FIDERN 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