ANNOUNCEMENT: Network Identity Manager Version 2.0 Beta 2 available for public testing

[Jeffrey Altman]

URL: http://www.secure-endpoints.com/netidmgr/v2/

Secure Endpoints Inc. is proud to announce the public availability of
Network Identity Manager v2 Beta 2.  Version 2.0 is the end of a three
year effort to improve the usability and capabilities of the product.
Improved usability:

    * Users no longer have to type their username/realm each time they
      wish to obtain credentials for a Kerberos v5 identity.  Instead,
      they select previously used identities from a list.
    * A "New Identity Wizard" walks the user through the configuration
      of all derived credential types when creating a new identity.
    * Progress dialogs inform the user of progress of each stage of the
      credential acquisition process.
    * Users can assign an icon to each identity to assist in
      distinguishing identities from one another.
    * The basic identity view now includes:
          o an animated battery that visualizes the remaining lifetime
            and permits users to quickly recharge the credential.
          o summary information describing the types and numbers of each
            derived credential obtained by the identity.
          o dynamic progress bars when credential renewal takes place in
            the background.
          o a star button to represent the current default identity and
            permit setting an alternate default identity.
    * The notification icon context menu has been improved to reduce the
      need to open the Network Identity Manager window.
    * The user documentation has been significantly rewritten.  The PDF
      manual has been retired and the Windows Help documentation is
      comprehensive.

New functionality:

    * Multiple identity providers can now be active simultaneously.
    * In addition to the Kerberos v5 identity provider, a KeyStore
      provider is included and an X.509 identity provider is under
      development.
    * The KeyStore provider permits a locally assigned password to be
      used to protect the passwords of multiple Kerberos v5 principals.
      Unlocking the KeyStore results in the acquisition of credentials
      for each of the configured Kerberos v5 identities.

Open Framework:

    * The Network Identity Manager v2 SDK can be used to develop custom
      identity providers, credential providers, and tool providers.

Changes since 1.99.24.128 (Pre v2.0 Beta 1)

  Application:

    - Support for non-expiring identities.

    - Identity icon selection dialog now makes HTTP requests
      asynchronously.  The UI reports any errors that may occur during
      an HTTP fetch and provides a 'Stop' button to abort lengthy
      operations.

  KeyStore:

    - Master key lifetime can now be configured.  It can also be set
      to never expire.

  Kerberos v5:

    - Added UI controls for setting the 'Proxiable' flag for a new
      TGT.  The setting can be controlled as a global default and as a
      per-identity setting.

  Bug fixes:

    - Handling of custom menus was fixed to avoid a situation where
      the wrong submenu may be displayed for an action.

    - Fixed several memory leaks.

    - The generated description for the default keystore had an
      unexpanded insertion sequence.

    - Saved originals of an identity icon image may have a different
      resolution than the source image and may not matched the saved
      crop rectangle.

Thanks to all of the testers from 17 countries that have downloaded
Version 2.0 Beta 1.  This beta period will last two weeks.  Please try
out the new release and provide feedback to
netidmgr at secure-endpoints.com.  Downloads and documentation are
available from URL:
http://www.secure-endpoints.com/netidmgr/v2/.


Jeffrey Altman and Asanka Herath
Secure Endpoints Inc.