At yesterday’s PDC, Microsoft announced that Windows Live would become an OpenID supporter. The service will now issue OpenID’s for users, allowing them to log in to any web site that is OpenID enabled. Calling it the defacto standard protocol for Wed user authentication, the company has committed to let Windows Live users create and use OpenID’s for use on other sites.
When, Microsoft, will I be able to use my OpenID to log into a Microsoft site? After all, the promise of OpenID is a “free and easy way to use a single digital identity across the Internet”. It’s just not that interesting to have a Yahoo! OpenID, a Microsoft OpenID, and a Google OpenID, if you get my drift.
Alec Saunders is the Vice President of Developer Relations for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion. This is his personal blog, with his personal viewpoints. Prior to this Alec was the CEO and co-founder of Calliflower — the easiest way to hold a meeting, online, on a conference call, or on the go. A double-decade veteran of product management and marketing, he spent nine years at Microsoft where he helped launch Windows 95, the first two versions of Internet Explorer, the Universal Plug and Play initiative, the push into home markets, opt-in email marketing and what might well go down in history as the very first direct email list ever.
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OpenID ss a “free and easy way to use a single digital identity across the Internet” is a false promise. I know that is what OpenID establishment is advertising. The real promise is that RPs can outsource authentication to third parties (not any and all). NOBODY can take away authorization capability from RPs; if OID folks insist then the adoption rate will linger.