Microsoft buys ID management firm

Microsoft has acquired Alacris, a vendor of certificate management and identity assurance software products.

The terms of the deal, announced this week, were not disclosed.

The acquisition adds to Microsoft's strategy of providing "easily administered" identity and access management solutions, the company says.

Alacris' technology provides digital certificate and smart card life-cycle management products that help customers deploy, manage and maintain security systems using Windows-based smart cards. Alacris' idNexus technology is designed to help IT departments streamline the provisioning of new smart cards and the configuration of existing smart cards. The technology also provides a web-based policy-driven workflow management system that helps users manage their smart cards.

Microsoft will continue to work with smart card vendors and its other security partners, with the Alacris acquisition adding products on top of Microsoft's existing partnerships.