Microsoft Submits Email Caller ID to the IETF

NetWizard writes "Following on the heels of Yahoo submitting DomainKeys, Microsoft decided to submit their "Caller ID" anti-spam proposal as a draft to the IETF. This proposal tries to tie in IP addresses to the domain of the sender just like SPF does. To make things even more interesting, looks like SPF and MSFT's Caller-ID proposals are merging. On a related note, Yahoo submitted an IPR disclosure for DomainKeys to the IETF."

Comments

The real problem is proprietary ownership of this

[eric76]

What we really need is a solution that is completely non-proprietary. A solution that no one company has any ability to control.

Can you imagine what the network would be like today if Microsoft (or anyone else for that matter) had patents that allowed them absolute control over any of the common protocols (telnet, ftp, http, smtp, pop3, imap, ... )?

Re:How does this benefit Microsoft's bottom line?

[spectecjr]

Either in terms of money or market share?

They would not be doing it if it did not help them in one or both of those areas (and directly as opposed to indirectly, if at all possible)

Microsoft is not a charity. Even when they do give money to charity, they have reasons that have nothing to do with simple kindness.

You're wrong. Sometimes they do things just because.

However, in this instance, they have MSN, Hotmail and Outlook. It'd be nice to have all of those services and apps spam free - it'd make their customers (who are complaining loudly about spam to them) happy.

Re:How does this benefit Microsoft's bottom line?

[sjb21043]

Lots of industry folks (MSFT, Dell, etc) have been reporting lately that a significant portion of their service calls come from either spam or spyware.

Cutting service costs will definitely help the bottom line.

Why Microsoft Wants This

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft cares about spam for a reason: Microsoft owns Hotmail. Any technology that helps get rid of spam increases the value and usefulness of e-mail overall. And if everyone uses e-mail more, then that includes Hotmail users. (If Hotmail can take advantage of some of these technologies before its competitors, then that doesn't hurt either.)

This isn't the only thing Microsoft is doing to combat spam. They have a number of PhD's working on the problem at MSR. For the web page of just one of them, see the following:

http://research.microsoft.com/~joshuago/

So relax! Microsoft realizes that improving the computing experience of their users is in their best interest. Fighting spam is just one way to do that.

Good for Microsoft!

[Mustang Matt]

I say let them do whatever they want.

If nothing else it will encourage us to come up with our own standard that's open and better.

PATENTS?

[IGnatius T Foobar]

Doesn't Microsoft hold a patent on their 'Caller ID for email' specification? Are they dedicating the patent as part of their submission of this spec to the IETF?

Or is this Microsoft's attempt to not-so-subtly obtain a lock-in on email?

This question must be VERY CLEARLY answered before anyone moves forward.