About LEARN: Activities & Accomplishments

LEARN Identity Management Federation

Collaboration requires the sharing of data and services across organizational boundaries throughout Texas and the world. It is not practical or wise to have valuable electronic resources available without proper safeguards. Thanks to the support of the University of Texas System (UT System), LEARN has deployed an Identity Management Federation (IdMF) for Texas. The IdMF is structured on standards based open source technology that brokers the authentication and identity management process between organizations that participate in the Federation. This environment enables users within the Federation to log in to IdMF services using their own university credentials. Since LEARN manages the credentialing relationships between IdMF participating organizations, it permits the organizations to focus on developing and maintaining a core set of services for a broader community without having to manage individual relationships. This environment creates the "trust" environment that is critical to sharing electronic resources and collaboration.

Because it is an essential component of collaboration and sharing resources, IdMF is a strategic priority of LEARN's Board of Directors. To be able to actively participate and compete in the interconnected global environment in which we live, the LEARN IdMF interacts with other Federations throughout the world. The LEARN IdMF participates in the InCommon Federation community to provide the broad trust fabric for our students, faculty, researchers and staff to efficiently and securely collaborate with their colleagues.