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About Authentication for Siebel Self Service

The customer management and authentication processes control access for the following customers:

• Anonymous customers. Customers who do not register on the Siebel Self Service Web site can view only certain sections of the Web site, such as the company contact information. These customers can register, create their profiles, and gain access to additional functionality on the Web site. They can also obtain user names and passwords from customer service representatives.
• Registered customers. Customers who register on the Siebel Self Service Web site have their user names and passwords authenticated in subsequent visits. After they log in to the Web site, they have access to views appropriate to the responsibilities that an application administrator assigns to them. For example, they can create service requests.

An application administrator or customer service representative can perform the following tasks for customers:

• Create records for customer profiles.
• Add or change user names and passwords for customer profiles.
• Change information in customer profiles, such as postal addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers.

A Web-delegated customer administrator is a designated administrator at a customer company in a business-to-business situation. These administrators are assigned a Siebel responsibility that allows them to add or change customer information for the account. This Siebel responsibility gives them access to the Web Channel Users view of the Administration - User screen in Siebel Call Center where they can work with customer information.

User names and passwords are typically stored in an external authentication directory, such as Netscape LDAP Directory Server or Microsoft Active Directory Server. The Siebel security adapter interface and the appropriate LDAP parameter settings support the integration between Siebel Self Service and an external authentication directory. With this support, the directory authenticates registered customers, and then the customers are authorized to access the Siebel Self Service Web site. For more information about customer management and authentication support, see Siebel Security Guide.