Open Identity Management

Posted 1 year, 3 months ago at 9:40 pm. 0 comments

So first there was OpenID and Windows Live ID (formerly passport) now there’s Google Friend Connect and Facebook Connect never mind information cards.

TechCrunch pretty much sums it up…


When you drill down into the technical details, there are some differences between Friend Connect and FB Connect. But ultimately, what is at stake here is what will become the identity and data portability standard on the Web, and who will control it. While Friend Connect is taking a more open-standards approach, Facebook has the users and the momentum. Who are you betting on?


Not only that though, as we try to get identity and access management sorted in the university, never mind single signon and federated access management how will your university ID and credentials fit into the mix?  Will you university logon stand alongside these as an important identity provider?  Can we make your university credentials as easy to use as these?  No tortuous Shibboleth or Athens or WAYF references on publishers sites?  Or will universities need to find a way with working with the existing identity presences students will increasingly have, and let Google or Facebook assert the identity whilst we just assert the association with our institution?

Who can say but it’s getting to be a minefield out there as some big players chase the nirvana of a single electronic identity driving multiple persona/roles.

I’m going to be dreaming about this again aren’t I….