The release candidate for Windows Identity Foundation (formerly called code name Geneva framework) has been released online.

Windows Identity Foundation is a new Microsoft .NET Framework technology that gives you a programming model and SDK to create new advanced identity capabilities in .NET applications.  It provides developers pre-built .NET security logic for building claims-aware applications, enhancing either ASP.NET or WCF applications. 

Windows Identity Foundation makes it easier to build richer, more secure applications (cloud and on-premise) without being a security and identity expert.  It will boost developer productivity, as a result, and enhance app security through a standard approach to federation, strong authentication and identity delegation.

You can download Windows Identity Framework RC from the download center.

The developer training kit has been updated too. The Identity Developer Training Kit contains a set of hands-on labs, documents and references that will help you to learn how to take advantage of Microsoft's latest identity and access control developer's products and services. Download Identity Developer Training Kit (November 2009).

See videos on identity on Channel 9.

Windows Identity Foundation is part of Microsoft's identity and access management solution built on Active Directory that also includes:

• Active Directory Federation Services 2.0 (formerly known as "Geneva" Server): a security token service for IT that issues and transforms claims and other tokens, manages user access and enables federation and access management for simplified single sign-on
• Windows CardSpace 2.0 (formerly known as Windows CardSpace "Geneva"): for helping users navigate access decisions and developers to build customer authentication experiences for users.

For information about how to incorporate Windows Identity Foundation with Windows Azure, see Windows Identity Foundation and Windows Azure passive federation.

Bruce D. Kyle
ISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation