue to be licensed on a subscription basis. They will also be available independently, with Forefront Protection Manager included. (Note that the Forefront Threat Management Gateway license is sold separately on a per processor basis.) The new FPS solutions are currently in beta and final versions will ship over the course of the latter half of 2009 and the first half of 2010.

o Microsoft also announced that Forefront Unified Access Gateway beta 2 is available for download at www.microsoft.com/forefront. UAG provides secure, virtually anywhere access to messaging, collaboration and other applications, increasing productivity and policy compliance. UAG also extends the benefits of Windows DirectAccess across the enterprise, enhancing scalability, deployment and management.

At WPC Microsoft also announced the following new product solution names:

o Forefront Endpoint Protection 2010 - current version is Forefront Client Security

o Forefront Protection 2010 for Exchange Server - current version is Forefront Security for Exchange Server

o Forefront Protection 2010 for SharePoint - current version is Forefront Security for SharePoint

o Forefront Online Protection for Exchange - currently called Forefront Online Security for Exchange

o Forefront Threat Management Gateway Web Security Service - the next generation of ISA Server 2006.

For more information on this announcement please check out the WPC virtual press room or the Microsoft Forefront & Windows Server team blog.

Microsoft Announces Business Ready Security for Enterprises

grantkd — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Today, the Identity and Security Business Group unveiled its Business Ready Security strategy and disclosed product and service updates, including the introduction of Forefront Online Security for Exchange, “Stirling” beta 2 availability and expansion of the Forefront brand. We are also announcing a broad group of companies supporting and extending the capabilities of Forefront “Stirling.”

As part of introducing Business Ready Security, Microsoft is highlighting customers who are betting on Microsoft’s security solutions. For instance, a company called Exostar is currently using Microsoft solutions to allow global aerospace companies to securely collaborate on complex, multi-enterprise projects. Exostar’s ForumPass solution uses Active Directory Federation Services and Forefront products to serve a growing community of 8500 users across 170 organizations. Exostar is a real world, here and now example of Business Ready Security.

Exostar PressPass

You can learn more about today’s news by visiting the Forefront Team Blog and the newly launched Infrastructure Press Pass site , which is showcasing additional videos, a new ESG whitepaper and a PressPass Q&A with Doug Leland, GM of the Identity and Security Business Group.

Schedule Update for Forefront “Stirling”

mdingle — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Today Microsoft announced an update on release timing for Forefront code name “Stirling,” an integrated security suite that combines the next-generation Forefront solutions for endpoint, messaging and collaboration, and network protection with a central management console for easy administration and enterprise-wide visibility.

Microsoft will begin the release of the “Stirling” security suite with the delivery of Forefront Server Security for Exchange and Threat Management Gateway (the next generation of ISA Server) in the fourth quarter of 2009.
The "Stirling” management console, Forefront Client Security 2.0 and Forefront Security for SharePoint will be released in the first half of 2010.
The company will ship a public beta 2 of “Stirling” and a release candidate prior to final release.

Previously, Microsoft communicated that “Stirling” was targeted for release in the first half of this year. They have been working closely with customers in the Technology Adoption Program to gather their feedback about how to deliver the best experience and value with “Stirling.” One of the top customer requests was adding interoperability with third party security solutions. To this end, Microsoft plans to increase its focus on one of the unique features of “Stirling”, Security Assessment Sharing (SAS.) SAS correlates security events from different Forefront products and third party solutions, enabling administrators to quickly investigate and remediate security events. We will provide information about interoperability partners in the near future.

In addition, Microsoft is investing significantly in a behavior-based technology called Dynamic Signature Service. This will complement the "Stirling" suite's advanced heuristics, dynamic translation and real time application scanning for kernel level malware with a sophisticated approach to on-demand threat mitigation, helping deliver more comprehensive endpoint protection for zero day attacks.

Customers investing in Forefront solutions today will have an easy migration path to “Stirling.”