Sun Microsystems has released a package of software, hardware and
services for managing the identity of users on the Internet or in a
corporate network, laying the groundwork for its adoption of
technology being developed by the Liberty Alliance Project.
The Sun ONE (Open Net Environment) Platform for Network Identity
can be used to manage the identity of users on a network and to set
access privileges for applications, services and other resources,
said Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's chief strategy officer.
With a single sign-on, employees at an organisation using the
software could be authenticated and authorised to access certain
services. Sun is using the system internally to manage access to
its employee Web portal, retirement accounts, and building access
privileges.
Sun plans to offer the Sun ONE Platform for Network Identity to
telecommunication service providers as a system for managing the
identities of subscribers.
Future versions will incorporate authentication technology being
developed by the Liberty Alliance Project. That effort is supported
by a number of technology, banking and services companies, and is
intended to let users visit various password-protected Web sites
that support the technology without having to sign on each
time.
The Sun ONE identity services, in conjunction with specifications
being ironed out by the Liberty Alliance Project, is expected to
compete with Microsoft's Active Directory software and the software
maker's own single-sign on authentication service, called
Passport.
Sun will offer the network identity package in two editions; one
for enterprise customers for use in a corporate network, and one
for service provider customers for managing subscribers over the
Internet.
Sun anticipates interest from existing iPlanet Directory users. One
potential customer is the State of Georgia, which uses the iPlanet
Directory to manage the identities of all those listed in its motor
vehicles database.