Identity Federation

Federation, as it has evolved with regard to individual users and the World Wide Web, begins with the notion of identity. (See Concept of Identity.) Sending and receiving email, checking bank balances, finalizing travel arrangements, accessing utility accounts, and shopping are just a few online services for which a user might define an identity. If a user accesses all of these services, many different identity accounts have been configured. This virtual phenomenon offers an opportunity to fashion a system for users to federate these identities.

Identity federation allows the user to link, connect, or bind the local identities that have been created for each service provider (a networked entity that provides services to other entities). The linked local identities, referred to as a federated identity, allow the user to log in to one service provider site and click through to an affiliated service provider without having to reauthenticate or reestablish identity.