We talked about OpenID back in Chapter 2. OpenID is an open-source solution for the problem of needing a unique username and password for access to different web sites, thus making your life simpler. This allows you to choose the OpenID provider that best meets your need and that you trust. Also, OpenID can stay with you no matter which provider you move to. Best of all, OpenID is free. This is good for businesses, because it means a lower cost for password and account management. OpenID is still in the adoption phase and is becoming more popular as big names like AOL, Microsoft, Sun, and Novell begin to accept and provide OpenIDs. OpenID is a product of the open-source community to solve problems that were not easily solvable by existing technology. OpenID is a lightweight way to authenticate users, using the same technology that is used to identify web sites. Anyone can be an OpenID user or provider for free. The OpenID Foundation was formed to assist the open-source model and act as the technology’s source of support.