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- Co-existence of "Old" and "New" Systems: The transition to the expanded identity services might not occur smoothly, leading to a prolonged co-existence of traditional methods alongside the new ones. This could result in increased complexity and maintenance efforts for our sector.
- Failure to Extend Identity Services: If our community fails to successfully expand our identity services to encompass document presentation, it may create a gap that other market solutions succeed to fill. These alternative solutions might not be tailored to the specific needs of the research and education sector, potentially offering less functionality and security to end-users.
- Ineffective Marketing of Extended Identity Services: Despite the technological advancements, our community might struggle to effectively market the benefits and capabilities of the extended identity services to relevant stakeholders. If the benefits and capabilities of the extended identity services are not adequately communicated, other parties may perceive them as less trustworthy or less suitable for their needs. This lack of trust could prevent broader adoption of the services and hinder collaboration between the research and education sector and other sectors, ultimately impeding the overall success of the initiative.
- Resistance to Change: Resistance to change from stakeholders within the research and education sector, such as institutions, administrators, or users, could impede the successful implementation and adoption of extended identity services. Resistance may stem from factors such as inertia or fear of technology, requiring effective change management strategies to overcome.
- Interoperability Challenges: Ensuring interoperability with existing systems and standards, both within the research and education sector and with external stakeholders, is crucial for the successful integration and adoption of extended identity services. Incompatibilities or difficulties in integration could hinder seamless operation and collaboration across different platforms and organisations.
Challenges in Coping with Paper Stability: The transition from traditional paper-based issuance and verification processes to digital identity services may pose challenges in maintaining the stability and reliability that paper documents offer. Paper documents have a long-standing reputation for stability and longevity, and replicating this stability in digital formats, particularly in terms of issuance and verification, may be difficult. Ensuring the durability and longevity of digital identity records while maintaining their integrity and authenticity over time is crucial to overcome this challenge.
Usability Concerns and Silos: Providing a user-friendly experience is essential for the adoption and success of identity services. However, the complexity of integrating various systems and platforms within the research and education sector may result in fragmented solutions or "silos," which can negatively impact usability. Inefficient or disjointed user experiences across different platforms or services can lead to frustration and reluctance among users to adopt the identity services. Addressing usability concerns and breaking down silos through cohesive design and integration efforts is necessary to enhance user acceptance and engagement.
Engagements
- Initiatives and projects with global scope:
- OWF (Open Wallet Foundation)
- EU-Level initiatives and projects:
- LSP (Large Scale Pilots) DC4EU
- EBSI EA Wave 3
- National initiatives and projects:
- Germany: IDunion
- Switzerland: DIDAS, E-ID participation meetings
Recommendations
Recommendations for GÉANT, NRENs, and their respective communities, including research institutions, libraries, and others:
Engagement in Standardisation Bodies: Actively participate in relevant standardisation bodies such as IETF, W3C, OpenID Foundation (e.g. Digital Credentials Protocols (DCP) Working Group). By engaging in standardisation efforts, GEANT, NRENs, and their communities can contribute to the development of interoperable and standardised protocols and specifications for identity services, ensuring compatibility and consistency across different systems and platforms.
Preventing Silos: Foster collaboration and interoperability among different stakeholders within the research and education sector to prevent the emergence of silos. Encourage the adoption of open standards and APIs to facilitate seamless integration and data exchange between various systems and services. Promote initiatives that encourage information sharing and collaboration across organisational boundaries and borders.
Addressing User Friendliness: Prioritise UX design and usability testing in the development of identity services and related applications. Conduct user research to understand the needs and preferences of different user groups within the research and education community. Invest in intuitive interfaces, clear documentation, and user-friendly workflows to enhance adoption and satisfaction among end-users.
Collaboration: Collaborate with other organisations and initiatives working on identity and authentication solutions, such as ...
- Establish ecosystem trust anchors: Develop and establish operational standards including baseline expectations covering dimensions such as security, availability and data protection. Ensure appropriate governance to enforce these operational standards for all ecosystem stakeholders.
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