Microsoft and Zend announced this morning at the Zend/PHP Conference in San Francisco a couple of new initiatives that PHP and Windows developers will find interesting:

• First, Zend and Microsoft announced they will continue work on FastCGI and scalable PHP hosting on Windows Servers.  Specifically, Zend has committed to redistribute FastCGI in Zend Core, its certified PHP 5 offering. 
  
• Additionally, Zend will ensure that Zend Core fully supports the Server Core installation option for Windows Server 2008, allowing their optimized PHP to be hosted on the most streamlined version of Windows Server ever released.
  
• Third, Microsoft and Zend announced a strategic relationship to enable support for information cards by PHP developers through a component built for Zend Framework. This collaboration will enable PHP developers to create applications that support identification and authentication, including single sign-on, for a broad range of Web site users, including those using Windows CardSpace.  This commitment to interoperability will reduce development costs and help make the Web safer and more secure for people.
  
• Finally, Microsoft announced the availability of the first Community Technology Preview (CTP) of the SQL Server 2005 Driver for PHP.   The PHP Driver delivers an API designed to enable reliable, scalable integration with SQL Server for PHP applications deployed on the Windows platform.  Zend and Microsoft are working together with the PHP Community to ensure that the SQL Server 2005 Driver for PHP is a great offering for PHP developers and part of Zend’s core PHP offering.

For more information about these announcements, check out the Zend Conference Website at http://www.zendcon.com.