Microsoft, IBM WS-Federation spec invites controversy
C|Net | at | by Mike
A Web services security specification, introduced this week by IBM and Microsoft, could emerge as a rival to the existing Sun Microsystems-backed Liberty Alliance Project. A group of major players on the Web services landscape, including IBM, Microsoft, BEA Systems, RSA Security and VeriSign announced the WS-Federation security specification on Tuesday.
While observers agree the need for a specification such as WS-Federation exists, they say WS-Federation largely re-creates work already done by Sun and other companies as part of the Liberty Alliance. The new specification could complicate the movement to build Web services industry standards by creating overlapping and competing movements, said analysts.