Microsoft buys identity assurance company
Microsoft Corp. has acquired Alacris Inc., a provider of certificate management and identity assurance software products, the company announced today.
Microsoft Corp. has acquired Alacris Inc., a provider of certificate management and identity assurance software products, the company announced today. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The acquisition brings Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft new technologies and capabilities related to smart card authentication and authorization, company officials said.
Through the acquisition, Microsoft will "gain technology that makes it easier for customers to take advantage of the smart card capabilities in Windows with tools to simplify smart card life-cycle management," said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Microsoft's Security Technology Unit.
Alacris of Ottawa, Canada, specializes in technology that provides digital certificate and smart card life-cycle management solutions designed to help customers deploy, manage and maintain a smart-card-based infrastructure.
The technology helps IT departments streamline the provisioning of new smart cards and the configuration of existing smart cards. It also provides Web-based, policy-driven workflow management that helps users manage their administrative and end-user experiences.
The availability of a beta version of Alacris' technologies is scheduled to be announced.
Microsoft has 57,000 employees and annual sales of $39.7 billion.