[OpenID] Rule of thumb

[Andy Powell]

> Isn't the concept of OpenID (user-centric id) contradictory 
> with the notion that one has an "institutionally-provided OpenID"?

Well, yes, I think so...  but it's also what we are beginning to see
happen in UK higher education (universities) as institutions realise
that the work they've put into both internal single sign-on systems and
support for Shibboleth means that it is reasonably easy for them to
become OpenID providers as well.

I'm tempted to argue that, rightly or wrongly, universities (well,
educational institutions in general) will not move to user-centric IDs
in a single hop - that moving thru an intermediate stage of becoming an
OpenID provider is actually a necessary stage in the learning curve that
goes with very fundamental changes in access and identity management
provision.

But to get to that stage we have to first determine if OpenID meets the
identity needs of educational institutions (in terms of security, trust,
etc. - or at least in terms of being a suitable building block for those
things).  The scenario I presented in my previous message is my initial
attempt at trying to do that.

Hope that makes sense?

Andy
--
Head of Development, Eduserv Foundation
http://www.eduserv.org.uk/foundation/
http://efoundations.typepad.com/
andy.powell at eduserv.org.uk
+44 (0)1225 474319