The "big" piece of news as of late in the world of identity has nothing to do with deployments, protocol battles, or product launches. Rather, the big news is that Dick Hardt, founder of Sxip and Sxipper, is joining Microsoft.
I'll leave to Dick to explain the Sxip/Sxipper relationship, and instead default to saying this: I first met Dick at (I believe) the second Digital ID World. From day one, he pushed, cajoled, challenged, built and imagined an identity system that lived up to *his* ideals. Along the way, he also became a friend (full disclosure).
Dick's pursuit of his ideals around identity has had to make some architectural compromises along the way (OpenID, etc), but I don't think he's ever lost the kernel that compelled him to get into identity in the first place.
Despite what some folks are writing, Microsoft has not been a "dismal failure" in identity management. Far from it. Dick's fellow Canadian, Kim Cameron, has spear-headed an effort inside of Microsoft that has produced more tangible goodness from the Borg than most of us in the tech world could ever imagine.
The fact that they're now bringing on an open source advocate (who has publicly stated he'll continue to be a "Mac guy") speaks volumes about how much Microsoft's culture has changed since the 1990s.
So, Dick - congratulations. And Microsoft - nice work. ;-)
