Animation explains Federation
A new Jisc animation explains the concepts behind the UK Access Management Federation, presenting the advantages of identity management and outlining the key steps for institutions.
The five-minute animation assumes no prior technical knowledge and provides a clear overview for those making strategic decisions concerning access management within their institutions. 'Feedback has already been very positive, especially from those IT managers who need to explain to their staff why important and far-reaching changes need to be made.’
The UK Access Management Federation provides UK educational institutions and service providers with the opportunity to take advantage of the new possibilities offered by sophisticated identity management solutions such as Shibboleth.
Federated, single, institutionally-controlled identity, which removes the need for multiple passwords and the associated risk, provides users with access to their host institutions’ resources - and any that they subscribe to - from home, work, or any other location.
Institution librarians will have reduced password administration while gaining new opportunities for managing licenses and subscriptions while service providers such as publishers will gain increased confidence in the security of their resources protected by technologies such as shibboleth.
With the ending of Jisc subscription to Athens on behalf of UK FE / HE in July 2008, membership of the Federation provides UK universities, schools and colleges with the next step in educational access to resources.
Mark Williams, Access Management Outreach Coordinator, helped develop the animation. He says that the new animation ‘brings to life what can otherwise be dry and difficult concepts to convey.’
‘The establishment of the UK Access Management Federation and Jisc’s plans for access management in general,’ he continues, ‘require a number of important decisions on the part of institutions, and this animation sets out some of these in an accessible and non-technical way. Feedback has already been very positive, especially from those IT managers who need to explain to their staff why important and far-reaching changes need to be made.’
To find out more and to download or view the animation in a variety of formats please go to: Federation