ProCurve IDM and Microsoft NAP Team Up

ProCurve Networking by HP has announced that the ProCurve Identity Driven Manager (IDM) policy management tool is now interoperable with Microsoft’s Network Access Protection (NAP) technology, providing an integrated, standards-based solution for robust network security. The combined technology solution helps customers to implement customized network access policies for admission of users and clients in wired and wireless networks.

The IDM policy management tool enables network administrators to centrally define and apply policy-based network access rights that allow the network to automatically adapt to the needs of users and devices as they connect. It enforces network security while providing appropriate access to network users and devices. Microsoft NAP is a policy enforcement technology built into Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 operating systems, and it protects network assets by enforcing compliance with network health policies.

“Having ProCurve switches, access points and IDM complement Microsoft’s NAP architecture provides customers with robust network security,” said Mauricio Sanchez, chief security architect, ProCurve Networking by HP. “Through this integration, ProCurve continues to deliver on its ProActive Defense strategy, which combines access control and network immunity with trusted architecture to defend against potential security threats.”

In addition, ProCurve is the global technology partner for Microsoft Technology Centers (MTCs). MTCs were established in 2001 to showcase Microsoft and interoperable partner technologies that customers can use to plan, design and evaluate customized products and solutions. ProCurve is the sole network infrastructure vendor for all MTCs worldwide. The ProCurve infrastructure in each MTC allows customers to test their products and solutions in a highly available and secure network environment. In addition to ProCurve IDM, the MTCs have deployed ProCurve Gigabit Ethernet switches, access points and the ProCurve Manager Plus network management tool at several locations around the world.

This announcement further strengthens the technology collaboration between ProCurve and Microsoft and reinforces the open standards based solution delivered by ProCurve to meet customer and business requirements.