Microsoft has announced a new partnership as part of an internal decentralized identity initiative.

In a new release today, Microsoft revealed it is working with blockchain startup Tierion to determine how decentralized identities linked to a blockchain could validate data, claims or agreements. In this case, Microsoft will leverage technology provided by Tierion, which would link data to a blockchain to generate proof of the data's integrity.

As an example, the companies said that this technology might one day help online students receive validation for completed work, with an educational organization augmenting an identity with information that could be recorded on a public blockchain.

"Anyone with this proof can independently verify the data without relying on a trusted authority," the release reads.

The news is the latest that finds Tierion partnering with a major corporate following work with Philips. For Microsoft, it follows its announcement of a supply chain initiative, Project Manifest, last week.

Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Tierion.

Identity image via Shutterstock