Benefits of joining the UK Access Management Federation

The UK Federation provides many benefits: for Identity Providers, Service Providers, End Users, and Educational Sectors.

Benefits for Identity Providers (IdP) – typically Schools / FE Institutes / HE Institutes / Research Institutes

  • Easier to comply with regulatory requirements
    • Data Protection Act 1998, etc.
  • Better service offered to users (more control)
  • Can integrate with existing access management systems
  • Can use the same access control for all resources
    • Both internal and external
  • Fewer support problems (central control)

Benefits for Service Providers (SPs) – typically Publishers, Data Centres

  • No need to maintain your own user database
    • Authentication is performed by the IdP
    • Can authorise per institution, role, and/or entitlement
  • Reduced user support requirements
  • Reduced compliance burden
    • Less storage/processing of personal data
  • Accurate implementation of licence conditions
  • Users take better care of credentials as likely to have one (or few) log-in for all resources
  • Organisations take better care of assertions as centrally controlled

Benefits for End Users

  • Much less need to disclose your identity
  • Personal data kept between you and your home organisation
  • Publishers can tailor services better (preferences etc)
  • (At least) one less password to remember

Benefits for Educational Sectors

  • Provides consistency across the whole of education for federated (distributed) authentication and authorisation
  • Improves the user experience
  • Pools experience and expertise
  • Provides economies of scale for all sectors
  • Facilitates sharing of content and collaboration across sectors