BLOOMFIELD HILLS – The ?password blues? is a term coined by Dan Blum of The Burton Group, and it refers to the collection of passwords a typical user has to navigate multiple directories, web sites and portals to make their way through a manufacturing, design and/or procuring process. In a customer model ? this phenomena ? the password blues ? can cause a loss of revenues as potential customers stop accessing web sites when they don?t recall their user id?s and passwords.
Federated identity management is about an infrastructure where a user is authenticated across multiple domains with a single user identifier. The premise of federated identity management is to solve the ?blues? by creating one Internet identity for a user. Not only does the user benefit ? but the real potential for value is found by the efficiencies created for any manufacturing, construction, or retail business that relies on on-line information-based processes and collaboration.
Some of the supply chain collaboration efforts in the automotive sector are moving in this direction. Covisint, a subsidiary of Compuware Corporation, is operating a centralized portal that enables suppliers and OEMs to share information and access to hundreds of applications and it operates the access technology to require users to have only one ID and password in that environment.
In a typical federated identity infrastructure, your supplier?s and /or customers different IDs from multiple networks are linked. Each member of the federated organization no longer has to manage, maintain and secure all of a user?s identity information. Instead all members of the federated organization share the users network IDs.
The challenge for business partners (the federated organization) and their lawyers is to allocate the liability issues of a federated identity system. Proponents of the system often express concern that the technology has taxed lawyers and that the trust and liability issues will be difficult to resolve between federated members.
Butzel Long?s Technology and Intellectual Property Group is well versed in the models of liability that apply to each component of the technology required for federated members and organizations. And, we are well acquainted with the global requirements as they focus on privacy and the general aspects of conducing business on the Internet.
Carol Romej is co-chair of Butzel Long?s Technology and E-Commerce Practice Group. For more information, click on Carol Romej
