Single sign-on

Higher education advisory organisation the Joint Information Systems Committee (Jisc) has announced the launch of the UK Access Management Federation, a system based on Shibboleth technology.

The technology provides a route to single sign-on for multiple resources in numerous departments. It should give universities, colleges and service providers secure access to a host of electronic resources.

The final launch of the system is to be welcomed - it is clearly a step in the right direction. Now, however, is the time for a broader debate about how such technology and processes can be applied across the public sector.

Back in March, Nicole Harris, programme manager at Jisc, told Computing that the eGovernment Unit (eGU) and NHS were keen to investigate the potential of federated access.

Jisc continues its discussions with the NHS. And with the secure groundwork laid, now is the time for further progress across other areas of public sector provision.