Microsoft acquires multifactor authentication provider PhoneFactor

5 Oct 2012

Tech giant Microsoft has acquired multifactor authentication (MFA) solutions provider PhoneFactor Inc for an undisclosed sum.

Under the deal, PhoneFactor will help Microsoft deliver effective and easy-to-use multifactor authentication to Microsoft’s cloud services and on-premises applications, Bharat Shah, corporate vice-president, Server and Tools Division for Microsoft, said.

“In addition, PhoneFactor’s solutions will help Microsoft customers, partners and developers enhance the security of almost any authentication scenario,” Shah added.

Since 2001, PhoneFactor has been helping organisations secure millions of logins and transactions each year. By leveraging a device nearly every user already has – a phone – PhoneFactor enables rapid deployment of MFA across a range of applications. It already works with many Microsoft products and services, including Outlook Web Access and Internet Information Services, and interoperates with Active Directory.

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic

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