Identity federation (federated identity management) is about sharing digital identities across multiple different organizations (security domains), or business processes (applications), each completely independent from the other. Web access control is an application, based to some extent on this concept, allowing internal and/or external web users to access only those URLs they are entitled to see due to their security settings or business needs. Identity federation allows users of these different security domains and applications to work together, as if they were one, while maintaining the privacy, security, and independence of each user (or system) in this logical network. Web access control delivers secure single sign-on across internal and external web enabled applications, while simplifying system access for end users.

 The values of implementing federated identity solutions are the following:

• Simplify authentication and authorization of different people by implementing accepted interaction standards
• Streamline business processes and provide effective coordination between business partners
• Shorten process time significantly by allowing each identity in the process chain to handle its part independently. Sing from India can pick up an order John from Los Angeles requested when Sing was asleep, and complete it while John is asleep
• Simplify the communication and transaction messaging between partnering organizations due to the standard structure
• Lower the cost of doing business by standardizing and organizing broken processes into a single one
• Lower management cost and increase user satisfaction by allowing for self-service and self-registration

• Security
• Communication
• Trust-setting
• Standard authentication for users and systems validation
• Standard authorization for access permissions
• Open information exchange
• Protection of private information of users or systems in the federation
• Maintenance of the independence of each organization within the federation. Each organization should be able to administer their users independently of the others
• Management of users directory
• Simple users allocation and groups creation