The OASIS international standards consortium today introduced a new XML.org online community web site dedicated to supporting the Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML). The site (http://saml.xml.org) will serve as the official information resource for the SAML OASIS Standard, which provides an XML-based framework for online partners to exchange user authentication, entitlement, and attribute information.

"SAML is recognized as the gold standard for federated identity," said Eve Maler, director of technology in Business Alliances at Sun Microsystems. "OASIS has created SAML XML.org as a way to enable users, developers, vendors, and other standards efforts from around the world to share information and learn from one another. Sun has taken an active role in SAML's spec development, product support, interoperability, and education since its earliest days, and we're delighted to see the launch of this new resource."

All pages on SAML XML.org are accessible by the public, and users are encouraged to contribute content. The site features a wiki knowledgebase of information on using and understanding SAML. It also includes sections where readers can post related news, event information, listings for products and services, links to white papers, case studies, and other resources. Forums that support interactive discussions and blogs are also featured.

"Ping Identity is a strong advocate of standards that allow more and more companies today to benefit from secure internet single sign-on," said Ping Identity CTO, Patrick Harding. "We are pleased to help the SAML XML.org effort provide an easy-to-navigate nexus point where people can quickly find the information they need."

SAML is a flexible and extensible standard designed to be used by other by other standards. The Liberty Alliance, the Internet2 Shibboleth project, and the WS-Security OASIS Standard have all adopted SAML as a technological underpinning for various purposes.

Read the complete press release from OASIS.