Meaning/context of the code name: Stirling is named for Stirling Castle in Scotland. Stirling Castle sits atop the Castle Hill, “a volcanic crag, and is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs, making it easily defensible. This fact, and its strategic position, have made it an important fortification from the earliest times.� Though both are situated in Scotland, Stirling seemingly has nothing to do with “Edinburgh,� Microsoft’s ResponsePoint small-business phone system.

Back story: In 2006, Microsoft rebranded a number of products in its security portfolio (ISA, Antigen Antivirus and anti-spam solution and others) as “Forefront.� In June 2007, company officials said it had started work on the next-generation versions of Forefront Client Security, Server Security and Edge Security and Access solutions, plus a new, unified management console for these products. This group of offerings is known as Stirling. Stirling products will be tightly integrated with one another, as well as with Active Directory and Microsoft System Center.

Additional info: A private Customer Technology Preview (CTP) test phase for Stirling is set to begin in the second half of 2007, followed by a public beta in the first half of 2008. Stirling isn’t expected to launch until the first half of 2009, according to information on Microsoft’s partner site.

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