Forum Systems has announced it has become a charter member of the SecureIT Alliance. The SecureIT Alliance is an effort led by Microsoft Corp. to bring greater integration to enterprise security products, and to increase collaboration between its members for customer-driven and innovative security solutions.

Forum Systems is the first XML Web services security solutions vendor chosen to support this important initiative and brings to the alliance expertise in Service Oriented Architecture's (SOA) security that covers vulnerability management, testing systems, firewall, gateways, identity and policy management.

"Microsoft is looking forward to working closely with Forum Systems in advancing the SecureIT Alliance and efficiently integrating XML Web services security into the Microsoft platform to offer customers comprehensive security solutions," said Bruce Burns, senior director at Microsoft Corporation. "Forum Systems' unique life cycle approach to protecting next generation service oriented architectures and data-level networks will add value to this initiative."

Forum XWall is the first and only Web Services Firewall that extends the Microsoft ISA Server 2004 to protect enterprises against Web services attacks and XML-related threats. This product integration improves security and interoperability for other protocols within application-layer inspection.

"By joining the SecureIT Alliance, Forum Systems strengthens its existing partnership with Microsoft and other leading industry security vendors with the goal of effectively addressing ever changing enterprise security demands," said Wes Swenson, CEO and president of Forum Systems.