CardSpace/OpenID convergence

One of the most common question I’ve got in the last year or so had to do with OpenID and if it had a role in out future plans. I can only guess that the OpenID guys received a corresponding question about CardSpace… well, you don’t need to wonder anymore. Dick Hardt of Sxip Identity, Michael Graves of VeriSign, Scott Kveton of JanRain and our very own Kim Cameron published an announcement in which they disclose that “JanRain, Microsoft, Sxip, and VeriSign will collaborate on interoperability between OpenID and Windows CardSpace™ to make the Internet safer and easier to use“.
Now: this not only *great* for identity itself, but I believe it is a lesson about the whole WS-* versus REST debacle. The two approaches deal with different problems, and the choice between the two does not need to be exclusive. Trends and hype cycles tend to polarize everything, often parties become religious about their choices (certain fanatics even go as far as putting their favourite approach on their license plate :-)). Hopefully today’s announcement will show that integration is not only possible, it is the way ahead. Always IMHO, naturally 🙂