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