It is only a matter of time before identity management and network access control become one and the same. Some first steps on that account have been taken for HP ProCurve users that deploy Microsoft operating systems. HP's ProCurve identity management tool will now support Microsoft's network access control scheme, Network World reports. Specifically, HP's ProCurve Networking Identity Driven Manager (IDM) tool has been integrated with Microsoft's Network Access Protection (NAP), Microsoft's name for its NAC environment. IDM is a policy management tool used on ProCurve switches and wireless access points. Now that IDM is compatible with NAP, users can execute granular network access policies for both the person trying to log onto a network (identity management) and that user's client (NAC).

NAP is built into Vista and Windows Server 2008. With IDM support, network administrators can more easily apply and automate centralized policy-based network access controls. They can also more easily enforce individualized access policies. So the CxOs of the company may get individual sets of policies regarding access rights for themselves and their desktops/laptops/PDAs, while the entire accounting department gets its set of policies.

HP is one of a long list of network gear makers that support NAP. Many of these partnerships were highlighted by Microsoft earlier this month at the RSA Conference. Other partners include Enterasys, Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks, Juniper Networks, Nortel. Note one name missing from the list ... Cisco, which has developed its own NAC scheme. However, earlier this month, Cisco announced that it would soon be joining the Microsoft NAP party and releasing gear that would support NAP built into Vista.

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