InCommon Library Services

[Adam Chandler <>]

FYI.

http://www.librarytechnology.org/ltg-displayarticle.pl?RC=13806



Press Release: Proquest [February 9, 2009]
ProQuest Announces Shibboleth support for the ProQuest Platform

Copyright (c) 2009 Proquest
Summary ProQuest announced that all products hosted on the ProQuest
platform are now Shibboleth compliant, affirming ProQuest's commitment
to working with emerging library standards. The Shibboleth System is
an increasingly popular standards-based, open source software package
for web single sign-on allowing library sites to make informed
authorization decisions for individual access of protected online
resources.

Ann Arbor, MI, February 9th, 2009 – ProQuest is pleased to announce
that all products hosted on the ProQuest platform (from ABI/INFORM,
Research Library and ProQuest Central to historical and current
newspapers, ProQuest Medical Library and Entrepreneurship) are now
Shibboleth compliant, affirming ProQuest's commitment to working with
emerging library standards. The Shibboleth System (a trademark of the
University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development) is an
increasingly popular standards-based, open source software package for
web single sign-on allowing library sites to make informed
authorization decisions for individual access of protected online
resources.

ProQuest's Shibboleth release provides support for the following
federations; the United States (InCommon), Canada (The Canadian Access
Federation), United Kingdom (The UK Access Management Federation for
Education and Research) and Germany (DFN-AAI). Other federations will
be supported at a later date.

"We embrace the new Shibboleth technology in easing access to
resources to make a more streamlined experience for the user as well
as assisting information professionals in the complex area of identity
management" said Mary Sauer-Games, Vice President, Higher Education
Publishing, ProQuest. "We are pleased to support these innovative
national federations and look forward to supporting even more
federations in this enterprise in the future."

Shibboleth overcomes the complexity of managing passwords, as well as
the challenges associated with authentication technologies (such as IP
authentication and Athens), enabling single sign-on and federated
administration of access to restricted resources. The user's site and
the target site exchange information based on attributes (for example
a student in a particular course, or a particular faculty member).
This approach allows for more active privacy management than relying
solely on the unique identity of the user, significantly reducing the
workload for information professionals in managing user identities,
and providing a more uniform experience for the user. The compliance
of the ProQuest platform products is a landmark in the development of
Shibboleth compliance.
About ProQuest LLC

ProQuest creates specialized information resources and technologies
that propel successful research and lifelong learning. A global leader
in serving libraries of all types, ProQuest offers the culmination of
experience from many respected brands, including CSA, UMI,
Chadwyck-Healey, SIRS, and eLibrary. With Serials Solutions, Ulrich's,
RefWorks, COS, and Dialog brands now in the ProQuest family, the
company continues to build on its legacy of responsive people in
partnership with librarians.

ProQuest consistently seeks new ways to support researchers and
quality research. More than a content provider or aggregator, ProQuest
is an information partner, creating indispensable research solutions
that connect people and information. Through innovative, user-centered
technology, ProQuest offers a depth and breadth of global content that
includes historical newspapers, dissertations, and uniquely relevant
resources for researchers of any age and sophistication—including
content not likely to be digitized by others. Inspired by its
customers and end users, ProQuest is working toward a future that
blends information accessibility with community to further enhance
learning and encourage lifelong enrichment. For more information,
visit www.proquest.com or the ProQuest parent company website,
www.cambridgeinformationgroup.com.