OpenID gaining popularity : Windows Live ID becomes OpenID compatible
Posted on | October 28, 2008 |
OpenID is a free and simple way of using a single online identity across several other participating websites. Though the idea of single online identity has been around for a long time (Microsoft’s Passport logins anyone?), but only recently the idea of OpenID started gaining momentum.
Yesterday microsoft announced OpenID support across its Windows Live ID services. Microsoft’s OpenID initiative enables millions of Hotmail/Live users to use their existing Live credentials at thousands of portals, blogs, online shops and social applications — without having to keep track of their usernames.
How to enable OpenID on your Windows Live ID?
Visit https://signup.live-int.com to set up a Windows Live ID test account, then head over to https://login.live-int.com/beta/ManageOpenID.srf to set up your OpenID and a test nickname. After finishing these steps, visit an OpenID enabled website like StackOverflow.
What does it mean for a user?
Five years back, the social web just started to shape up. You just had to remember your email address username/password and a couple of other credentials here and there. And then it started swelling. There are 10 times more websites, applications, services today that average netizen uses. Baring email service providers, it would be a lot healthy for internet if OpenID started getting more momentum.
What does it mean for online services?
People dont like to fill up registeration forms. Especially if your service is new and no one has heard anybody talking of it. OpenID logins let people use the services using credentials certified by a third party service.
More and more online services are enabling OpenID support and setting up OpenID Provider (OP) gateways. The OpenID standard is already backed by all industry giants including Google, AOL, Verisign, Microsoft, Yahoo and IBM. This initiative by a traditionally proprietary company is much welcome.
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October 30th, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
[...] the recent announcement from Microsoft about their Hotmail/Live accounts becoming OpenID logins, Google also announced today that they are enabling OpenID support for their Gmail accounts. [...]