• Users may access multiple applications using just one password.
• Single sign-on.
• Service provider administrators do not have to preserve user’s credentials and implement authentication.
• User authentication is always performed at the home organization, user credenitals are not revealed to the service providers.
• The federation infrastructure implements easy, standards-compliant and secure methods for exchange of user information.

LANET acts as an operator of the federation – enforces the federation policy and coordinates all the activity, manages member registration, provides support and resolves security incidents.

Federation members are organizations, which have been completed the registration process. Member organizations may run one or more components which release user information or provide services. Dependent on the purpose, there are two types of federation components:

• identity provider – connected to the organization’s user management system, provides authentication and user information
• service provider – provides online services or access to online resources