Microsoft Adds Three New Partners to Digital ID Program

Need to Know 

• Microsoft is expanding its digital ID initiative by partnering with Jumio, Acuant, and AU10TIX.
• The Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) “allows businesses and users to establish trust without sacrificing data privacy, changing the way we grant permissions to access information.”
• Digital IDs, or credentials that can be verified through online means, allow businesses and users to authenticate a wide range of credentials about a person without collecting or storing their data.
• Always a leader in tech, Microsoft has launched a number of initiatives to support a remote-first world following the cultural shifts created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis

As Microsoft continues to dive into its latest innovation, verifiable credentials, a number of partners, such as Acuant, Jumio, and AU10TIX, are joining in on the tech giant’s Azure Active Directory. 

The Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) “allows businesses and users to establish trust without sacrificing data privacy, changing the way we grant permissions to access information.” 

Verifiable credentials allow organizations to confirm information about a person, such as professional or educational credentials, without storing or collecting their data. 

The technology will essentially serve as a digital ID, enabling organizations to “verify a wide variety of attributes, such as ID documents and electronic data, while giving individuals more control over who has access to their information.” 

Digital IDs allow for easy data verification, fast and secure remote onboarding, passwordless account recovery, and secure access to apps. Because the information is verified by secure technology companies like Jumio and Acuant, the process is both trustworthy and efficient. 

“We are delighted to collaborate with Microsoft in defining the future of digital identity and to be part of Microsoft’s verified identity solution, enabling modern enterprises to add a critical layer of trust with decentralized and reusable digital identity,” said Robert Prigge, Jumio CEO.

According to a press release from Jumio, here’s how it works:

“When an end-user performs an identity verification for the first time using Jumio and Azure AD verifiable credentials, a special digital certificate is created in the user’s digital wallet (e.g., the Microsoft Authenticator app). This certificate can be used later to present to another party and verify the identity of the user without requiring the user to scan their government ID and selfie again.”

The evolution to digital verification comes amid a rapid shift to remote-first work, and, well, remote-first everything. This means the need for a more secure digital ecosystem is greater than ever before.

Said AU10TIX CEO Carey O’Connor Kolaja, “Over the past year, digital identity has emerged at the center of a safer, more trustworthy digital ecosystem. In a world without borders, businesses must enable more flexibility as we work, learn, and collaborate remotely.” 

“Verifiable credentials will revolutionize the way we grant access to information,” adds Sue Bohn, a partner director in the identity division at Microsoft.

Always a leader in the technology space, Microsoft has continued to innovate for a post-COVID world. The iconic tech firm joined the vaccination effort earlier this year, helping to launch digital vaccination records, and recently launched a new work-from-home platform called Viva. 

In January, the computer company announced a partnership with GM, focused on together launching a self-driving car.