Studies started in year:
 Projects and Studies

 

P1441
ID Management enabling AAA services
closed
For further information please contact:

Christian Hellwig
Programme Manager
Eurescom
Wieblinger Weg 19/4
69123 Heidelberg, Germany
Project Information
What is this Project about?

During the last two years, standards for the management of online identities started to establish themselves in Internet and especially in web technologies. Identity Management (IDM) has the potential to leverage business and service aggregation in the Internet by making services easier to use and involved parties more trustworthy.

Carrier’s main means of authentication in the Internet field are AAA infrastructures (Authentication Authorization Accounting) providing more functionality (like Accounting) than Identity Management but do not inherently support authentication between domains or exchange of profile information beyond usual dial-up oriented data. Identity Management focuses on authentication, while the Liberty Alliance approach takes it even further, introducing the notion of federated identities. Rivaling with Liberty is Microsoft’s Passport system, being more centralized, but as well, introduces the role of an identity service provider.

This study will look at the potentials to integrate ‘http level’ Identity Management with ‘network level’ authentication found in carrier’s infrastructures. Central questions will be:

  • What are the dangers to carrier’s customer relationship through online-enabled identity providers?

  • How can Telcos position themselves in this emerging market making use of existing AAA infrastructures?

  • Can acceptance of Telco’s Internet services be improved, using Identity Management?

  • Can Telco’s services like accounting and billing be adopted to work in an Identity Management environment?

What are the main objectives of this Project?

  • Develop AAA / IDM interworking scenarios as enablers for new business opportunities.
     

  • Evaluate the chances through combined IDM and AAA architectures and business approaches.
     

  • Point out the risks to customer relationship and market presence of Telcos possibly caused by third Party ID Providers with strong customer relationships.
     

  • Define recommendations for telcos that are necessary to take into account in the advent of convergence between IDM and AAA.

What are the key results for this Project?

The key results are a set of service scenarios presented in terms of technological and business approaches, and some recommendations for telcos :

Ø       Architecture and standardization recommendations

Ø       Regulatory aspects

Ø       Strategic positioning of telcos

Ø       Next steps

What relationship exists to other organisations or bodies?

Among other available technologies in the fields of AAA / IDM, the study will investigate the Liberty Alliance proposals.
Project Results