PingID (disclaimer: I'm on the advisory board) released the beta of SignOn.com today. SignOn.com is an OpenID identity provider that also accepts InfoCards. Once you've signed up, you can register an InfoCard with SignOn.com, you can use that to authenticate when you use your SignOn id at a Web site. Confused? Here's an example:
- I go to Jyte.com and click "login"
- Jyte asks for an OpenID, so I give it my SignOn OpenID (windley.signon.com)
- SignOn asks me to authenticate (since I'm not currently logged in there) and I choose to authenticate with an InfoCard
- The card selector pops up, I select an InfoCard I've previously registered with SignOn.com
- I'm asked the usual "grant permission" questions and select the right option
- I'm in
This sounds more complicated that it is. The fun part was that I essentially logged into Jyte using am InfoCard. Look Ma! No Passwords!
The rest of the site is, for now at least, a good implementation of an OpenID identity provider with easy to understand buttons for adding profile info, managing "trusted sites," and viewing past activity. All in all a very solid identity provider play with a great twist.
