 | | From: | steve | | Subject: | Microsoft Abandons "Passport" | | Date: | Sat, 01 Jan 2005 09:21:48 +1300 |
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It took a while...but the 'vision' of handing Microsoft a virtual monopoly
on Internet transactions was almost certain to fail.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/d7a8f600-5ad0-11d9-aa6e-00000e2511c8.html
Extract (partial):
Microsoft ends Passport push
By Joseph Menn
Published: December 31 2004 02:00 | Last updated: December 31 2004 02:00
Microsoft is abandoning one of its most contentious attempts to dominate the
internet after rival technology companies banded together in opposition and
consumers failed to embrace it.
The world's biggest software company said it would stop trying to persuade
websites to use its Passport service, which stores consumers' credit card
and other information as they surf from place to place.
The acknowledgment came after Ebay posted a notice on its site on Wednesday,
saying it would stop using Passport in January and rely on its own service.
Another early backer, Monster Worldwide's job-hunting site, Monster.com,
dropped Passport in October.
Because it would keep track of credit card numbers and passwords as people
moved from website to website, Microsoft had predicted that Passport would
smooth the way for widespread use of web services based on a person's
identity instead of those linked to information stored on a specific PC.
But Passport attracted the ire of privacy advocates, trade regulators on two
continents and technology security experts, who in 2003 found a hole that
could have led to massive identity theft.
As for major merchants, they were concerned about letting Microsoft stand
between them and their customers. They feared that the company which
controlled more than 90 per cent of the world's desktop computers might one
day charge a toll on e-commerce transactions.
......the rest is on the web site.....
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| | From: | David Preece | | Subject: | Re: Microsoft Abandons "Passport" | | Date: | Sat, 01 Jan 2005 19:24:39 +1300 |
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| steve wrote:
> The world's biggest software company said it would stop trying to persuade
> websites to use its Passport service
Chief executive Steve Ballmer was asked what this meant for website
developers who had committed to using their authentication technology
and would now have to find another supplier or create their own.
"Developers! Developers! Developers!
Fuck 'em! Fuck 'em! Fuck 'em!"
A Microsoft PR representative refused to elaborate on Mr Ballmer's
comments but was later found mumbling something about how you'd expect
they'd be used to it by now.
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| | From: | Unknown | | Subject: | Re: Microsoft Abandons "Passport" | | Date: | Sat, 01 Jan 2005 20:47:18 +0000 |
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| On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 19:24:39 +1300, David Preece wrote:
> steve wrote:
>> The world's biggest software company said it would stop trying to persuade
>> websites to use its Passport service
>
> Chief executive Steve Ballmer was asked what this meant for website
> developers who had committed to using their authentication technology
> and would now have to find another supplier or create their own.
>
> "Developers! Developers! Developers!
> Fuck 'em! Fuck 'em! Fuck 'em!"
>
> A Microsoft PR representative refused to elaborate on Mr Ballmer's
> comments but was later found mumbling something about how you'd expect
> they'd be used to it by now.
ROFLMFAO!
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| | From: | Brendan | | Subject: | Re: Microsoft Abandons "Passport" | | Date: | Sat, 1 Jan 2005 13:34:47 +1300 |
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| On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 09:21:48 +1300, steve wrote:
> controlled more than 90 per cent of the world's desktop computers might one
> day charge a toll on e-commerce transactions.
Of course that is EXACTLY what they wanted to do.
--
.... Brendan
"In matters of conscience, the law of majority has no place." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Note: All my comments are copyright 1/01/2005 1:23:03 p.m. and are opinion only where not otherwise stated and always "to the best of my recollection". www.computerman.orcon.net.nz.
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