Microsoft account
| Microsoft account | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=logo}
|
|
| login.live.com | |
| description | Single sign-on service |
| Registration | Yes |
| owner | Microsoft |
| Published | 1999 |
| Members | 250 million |
| status | on-line |
The Microsoft Account (formerly Microsoft Wallet , Microsoft Passport , .NET Passport , Microsoft Passport Network, and most recently Windows Live ID ) is a single sign-on service developed and provided by Microsoft . This allows the user to log into many websites and other systems with one account. The system went live in July 1999 under the name .NET Passport and has more than 250 million users.
overview
According to the company, up to 1 billion authentication processes were carried out every day . However, Microsoft brought about a drastic increase in Passport subscribers at the end of 2004: The access to the Microsoft-operated, free e-mail service Hotmail was expanded to Passport access, the Windows XP Registration Wizard repeatedly prompts you to set up access, and Registration via the service is also required for permanent use of software offered free of charge by Microsoft, such as Visual Studio Express .
Microsoft websites and services such as Windows Live, MSN , Xbox LIVE , Zune , Windows Phone, and Windows 8 use the account to identify users. There are currently almost 100 partner sites. However, these are mainly services operated by Microsoft itself, e.g. B. Expedia . Therefore, Passport is now seen more as a portal solution .
There are two different methods for creating a Microsoft account:
- Use a valid existing email address: Users can use their own valid email address to create a Microsoft account.
- Registration with a new Microsoft email address: Users can also register with a new email account on Hotmail or Outlook.com . This account can be used to sign in to other Microsoft account enabled websites.
While Windows XP and newer have an option to link a Windows user account to a Microsoft account, Windows 8 allows the user to log into the account directly on their PC instead of having to create a local user account.
The system uses common technologies such as HTTP redirects and cookies in Internet browsers . However, no open standards are used for backend and service software , and the protocols used are proprietary. The system is set up centrally: both users and the participating site must register with Microsoft. Authentication is only possible via Microsoft's Passport server. Each user is assigned a 64-bit number, the so-called Passport User ID (PUID). The PUID is transmitted to the service provider involved in every transaction.
The Liberty Alliance Project was initiated by some companies as a competing offer. Another, also decentralized alternative is the OpenID project.
Microsoft Passport has never achieved widespread use as a single sign-on system. Microsoft CardSpace , a new method for identity management, was released as part of the .NET Framework 3.0 .
Since 2007, the term .NET Passport has been used rarely or not at all. With the introduction of Windows Live (with Hotmail, which was briefly called Live Mail ), the .NET Passport was also fed into the Windows Live project. In the meantime, the name for the network was therefore Windows Live ID . In 2012 the service was renamed to Microsoft Account .
Functions
Features of a Microsoft account include:
- Update the user information such as first and last name, address, etc. associated with the account
- Update of user settings, such as preferred language or the settings for e-mail communication
- Change or reset password
- Close the account
- View billing information associated with the account
- Linking multiple Microsoft accounts
criticism
Golem magazine reported that Microsoft blocked accounts "for breach of the service contract". A lawsuit is made more difficult by the fact that the person concerned is not aware of a specific reason for the account closure and that they have accepted the contractual terms when creating the Microsoft account.
Web links
- account.live.com - Home of Microsoft's Passport Network
- Microsoft's Vision for an Identity Metasystem (code name: InfoCard)
- Microsoft InfoCard: Universal identity for web users - Article at Golem.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Günther Born: Microsoft: Digital amnesia through arbitrary account lockouts. In: golem.de. August 18, 2020, accessed August 25, 2020 .