ZDNet UK / News and Analysis / Application Development

Australian firm claims first Java-Passport interface

By Nicole Bellamy, ZDNet.co.uk, 7 March, 2002 09:22

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

Topics

java-passport interface, jpassport, nuyitonline, southernstormsoftware

NEWS
Australian-owned BuyItOnline has developed and released JPassport, a Java-based version of Microsoft's much-publicised product, Passport, which allows an e-commerce Web sites access to Microsoft's single sign-on system for user data and authentication. The product has been released in conjunction with software giant Microsoft's Australian and international offices, as a means of Passport-enabling Java-run sites, according to Jeff Ayling, BuyItOnline's technical director. "We really wanted to Passport-enable our site, but Microsoft didn't provide a way of enabling the site with Passport if you were running on Java -- they only provide a Windows solution -- so we created JPassport," said Ayling. "With the help of Microsoft Australia, and overseas, we have managed to completely replicate their Passport project in Java, so we cover every function that's available." However, according to Southern Storm Software director, Rhys Weatherly, JPassport is "not an implementation of all of Passport, it is only the client request side". "I suspect that any half-decent Java programmer could write the same thing as JPassport from scratch in about a week if Microsoft were to document how the protocols work," said Weatherly. Weatherly has been involved in a Microsoft.NET-related project for more than a year, writing code for a Portable.NET project as part of GNU/Linux's version of .NET. Although Weatherly did not dispute claims that JPassport is the first of its kind, he highlighted the work that is being done on single sign-on authentication systems worldwide. "They [BuyItOnline] may be correct [in claiming] this is the first product in the world of its kind. But this is perhaps because almost everyone else is trying to replicate the whole of Passport, not just the client side, for example Liberty Alliance," said Weatherly, referring to the Liberty Alliance Project, spawned by Sun Microsystems in 2001. JPassport joins MS in battle against Sun Ayling is unconcerned about competition from the marketplace -- in particular from Sun Microsystems. He believes that merchants will be drawn to Microsoft's authentication system over that of its competitors, and that Sun will be concerned about the presence of JPassport in the market. "I think Sun would maybe wish JPassport wasn't around," said Ayling. "You hear these reports of Sun saying they are creating an authentication platform, just like Passport that Java people can use but I think from a merchant point of view, they don't really care so much which platform it is," he said. "The great thing that Microsoft brings to this party are 200 million holders of Passport. Sun can never do that. Sun have got great links with the developer community, while Microsoft has the contacts with the general public," he added. Sun declined to comment. Ayling disputes claims that other companies have developed, or are in the process of developing, products similar to JPassport. "This is a world-first, because we are letting users write in Java and run it on a Solaris machine," he said. "Every single other one we have seen, they are hacks. They are trying to get bits of technology and trying to pull it together. We have created a proper Java solution for Passport where users can install, write and run Passport in Java.". The project has officially been launched, and Microsoft and BuyItOnline are currently working together to promote the idea in the marketplace. Cog in the Microsoft money machine? According to Ayling, there is already interest in the product, with sites such as The Basement one of the many already signed-up. "We have already received the go-ahead from a number of companies... we look after 27 big merchants from Shopfast.com.au to Wishlist.com.au with a marketing project we are involved in, so we will be going out to all of those merchants as well." Microsoft has embarked on an ambitious marketing programme, waiving the sign-up fee for Passport for the first twelve months, according to Frank Arrigo, developer evangelist for the .NET developer group. Arrigo claims this waiver applies to users signing up to JPassport, and that Microsoft Australia is currently in talks with BuyItOnline about the latter company becoming a reseller of Passport. BuyItOnline's Ayling confirms reseller discussions and refers to his company as an "extra cog in the Microsoft money machine". He believes that the provision of a Java version of Passport will attract new customers to Microsoft products. "The Microsoft money machine was only able to pick up the Microsoft community before, and now it can pick up the Java community. Once we've pulled a person from Java through to using Passport, who knows what other Microsoft services they might start using," he said. According to Ayling, JPassport is targeting the Java community exclusively, and not approaching existing Microsoft Windows users. "We are not talking to Windows people at all. If Windows people want to use Passport, they should do it the Microsoft way. Anyone that's using Linux, or Solaris, or Java, all of these people can use JPassport and we are directing the customer flow back to Microsoft," says Ayling. Southern Storm Software's Weatherly believes JPassport's relationship with Microsoft is not ideal. "The server side and the database of user information remains under Microsoft control...leaving the database in the hands of Microsoft is not a good idea," said Weatherly.
ZDNet UK's Developer News Section delivers the latest headlines together with the best UK jobs, right to your browser. Have your say on all developer topics. From j2ee, to C++, from Visual Basic to Javascript plus much more. Share your experience with others on the Developers Forum. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Related stories

IBM staying neutral on Passport versus Liberty

Liberty Alliance and Passport still poles apart

Passport glitch hits Microsoft game site

Perens: Linux could learn from Apple

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

JCB33

How dare film makers, artists or anybody that invests in creativity stop us pirating their works for free. I want to be able to walk into my local...

3 hours ago by JCB33 on ACTA stumbles in Germany
Moley

@GrueMaster. I prefer horses for courses rather than one size fits all. I, and I suspect most other computer users, do not really wish to have...

5 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
greycynic

The product that scares me every time I have to use it is the Office 2007 version of Excel. The first bug that I found was applying the median...

5 hours ago by greycynic on Ten flawed products that derail productivity
GrueMaster

Nice review and very informative. One thing I'd like to add (in reply to whs001's 1st question), the main reason to have the same interface from...

6 hours ago by GrueMaster on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Frederick Wrigley

I'be been using Mint 12 since the RC came out, and I am far more happy with the Cinnamon, the Mate, and, yes (with extensions), theGnome 3...

7 hours ago by Frederick Wrigley via Facebook on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
bdantas

Excellent article. One small correction, though--although a fresh installation of Linux Mint 12 will, indeed, provide the user with a version of...

8 hours ago by bdantas on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

8 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Alan Ralph

In related news, the ISPs club together to get the members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (ya goofed on that part, ZDNet UK) copies of "The...

8 hours ago by Alan Ralph via Facebook on MPs urge ISPs to take down terrorist material
Moley

For Gnome 2 die-hards, it is possible to add icons to the bottom panel (or top top panel, if you prefer) which provide the exact Gnome 2...

9 hours ago by Moley on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
ramwellian

Your comments would seem pretty naive and immature. Your 'solution' appears to be, "gee, let's all just give in to the hackers and give them...

9 hours ago by ramwellian on Cloud computing security: no more oxymoron?
BugStalker

"Interesting thought ... If you installed Win7 as a dual boot on a machine that previously only had Linux, and it wrecked your Linux installation,...

10 hours ago by BugStalker on Windows 7 Declares War on GRUB
whs001

This is an excellent summary of Ubuntu and Mint and the interface differences between them. Most such articles take a very partisan position for...

10 hours ago by whs001 on A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint
Moley

@ewallace. Not so clear. Anyone can obtain the text, for example from here http://www.ustr.gov/webfm_send/2379. I support ACTA so long as it and...

10 hours ago by Moley on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
45283

I think WinRT is fantastic. I just wish it was an option for people that didn't want to go through Microsoft's App Store with its attendant...

13 hours ago by 45283 on Why Windows 8 needs architectural hygiene for WOA
Burn-IT

Nine people? £30m? Who's back pocket is that lot going in? And IF they say it is for new buildings, what about all the ones the government has...

14 hours ago by Burn-IT on Police set to launch three £30m e-crime hubs
ewallace

Just to be clear, nobody knows what is in the text of ACTA, here is a photograph of the text of ACTA http://twitpic.com/8h9iju as submitted to the...

14 hours ago by ewallace on ACTA: Facts, misconceptions and questions
fgvrg56

Unfortunately main issue is that ASUS is refusing to accept that they make some mistake on this version of asus Transformer prime. 1 - GPS sensor...

16 hours ago by fgvrg56 on Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime Wi-Fi & GPS problems?
Ben Woods

@Marcus A fair question. Just talked with Archos which said it was working on an announcement for next week....

17 hours ago by Ben Woods on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
Marcus Karlsson

Any update on this, considering the claimed "first week of February"?

18 hours ago by Marcus Karlsson via Facebook on Archos confirms G9 Ice Cream Sandwich update schedule
apexwm

Bill Goodrich : Just as al_langevin pointed out, with Windows Server 2008 there is no Services for Macintosh anymore. It's gone, not available....

1 day ago by apexwm on Windows Server 2008 drops the ball for Mac compatibility

Latest in Application Development

Perens: Linux could learn from Apple

Featured white papers

10 safety tips for business in 2012

Symantec.cloud

10 safety tips for business in 2012

From cloud computing to remote working, your business should consider these ways to keep your business secure as traditional IT... Read more

Deliver easy email search, storage and retrieval systems

Symantec.cloud

Deliver easy email search, storage and retrieval systems

Are you storing up trouble? There is a better way to manage corporate email storage on every level, for every size and type of... Read more

Defining your data demands in simple steps

Symantec.cloud

Defining your data demands in simple steps

Data growth provides vital resources for your business, and you can manage its enormity through some simple... Read more

Inside ZDNet UK

A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

A tale of two distros: Ubuntu and Linux Mint

2012 Predictions: VCE FastPath, VI SAN Probe & Hadoop

2012 Predictions: VCE FastPath, VI SAN Probe & Hadoop

BlackBerry Bold 9790

BlackBerry Bold 9790

Case study: How cloud enables growth

Case study: How cloud enables growth

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

Ten factors that make Ubuntu 11.10 a hit

Toshiba Portégé Z830-10P Review

Toshiba Portégé Z830-10P Review

BT's archive: Pictures from the vault

BT's archive: Pictures from the vault