MaXware

MaXware
Private
Founded Trondheim (1998 (1998))
Founder Tore Wold
Headquarters Lade, Trondheim , Norway
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Tore Wold (CEO)
Tor Even Dahl (CTO)
Thor Alf Gilbrant(Consultant)
Elliott Friedman (MD USA)
Marcus Lasance (MD UK)

MaXware AS , was a leading global provider of identity management, virtual directory and federation solutions. Its solutions serviced the diverse needs of large organisations looking to securely and efficiently access and manage identity information across distributed directories, databases and other data repositories. The company was located in Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia and the USA.

Maxware AS was sold to SAP AG in May 2007.[1]

MaXware was best known for its two flagship products the Directory Synchronisation Engine (DSE) and Virtual Directory Server (MVD), which is designed specifically for deployment in high-volume, high-complexity environments. MaXware’s MVD acts as an abstraction layer, extracting identity and context information out of various application and data silos.[2] By re-mapping the underlying sources and presenting the identity data in customized views for the needs of enterprise applications, MVD enabled authentication and fine-grained authorization for identity management and context-driven applications.

MaXware’s global customer base includes many Fortune 500 companies in the fields of banking, finance, insurance, government, communications, manufacturing, education, entertainment and healthcare. Headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, MaXware had satellite offices in Freehold, NJ and Ipswich, UK, and distribution channels throughout the world.

History

The history of the MaXware product range started at Norsk Data (ND). When ND discontinued NOTIS office software development in 1989. Former ND employees founded the company NOTIS AS. Simultaneously, Televerket (now Telenor) spun off its email and directories client work in another Norwegian startup, MaXware AS. In 1996 the two companies merged, and continued under the name Maxware to enforce the successful brand name.

The product that is currently known as SAP NetWeaver Identity Management had its origins in 1995, as a project for Swedish Post, who needed a user management tool for its x.500 Directory service.[3] The X.500 standard did not concern itself how users were added or deleted from the directory. The management tool was called 'Add-On Service' (as in add on for a directory service), but soon changed name to MDDM (MaXware Directory Data Manager). Later it was again renamed to DSE (Data Synchronisation Engine). The Virtual Directory Server (MVD) had a similar evolution.

Some people from the MaXware development team from 1995 are still working with the product at SAP Labs in Trondheim.

MaXware AS as an Independent software vendor company, started in 1998 as a joint venture between EDB Business Partner and founder Tore Wold under the name MaXware International AS (MIAS). MIAS acquired all messaging products and the development team from EDB MaXware AS in 2001. In 2002 the MIAS management team together with its employees completed a Management buyout of the remaining shares from EDB MaXware AS. MIAS changed its name to MaXware AS in 2004. MaXware AS soon became a globally recognised innovator in developing Identity management solutions. During this period the company established its subsidiaries in US, United Kingdom and Australia.

2002–2007

The MaXware Management team grew the business in a rapidly expanding global market for IdM solutions, while Series A roundfunding was received from Viking venture and Four Seasons Venture. The VC companies were tasked to develop a successful exit strategy, when the Idm Market started to consolidate.[4]

2007–Present

The announcement of the acquisition of MaXware AS by SAP AG was made at SAPPHIRE® ’07, SAP’s international customer conference, being held in Vienna, Austria, May 14 – 16. This was the end of MaXware AS as an Independent Software Vendor. The products live on as SAP NetWeaver Identity Management and continue to be used by some of the largest corporations and governmental agencies in the world.

In June 2014 SAP AG decided that the Trondheim office will be merged with SAP Labs in Sofia, Bulgaria. Operations are scheduled to cease in the Trondheim office in September 2014, marking the end of 20+ years of Identity Management development in Norway.

Products and Awards

MaXware is known for its X.400 secure messaging solutions and Identity Management solutions:

Award: PKI Challenge (pkiC) The reference implementation was developed and supplied for the pki Challenge by Utimaco, and the Directory used was produced and supplied by MaXware.[8]

References

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