Microsoft selects InCommon platform as verification method for DreamSpark programme

Telecomworldwire,  May 21, 2008  

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TELECOMWORLDWIRE-21 May 2008-Microsoft selects InCommon platform as verification method for DreamSpark programme(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD http://www.m2.com

A platform from InCommon, a US identity management federation for higher education, has been selected as the preferred verification method for US students to access software Microsoft Corp's DreamSpark programme, which provides professional development and design tools free of charge to students in ten countries.

The InCommon Federation, a non-profit organisation and Internet2 subsidiary, serves the US higher education sector and has nearly 2m users at more than 80 higher education institutions and service providers. It links a resource provider's online system to the identity management system of a partner university, meaning students are asked for their university credentials when logging into the resource provider site.

According to Microsoft, the university system can then authenticate the student, staff or faculty, giving them access to the online resource with releasing the individual's personal information. It confirmed personal information release can be changed and controlled, base on the relationship between the online resource and partner university.

Microsoft said students wishing to download software available through the DreamSpark programme, which incorporates Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, Microsoft Expression Studio, Windows Server Standard Edition and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition, will have their student status verified by participating InCommon universities.

The company claimed DreamSpark will redirect students to log into their home university, which will pass the student attribute to DreamSpark and confirm the students' enrolment status.

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