Microsoft Software to Link Networks

Microsoft Corp. said it will release software next year that will allow users on corporate networks using the Windows operating system to view information on the networks of partners and customers.

For example, the software will let an employee with access to Microsoft’s network use his Microsoft identification and password to make changes to his 401(k) account managed by Fidelity Investments.

The software will accept requests and credentials from a user seeking access to another network and pass that information to the network’s list of who can enter and what they can view.