Microsoft and TagVault.org have joined forces to improve software management based on the software identification ISO standard.

“Microsoft is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to help our customers manage their IT environments in a more automated and cost-effective manner,” says Heather Young, global director, SAM Programs, Microsoft. “The fact that software ID tags provide these capabilities and may also provide support for increased supply-side and distribution security is a real benefit to our customers.”

Steve Klos (Executive director, TagVault.org): The market fully supports SWID tags as a very positive advancement in the industry that can help lower costs and potentially improve security for any organization managing software portfolios today. However, the market has consistently indicated that SWID tags will make a more substantial and beneficial difference to the software ecosystem once companies like Microsoft sign up to support the standard.

TagVault.org is a non-profit organization formed under the structure of IEEE-ISTO. It is a registration and certification authority for software identification tags (SWID tags) based on the ISO/IEC 19770-2:2009 standard.