Microsoft Early In Rights-Management NicheMicrosoft Early In Rights-Management Niche

Microsoft is working on a beta release of Windows Rights Management Service for Windows Server 2003. The software, due in the second quarter, would provide ways to restrict access to documents and E-mail after they've been created and distributed.

Rights Management Service, according to Microsoft, will be based on ASP.Net and use Extensible Rights Markup Language for creating document-rights policies. Two software development kits for the software are due to arrive with the beta.

Gartner analyst John Pescatore says the market for such software has been small so far. "I'd be shocked if it's more than $20 million," he says. "But some companies and government agencies are seeking ways to get control of sensitive information."