Today at NetWorld+Interop 2002, Microsoft Corp. announced it has seen strong customer adoption of its Windows� 2000 Server Active Directory� directory service for use both inside and outside the corporate firewall. Customers are deploying Active Directory for identity management of millions of users in Internet and extranet environments. Customers standardizing on a single directory technology for use inside and outside the corporate firewall achieved lower total cost of ownership, accelerated return on investment and saw payback in fewer than 12 months.

�It�s expensive and risky for a company to use a different technology for its Internet and extranet directory than it uses for its network operating system directory,� said Cliff Reeves, vice president of the Windows .NET Product Management Group at Microsoft. �Active Directory customers are able to reduce management and administration costs through the use of a single directory technology for identity management inside and outside the firewall. It�s a compelling value proposition, especially when you add in the fact that customers can use the Microsoft� Internet Connector license to deploy Active Directory for unlimited use as an Internet/extranet directory.�