Google to Integrate with OpenID

Google announced that they are starting to push towards a global login. They are calling this global login a “federated login.” I feel this could be both good and bad.

I feel it would be a great thing because it would help make websites easier to use, being able to use any one login to login to a site. I feel it would be bad because what if that single login is compromised? Just like any single login system, there’s always that security threat of being compromised.

I have a lot invested into Google’s products already through Google AdSense, Google AdWords, Google Gmail, Google Reader, and Google Analytics, just to name a few. If my identity was ever compromised, it would mean a lot of bad things for me. That is just one reason why I would not want to push towards a “federated login.” But, if there were a lot stronger security measures taken, similar to how banks already double-authenticate you via e-mail confirmation before logging in, I would be a lot more in favor of this federated login.

Google is really trying to universalize this single login in a joint effort with OpenID, the already existing single login system offered and accepted at a number of sites, including photo sharing site Flickr [a Yahoo! owned property].

One company that has already adopted this federated login is Zoho.com, a Google competitor. Zoho is allowing customers to login to their platform using their Google login in an effort to make it more effortless for users.

I think it’s quite a funny case that Google’s competition is using Google’s technology to compete. This is the point where you know you are one of the “big players” in the industry.

But, the bottom line for me is still whether or not the security is strong enough to warrant a federated login for the world. I believe it will one day truly be a “one login world,” but not without the proper security measures in place.