Re: Microsoft contacts?

[Steve Hanna <steve.hanna@sun.com>]

OK, you can call off the dogs. Terry and I got an email
from Laudon Williams (laudonw@windows.microsoft.com),
a Microsoft Program Manager with a focus on PKI.
He's been selected as the guy to work with us.

Laudon praised our efforts, but said that Microsoft has
decide not to participate at this time. They will
reevaluate this position early next year.

I suppose that means that we should just keep up the
good work. If we do so, customers will pressure Microsoft
to participate. It's good to have a solid contact, anyway.

Thanks,

Steve

Steve Hanna wrote:
> 
> Does anyone have good contacts at Microsoft? Peter Doyle
> and I have tried our contacts, asking them to review
> and comment on the draft PKI Action Plan. No response.
> Maybe somebody else will have better luck. I'd really
> like to have Microsoft on board for this effort, if
> possible.
> 
> I have included below the main part of the email that
> I sent to Microsoft. Feel free to reuse any part of it
> (or not, since it didn't seem to work!).
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steve
> 
> ------------
> 
> You have probably heard that the OASIS PKI Technical
> Committee has been working on identifying the primary
> obstacles to PKI deployment and usage and figuring out
> how (or whether) they can be addressed. TC members include
> key PKI vendors and customers, lawyers, auditors, etc.
> 
> Since Microsoft is a key player in the PKI area,
> I want to ask you to review our work so far,
> comment, and consider actively participating.
> PKI is a key technology that is important to all
> of us and our customers. Working together, we can
> ease its use. But without the support of Microsoft,
> these efforts will not be very effective.
> 
> Here's the background information you need.
> Please let me know what you think.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Steve Hanna
> OASIS PKI TC co-chair
> 
> ---------
> 
> Background on the OASIS PKI TC's draft PKI Action Plan
> 
> Over the summer, the OASIS PKI Technical Committee did
> two surveys aimed at identifying and understanding
> obstacles to PKI deployment and usage and how they
> could be addressed. Those surveys were quite successful,
> getting detailed responses from more than 200 people
> with strong PKI experience and expertise.
> 
> After analyzing the survey responses, the OASIS PKI
> Technical Committee has prepared a draft PKI Action
> Plan, which we are circulating to gather feedback and
> support. In October, we are in confidential consultations
> with key PKI stakeholders (vendors, customers/users,
> standards groups, etc.). In November and December,
> we'll go out for public review (including all the
> folks who responded to the surveys). And in February,
> we hope to roll out the plan with support from all the
> folks we need to make it happen.
> 
> The current draft of the PKI Action Plan is at
> http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/pki/pkiactionplan.pdf
> It is only 7 pages, so reviewing it isn't too hard!
> 
> Note that this is still a rough draft. One main
> change we plan to make in the next draft is
> to acknowledge more clearly that easing PKI
> deployment is not an easy problem. Lots of people
> have been working on it for many years and doing
> a very good job. We (the PKI TC) want to serve as
> a clearinghouse where vendors, users, standards
> groups, and others can agree on next steps. But
> we don't intend to supplant any of those roles.
> 
> If you want to see the survey results, they're here:
> http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/pki/pkiobstaclesjune2003surveyreport.pdf
> http://www.oasis-open.org/committees/pki/pkiobstaclesaugust2003surveyreport.pdf
> PLEASE keep all these documents confidential until the
> TC sends them out for public review in early November.
> 
> Here are some questions you may want to consider while
> reading the draft Action Plan. Just a few things to get
> you thinking.
> 
> Basic Questions:
> 
> * Is this draft PKI Action Plan ambitious enough?
> * Is the plan too ambitious (not feasible)?
> * Does it properly identify the most critical problems?
> * Does it propose practical, but effective solutions?
> * How could the plan be improved?
> * Are you willing to help? If so, how?
> * Will you sign on as a supporter of the plan?
>   Will your organization do so?
> 
> More In-depth Questions:
> 
> * Who should be involved in executing the plan?
> * How can we contact, motivate, and involve them?
> * What is the relative importance of the action steps?
> * What resources will be required to achieve the specific
>   deliverables identified in the plan?
> * Is there work already underway or planned that will
>   address these issues?
> * How should this plan be coordinated among all the
>   relevant stakeholders?

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