HP to host ID management hub for USPS
By
Frank Konkel
The project is the federal government's first cloud-based identity management pilot.
The federal government's first cloud-based identity management pilot will be hosted by HP Enterprise Services.
Toronto-based SecureKey Technologies, which the U.S. Postal Service selected in August to develop the Federal Cloud Credential Exchange, tapped HP Enterprise Services on Oct. 2 as its subcontractor to host the exchange.
Under the subcontract, HP Enterprise Services Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for U.S. Public Sector will provide the cloud computing horsepower necessary to offer millions of users and organizations secure online access to multiple federal agencies and online services through existing, approved third-party digital identification credentials.
The deal is a win for HP and its Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)-certified VPC in an increasingly competitive cloud computing market. VPC is a pay-as-you-use enterprise cloud service, cutting the upfront costs.
"Agencies are faced with delivering the next level of customer service as citizens are increasingly looking to the federal government to provide services online," said Marilyn Crouther, senior vice president and general manager, U.S. Public Sector, HP Enterprise Services. "HP is committed to supporting federal cloud computing initiatives like USPS' innovative implementation of FCCX by delivering enterprise solutions that are built with security and flexibility in mind."
Confirmed pilot participants in the program's first year include USPS, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the General Services Administration, with the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration and Department of Education rumored as potential participants thus far.
FCCX is a result of the White House's National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace initiative. If successful, its benefits will be simplifying the way citizens use government websites while theoretically reducing costs for participating agencies that would no longer have to utilize in-house ID management systems.