Is this a sign the apocalypse is near?

Reading the article today in darkReading about a working group formed by the IETF to set a NAC protocol that will work across Cisco NAC, TCG, NAP, Juniper, Microsoft, etc.,  I thought for sure hell must be freezing over.  Further, reading that the two co-chairs of this working group were representatives from Cisco and Juniper and that Microsoft was involved as well left me with no other conclusion than the apocalypse must be upon us and this really is the end times.  What else could be behind bringing these diametrically opposed forces together for a common good.

On further consideration though a few things come to mind.  First of all, are Cisco and Juniper realizing that many of the NAC start ups are in fact eating their lunch in this space with better products.  The absence of a true industry wide standard is allowing these smaller and nimbler competitors to thrive in a fragmented market.  By coming to terms on a common standard, they can then use their combined market girth to force customers to adopt their standards and their products?  Also, before we all pop the champagne corks, lets remember this is just the formation of a group.  From what I am told about how the IETF works it still may be a number of years until anything comes out of this.  However, make no mistake in hindsight this does have the potential to be a major story for 2006 and NAC.