Microsoft will write a software plug-in that allows the Firefox open-source Web browser to work with Microsoft’s Cardspace identity management technology.The plug-in will be written at Microsoft’s Open Source Software Lab and released eventually to the open-source community, said Hank Janssen, the lab’s program manager, at the TechEd IT Forum in Barcelona on Wednesday.“We’re actually writing the CardSpace extension, and they [The Mozilla Foundation] were very, very excited about it,” said Janssen.CardSpace, formerly called InfoCard, aims to make it easier for users to manage and control the personal information they give to websites. Microsoft is promoting it as a way to replace user names and passwords and provide a better defense against phishing and other types of online fraud. The technology, which will be included in Windows Vista, stores the personal information on a user’s computer. Microsoft’s first attempt at identity management, called Passport, didn’t catch on, partly because Microsoft planned to store users’ information on its own servers, which raised privacy concerns. The work with Firefox continues Microsoft’s cooperative efforts with the Mozilla Foundation, the distributor of Firefox, that would have been unheard of until recently, Janssen said. A group of Firefox developers came to Microsoft last month to ask questions about how to improve the browser’s performance in Windows, Janssen said. Jokes circulated on discussion boards that black helicopters were flying overhead and that Microsoft might try to abduct the team, Janssen said.Microsoft provided “unfettered” access to all the people they needed to talk to make Firefox work better with Vista, Janssen said. “They even talked to the IE people.”The Mozilla team left intact after three days. As far as the black helicopters, “We’re not that organized,” Janssen said. “We would like to be, maybe.”No timetable has been set for when the plug-in will be completed or how it will be distributed, Microsoft said.-Jeremy Kirk, IDG News Service (London Bureau)Related Link: Mozilla-Funded Study: Firefox 2 Tops IE 7 in AntifraudThis article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo news Alteryx works in generative AI for speedy analytics results OpenAI integration and AI wizardry for report generation are aimed at making Alteryx’s analytics products more accessible. By Jon Gold May 25, 2023 3 mins Analytics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe