OpenNetwork Demonstrates Interoperable Identity Management

OpenNetwork Demonstrates Interoperable Identity Management Solution based on WS-Federation

Joins Five Software Vendors in an Interactive Demonstration at Microsoft TechED

Clearwater, Florida, USA. May 25, 2004.

[See the Update from 2007-03-21]

OpenNetwork Technologies (www.opennetwork.com), a leading provider of non-intrusive identity management security solutions, today joins Microsoft and four other software vendors to demonstrate interoperability based on the WS-Federation standard specification. Customers can use WS-Federation to exchange identities, attributes and authentication information, and extend their internal systems securely to customers, partners and suppliers.

The interoperability demonstration features use cases that illustrate identity federation between six fictitious Web site portals including a site secured by OpenNetwork's Universal Identity Platform (Universal IdP). By leveraging Single Sign-On, demo participants log into one of the portals and gain seamless access to all participating portals without having to repeatedly provide their login and password information. Through WS-Federation, Single Sign-On functionality is extended across domains to other applications and environments that support WS-Federation. In a real-world scenario, the solution can bring measurable value to employees, partners, customers, suppliers and distributors that have a business need to work together in a more transparent and productive fashion.

"Specifications like WS-Federation help reduce the challenge of making resources more secure and readily available to internal and external entities across the company's extended business network," said Bob Worner, vp of engineering, OpenNetwork. "The specification not only enables companies to allow trusted business partners to access their internal applications, but furthers companies' ability to deploy secure, interoperable Web services."

OpenNetwork is working with multiple companies to help them leverage standards for federation. One such customer offers its Fortune 500 business partners' employees seamless access to hosted applications using their existing usernames and passwords. The availability of a WS-Federation specification will further the adoption of federated identity projects for these customers and others. WS-Federation eliminates the need for partnering companies to adopt the same identity management platform in order to ensure compatibility. Instead, they can select the solution that is right for their business and IT requirements. The specification also helps to lower the cost of delivering services and improve the end user experience by linking accounts across disparate security domains.

"Customers are looking for ways to easily extend their network identity management to strategic partners in a Web services environment. We're very pleased to be working with OpenNetwork to develop and promote an interoperable federated identity management solution based on Web services architecture," said Andy Lees, corporate vice president, Server and Tools Business Group, Microsoft Corp. "This solution offers our customers a tremendous opportunity to improve operational efficiency, strengthen IT security, and reduce costs for enabling business-to-business commerce."

WS-Federation interoperability between participating vendors was completed prior to TechED at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. The solution is being demonstrated at Microsoft TechED in the Microsoft Interoperability Pavilion (booth #1047; kiosk IP2). OpenNetwork is also part of a panel discussion, "Federating Web Servers: Converging on Interoperable Implementations," on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 at 12:15 pm in Room 6B.

About OpenNetwork Technologies

OpenNetwork provides end-to-end identity management solutions that make it easier to securely manage Web and enterprise users and resources. The company's Universal Identity Platform (IdP) uniquely leverages a company's existing Microsoft infrastructure to unify and centrally manage disparate identities, control access to protected resources, and provide automated workflow and provisioning. The solution eliminates the need for proprietary, duplicative identity stores and redundant point solutions that introduce risk, administrative burden and cost. Universal IdP provides the fastest, most secure path to consistent identity management inside and outside the enterprise.

OpenNetwork is headquartered in Tampa Bay, FL, with offices throughout North America and Europe. Company partners include: Microsoft, Unisys, BEA, IBM and Plumtree. For more information, visit www.opennetwork.com, send an e-mail to info@opennetwork.com or call 727.561.9500.

Contact

Kim Martin
Marketing Director
OpenNetwork
Tel: +1 727.561.9500 x226

[Source: http://www.opennetwork.com/news/press/2004/2004-05-25_ws-federation.php]

Update 2007-03-21: On March 19, 2007 OASIS acknowledged receipt of a draft TC charter proposal to create a Web Services Federation (WSFED) Technical Committee. The TC would accept as input the WS-Federation specification (Version 1.1) published by BEA Systems, BMC Software, CA, IBM, Layer 7 Technologies, Microsoft, Novell, and VeriSign. The revised WS-Federation specification Version 1.2 would extend basic federation capabilities enabled by WS-Security, WS-SecureConversation, WS-Trust, and WS-SecurityPolicy. Representatives from twenty-three companies provided statements of support for the charter proposal. See: "Proposed Charter: OASIS Web Services Federation (WSFED) Technical Committee."

Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See details and related references in the 2004-05-26 news story: "Industry Shows Heightened Interest in Federated Identity-Based Web Services."

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Customers can use WS-Federation to exchange identities, attributes and authentication information, and extend their internal systems securely to customers, partners and suppliers. The interoperability demonstration features use cases that illustrate identity federation between six fictitious Web site portals including a site secured by OpenNetwork's Universal Identity Platform (Universal IdP). By leveraging Single Sign-On, demo participants log into one of the portals and gain seamless access to all participating portals without having to repeatedly provide their login and password information. Through WS-Federation, Single Sign-On functionality is extended across domains to other applications and environments that support WS-Federation. In a real-world scenario, the solution can bring measurable value to employees, partners, customers, suppliers and distributors that have a business need to work together in a more transparent and productive fashion. "Specifications like WS-Federation help reduce the challenge of making resources more secure and readily available to internal and external entities across the company's extended business network," said Bob Worner, vp of engineering, OpenNetwork. "The specification not only enables companies to allow trusted business partners to access their internal applications, but furthers companies' ability to deploy secure, interoperable Web services." OpenNetwork is working with multiple companies to help them leverage standards for federation. One such customer offers its Fortune 500 business partners' employees seamless access to hosted applications using their existing usernames and passwords. The availability of a WS-Federation specification will further the adoption of federated identity projects for these customers and others. WS-Federation eliminates the need for partnering companies to adopt the same identity management platform in order to ensure compatibility. Instead, they can select the solution that is right for their business and IT requirements. The specification also helps to lower the cost of delivering services and improve the end user experience by linking accounts across disparate security domains. "Customers are looking for ways to easily extend their network identity management to strategic partners in a Web services environment. We're very pleased to be working with OpenNetwork to develop and promote an interoperable federated identity management solution based on Web services architecture," said Andy Lees, corporate vice president, Server and Tools Business Group, Microsoft Corp. "This solution offers our customers a tremendous opportunity to improve operational efficiency, strengthen IT security, and reduce costs for enabling business-to-business commerce." WS-Federation interoperability between participating vendors was completed prior to TechED at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond. The solution is being demonstrated at Microsoft TechED in the Microsoft Interoperability Pavilion (booth #1047; kiosk IP2). OpenNetwork is also part of a panel discussion, "Federating Web Servers: Converging on Interoperable Implementations," on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 at 12:15 pm in Room 6B. About OpenNetwork Technologies OpenNetwork provides end-to-end identity management solutions that make it easier to securely manage Web and enterprise users and resources. The company's Universal Identity Platform (IdP) uniquely leverages a company's existing Microsoft infrastructure to unify and centrally manage disparate identities, control access to protected resources, and provide automated workflow and provisioning. The solution eliminates the need for proprietary, duplicative identity stores and redundant point solutions that introduce risk, administrative burden and cost. Universal IdP provides the fastest, most secure path to consistent identity management inside and outside the enterprise. OpenNetwork is headquartered in Tampa Bay, FL, with offices throughout North America and Europe. Company partners include: Microsoft, Unisys, BEA, IBM and Plumtree. For more information, visit www.opennetwork.com, send an e-mail to info@opennetwork.com or call 727.561.9500. Contact Kim Martin Marketing Director OpenNetwork Tel: +1 727.561.9500 x226 [Source: http://www.opennetwork.com/news/press/2004/2004-05-25_ws-federation.php] Update 2007-03-21: On March 19, 2007 OASIS acknowledged receipt of a draft TC charter proposal to create a Web Services Federation (WSFED) Technical Committee. The TC would accept as input the WS-Federation specification (Version 1.1) published by BEA Systems, BMC Software, CA, IBM, Layer 7 Technologies, Microsoft, Novell, and VeriSign. The revised WS-Federation specification Version 1.2 would extend basic federation capabilities enabled by WS-Security, WS-SecureConversation, WS-Trust, and WS-SecurityPolicy. Representatives from twenty-three companies provided statements of support for the charter proposal. See: "Proposed Charter: OASIS Web Services Federation (WSFED) Technical Committee." Prepared by Robin Cover for The XML Cover Pages archive. See details and related references in the 2004-05-26 news story: "Industry Shows Heightened Interest in Federated Identity-Based Web Services."