$1,000 for telling you what you already know

We can all breathe a sigh of relief. Evidently this “identity management” thing isn’t some fly-by-night scheme (anyone remember the “network computer”?), but is here to stay. I know, because IDC Research told me so. And, for $1,000 its analysts will tell you, too.

This newsletter is published by Network World Fusion. Fusion is part of Network World, Inc. Network World, Inc is part of IDG. IDC Research is also part of IDG. So somewhere, deep in the bowels of the global economy, I bear some relationship to the people who wrote the report I’m waxing so sarcastic about. Not that it matters a whole lot to me.

Yes, for only $1,000 you can get a copy of the 12-paged report entitled “Worldwide Security 3A Software Forecast, 2003-2007: The Transition to Identity Management” (https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jhtml?containerId=29108). “3A”, by the way, is security-speak for Authentication, Authorization and Administration.

For your money, you can validate the conclusion reached by the researchers: “IDC believes identity management will be the foundation for Web services.” Well, gee. I’ve been telling you that for at least the past year. Even longer, if we neglect to factor in that elusive “Web services” term itself. But wait, there’s more. For 1,000 bucks, there better be more.

The report goes on to say, “Increasingly we believe identity management will become a superset of 3A. Identity management will embrace all 3A software technologies and extend into directory services and hardware authentication devices as well.”  My gosh, identity management will “extend” into directory services! Stop the presses! And yet, they (it supposedly took three people to write these 12 pages) haven’t finished yet.

IDC wants you to know that “…only a portion or percentage of 3A markets and submarkets can currently be attributed to identity management. But over the course of our forecast we expect many of these markets, such as Web SSO [single sign-on, I presume], to be almost entirely consumed or assimilated into the identity management market.” Who are they talking to?

They aren’t talking to nontechnical business management. The use of jargon, abbreviations and three-letter acronyms precludes any but the most curious from penetrating the verbal forest. Even I wasn’t sure what “3A software” was. I imagined some sort of mapping application that the American Automobile Association might be hawking. Hopefully, IDC isn’t trying to sell this document to those in the directory services or identity management fields, either. We know this stuff and we didn’t have to spend a thousand dollars to learn it. So who does that leave?

Aha!, he says, it’s those security services folks, isn’t it? Yes, those same folks I often decry for not learning that identity services belongs with those who understand identity management. You see, they think that “3A” software is in their domain. But just as the house detective doesn’t run the hotel’s front desk, neither should security vendors be allowed into the rich world of identity management. Let them stick to their firewalls, VPNs, SSL and maybe even IPSec (see? I can throw around jargon, too!). When it comes to authorization and authentication, though – those are definitely in the realm of identity management.

Rants and rages may be directed to wastebasket@vquill.com, while thoughtful agreement should be sent to dkearns@vquill.com – and will be acknowledged.