Microsoft Readies New Bridging Tool

Redmond's new 'Information Bridge Framework' is designed to make Office-back office connectivity more transparent.

Microsoft is readying a new tool that is designed to connect Microsoft Office applications to back-end enterprise systems.

The tool, called the "Information Bridge Framework," or IBF, is on tap to debut at the company's Tech Ed 2004 conference in San Diego next week, sources said.

IBF is designed to connect Web services to the Office client with no "extra hops" or intermediate servers required.

IBF is designed to build on top of the XML support that Microsoft already has built into its Office System 2003 applications, such as Word, Excel and Outlook. IBF will allow developers and information-worker users to expose "enterprise business objects" and then pull them right into their familiar Office documents. (Enterprise business objects, in this context, are entities such as "customers" and "purchase orders.")

Microsoft's plan is to deliver IBF version 1.0 in the fourth calendar quarter of this year. Visual Studio .Net 2003 users will be able to take advantage of IBF via an IBF Metadata Designer Plug-In, which will be part of Version 1.1, Version 1.1 also is due before the end of 2004, according to information on Microsoft's Web site.

Download: Microsoft Office Information Bridge Framework 1.0 Beta