By Jennifer Mears
Network World, 09/24/01

Standards remain a huge issue for enterprise portals. XML and its Web services derivatives Universal Description, Discovery and Integration, and Simple Object Access Protocol are the critical emerging standards. (See “Web services: Where middleware and XML converge”). These protocols will ensure the portal can incorporate new technologies as they become available, says Gary Hein, an analyst with The Burton Group.

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“Other standards such as [Security Assertion Markup Language] will simplify integration between portal and access management products like Netegrity Siteminder,” says Hein. SAML is an XML security standard for exchanging authentication and authorization information, currently being developed by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards.

Most vendors claim support for XML, but are waiting for standards such as SOAP and SAML to be finalized. In lieu, they offer APIs, software developer kits and third-party add-ins, such as Plumtree’s hundreds of “Gadgets.” As portal software and XML matures, such proprietary approaches will fade away, Hein expects. In the meantime, network executives should ensure that code written to a portal’s APIs can speak HTTP, as is the case with Gadgets, Plumtree officials say.

Enterprise portals

Support for the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is also critical. With it, portals can tap into a company’s existing LDAP identity and authentication settings.

Related links:

Race for Portal Pre-eminence, IDC's e-business trends newsletter, June 28, 2001:

Business Portals: Applications and Architecture, from the Delphi Group:

Building a strong portal foundation, The Burton Group:

PeopleSoft adds collaboration to service automation app InfoWorld, 06/13/01

Information security will be key Computerworld, 09/14/01

Plumtree adds single sign-on to latest portal software Network World Fusion, 09/10/01

Do-it-yourselfers rethink Web hosting Network World, 09/10/01

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