(July 16, 2002) -The Liberty Alliance Project has released its version 1.0 specifications, the first set of open federated network identity specifications from the cross-industry consortium. As the Liberty Alliance's first step in enabling an open federated network identity solution, the specifications focus on interoperability between systems to enable opt-in account linking and simplified sign-on functionality. This allows users to decide whether to link accounts with various identity providers and makes it easier for consumers and businesses to take advantage of the growing Web services space.

As a demonstration of the specifications' ease of implementation, their commercial value, and the significant need for an interoperable network identification solution, several member companies concurrently announced plans to deliver Liberty-enabled products and services. These vendors include Communicator Inc., Entrust Inc., NeuStar Inc., Novell Inc., OneName Corporation, RSA Security, and Sun Microsystems. The first products are expected to be available by end of 2002.

"Less than a year after the Liberty Alliance Project was formed, we've made solid progress in delivering a secure, technologically agnostic identification solution that can support a wide range of identity products and network devices," said Eric Dean, chairman of the Liberty Alliance Management Board and CIO of United Airlines.

The Liberty Alliance version 1.0 specifications represent the first step in enabling an open federated network identification infrastructure that can link both similar and disparate systems. The specifications allow businesses to connect heterogeneous systems in order to handle identification and authorization in a more efficient and controlled manner. This will be paramount in managing the growing number and types of transactions on the Internet today and in the future. It is also crucial to the integration of legacy systems and emerging technologies.

The Liberty Alliance specifications leverage industry-standard security and data transfer protocols, including the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML), developed by the Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS).

The Liberty Alliance has already begun developing its next set of specifications, which will leverage Liberty version 1.0 and expand to include features for permission-based attribute sharing. To access the specifications for version 1.0, go to the Liberty Alliance Website at www.projectliberty.org.