One step closer to fewer passwords

Microsoft today threw their weight behind OpenID (http://openid.net/) a distributed framework that helps users to identify themselves on the net in a uniform way.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6339813.stm

The importance of this cannot be understated. The idea of a single sign-on to the net is The Way Forward. The problem with attempts in the past lay with the issue of who exactly controlled the information and where is was stored. Previous attempts at single identity schemes such as Microsoft’s own Passport relied on a person’s willingness to hand over management of their identity to someone else, leading to suggestions of Big Brother.

The beauty of the OpenID scheme is that a user registers their identity with an OpenID Provider which they can either run themselves or alternatively defer to a 3rd party. The MS move is important because it signals their intent to use this as the basis of future identity services, such as their InfoCard initiative. Not only would this mean that the scheme will become exposed to the mainstream via a large base of applications via the MSN/Passport network, but it may also mean that existing Passport users automatically become members of OpenID. Does this mean that web app developers should abandon their own username databases? I don’t claim to know the answer, but foolhardy is the developer who ignores this one.

Watch this space.