Dick Hardt

founder and CEO, Sxip Networks

SXIP
33 minutes, 15.2mb, recorded 2004-10-27
Dick Hardt is founder and CEO of Sxip Networks, developers of SXIP, the Simple eXtensible Identity Protocol. At Digital Identity World 2004, Scott Mace talked with Hardt about why SXIP decided to build its own federated identity system, rather than go with the SAML-based Liberty Allliance; why the mechanism of separating asserting ones' identity from the authentication mechanism is the path to true digital identities on the Web; how Slashdot karma could be an alternative currency; how all this will promote the use of strong authentication; managing multiple personas on the Internet; transferring reputations from one social network to another; where SXIP and Identity Commons complement each other, and where they compete; privacy considerations when using SAML and SXIP; and why technology such as SXIP may shape future privacy legislation.

A pioneer in the Internet sector and open source software community, Dick has been active in software development for nearly two decades. Prior to founding Sxip Networks, Dick founded ActiveState in 1997. Under his leadership as CEO, ActiveState became a leader in open source programming languages and anti-spam software and was acquired by UK-based software company, Sophos in 2003. His first commercial software work started in 1986 at Consumers Software where he ported one of the first LAN email packages, the Network Courier, to Windows 1.03. He later joined Paradigm Development, which did software consulting for firms such as Aldus, Adobe and Microsoft. In 1993 Dick connected Paradigm to the Internet, and later founded hip Communications that became one of the larger web development and hosting companies in western Canada. While running hip, Dick led the port of Perl 5 to the Windows platform, which resulted in an interest in open source software. hip was sold to a NASDAQ company. Dick holds board positions with the BCTIA and Ludicorp. He is a Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 award recipient. Dick has also demonstrated leadership in funding the Major Projects Fund for the BC Technology Social Venture Partners, a charitable foundation to support groups serving children, women at risk and people living in Vancouver’s downtown eastside.

This is one of many audio recordings from the IT Conversations archive of Digital ID World 2004 and part of Scott Mace's series, Opening Move.


This free podcast is from our Opening Move series.