Wrapping up the year in identity management

Fast away the old year passes, Fa la la la la, la la la la. Hail the New ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old year passes,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Hail the New ye lads and lasses,

Fa la la la la, la la la la.

As it says in the traditional Christmas carol, “Deck The Halls,” the old year is fast drawing to a close, and the new one is almost upon us. This is, in fact, the last newsletter of 2005 – we’ll be taking a break next week. But not long after putting up the new calendar, I’ll start to review 2005 and look ahead to 2006. If you have any thoughts that might encapsulate either year (as it relates to identity management, of course) then drop me a note. A number of you already have, in fact.

Ian Glazer, director of identity strategy at Trusted Network Technologies, wonders if the New Year might bring “collaboration around implementation best practices and standardization in the manner in which identity management products are deployed.”

We’ve all witnessed the mind-boggling acquisition mania that seemed to have gripped the industry this year, but what’s behind that? As Somesh Singh, vice president of BMC’s identity management business unit, asked: “The next logical question: Why the rush for acquisitions?”

In thinking about trends for next year, Consul Risk Management CTO Kris Lovejoy warns that, “Identity management and provisioning solutions [will] fail to deliver expected results.”

Throughout January, I’ll be going more deeply into 2005’s activities and what they mean for the future, as well as glancing into the crystal ball to try to see what 2006 will bring. There’ll be more from Glazer, Singh and Lovejoy – and I’d like to have your thoughts also. So while you’re hanging your stocking, polishing off the fruitcake or nursing that New Year’s Day hangover, drop me a note with your thoughts and predictions. Strike the harp and join the chorus. Fa la la la la, la la la la.