Liberty Alliance Contributes Specs to OASIS for Consideration in SAML 2.0

["Carol Geyer" <carol.geyer@oasis-open.org>]

Liberty Alliance Contributes Phase 1 Network Identity Specifications to
OASIS for Consideration in SAML 2.0

San Francisco, Calif. (RSA Security Conference); 11 April 2003 –- The
Liberty Alliance Project and OASIS today announced that the Liberty
Alliance has contributed its version 1.1 federated network identity
specifications to OASIS.  The OASIS Security Services Technical
Committee requested Liberty’s contribution to permit possible
incorporation of Liberty version 1.1 specification features in future
versions of the OASIS Open Standard Security Assertion Markup Language
(SAML).

SAML, an XML-based security framework for authentication and
authorization in Web services, serves as a key underpinning to the
Liberty Alliance federated network identity architecture.   In keeping
with Liberty Alliance’s philosophy to leverage existing open standards
whenever possible and build new functionality only if needed, the
Alliance incorporated SAML into its Phase 1 specifications introduced in
2002.

The Liberty Alliance chose to extend SAML in version 1.1 to include
additional security enhancements vital to identity management, such as
opt-in account linking, simple session management and global log-out
capabilities.  For the benefit of SAML and Liberty implementers and the
industry as a whole, Liberty Alliance is providing those extensions back
to OASIS for future versions of SAML.

"Collaboration between standards groups enables the Web services
industry to move forward at a pace that meets the needs of the market,"
said Patrick Gannon, president and CEO of OASIS.  "As SAML evolves, it
makes sense to leverage the work Liberty Alliance has already done in
this area.  Our mutual goal is to decrease time-to-market for new
technology, enhance interoperability between products and drive broader
adoption of open standards."

"We will continue to work closely with OASIS as the Liberty Alliance
federated identity architecture evolves," said Michael Barrett,
president of the Liberty Alliance Management Board and vice president
for Internet strategy at American Express. "The Alliance will continue
to develop Liberty’s Identity Federation Framework within the
consortium, and plans to collaborate closely with OASIS on future
enhancements."

"OASIS is a highly-regarded industry association and the OASIS Security
Services Technical Committee’s interest in incorporating Liberty’s
version 1.1 features into future versions of the SAML standard
demonstrates the relevance and credibility of Liberty Alliance’s work,"
said Dan Blum, Senior Vice President and Research Director at the Burton
Group. "It also shows the industry’s willingness to work together to
solve some of the barriers impeding the growth of web services."

About the Liberty Alliance Project (www.projectliberty.org)
The Liberty Alliance Project is a consortium formed to develop open
standards for federated network identity management and identity-based
services.  The Alliance is made up of 160 members, representing a
worldwide cross-section of organizations ranging from educational
institutions and government organizations, to service providers and
financial institutions, to technology firms and wireless providers.
Federated identity will help drive the next generation of the Internet,
offering businesses and consumers convenience and choice.  Membership is
open to all commercial and non-commercial organizations.

About OASIS (http://www.oasis-open.org)
OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information
Standards) is a not-for-profit, global consortium that drives the
development, convergence, and adoption of e-business standards.  Members
themselves set the OASIS technical agenda, using a lightweight, open
process expressly designed to promote industry consensus and unite
disparate efforts.  OASIS produces worldwide standards for security, Web
services, XML conformance, business transactions, electronic publishing,
topic maps and interoperability within and between marketplaces.
Founded in 1993, OASIS has more than 2,000 participants representing
over 600 organizations and individual members in 100 countries.

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PRESS CONTACTS:
Carol Geyer 						Michelle Vance
OASIS, Director of Communications			Ketchum PR for Liberty Alliance
941-284-0403 						415-984-6170
carol.geyer@oasis-open.org 	  			michelle.vance@ketchum.com