JanRain announced support for OpenID 2.0. The latest version of OpenID assures its position as the dominant standard for next-generation digital identity. With new features that improve security and usability of OpenID, the user-centric single sign-on and online user-authentication standard is for mass adoption and widespread disruption across the Internet. As the primary contributor to the OpenID code base, JanRain is positioned to deliver the key applications and services that will drive exponential growth of the OpenID ecosystem in 2008 and beyond.

OpenID, built on the concept of each person having one user name and password for every Web site they visit, eliminates the consumers’ burden of creating and managing redundant profiles for each of their preferred Web sites and social networks. OpenID’s decentralized protocol ensures a more secure online experience than traditional user-authentication systems, protecting consumers against phishing attacks and online fraud. More than 8,000 Web sites currently accept OpenID, a figure growing by five percent week over week, and many of the world’s leading companies, including Google Blogger, AOL, VeriSign, France Telecom and Sun Microsystems have adopted or announced support for OpenID. Additional leading Internet properties have pledged to adopt OpenID following the release of version 2.0, a move which is expected to drive explosive growth within the user community.

“OpenID 2.0 is the culmination of nearly two years of work by hundreds of developers and specification editors and the feedback of the world’s largest technology and Internet companies,” said Larry Drebes, founder and vice president of engineering for JanRain. “JanRain has invested heavily in the development of OpenID because we believe that a secure, portable digital identity is fundamental to the evolution of the Internet. JanRain’s mission is to develop first-to-market applications and services that leverage the OpenID standard, enabling users to fully reap the benefits of user-centric identity.”

“In February, Microsoft announced our collaboration with the OpenID community to enable and promote phishing-resistant authentication,” said Kim Cameron, chief architect of identity at Microsoft Corp. “Since then, we have worked with JanRain and other partners to bring the benefits of information cards with OpenID. JanRain’s support of OpenID 2.0 today is an important milestone towards our mutual goal of making the Internet safer and easier to use.”

“Since Six Apart created OpenID in 2005, JanRain has worked tirelessly with the OpenID community to develop and promote it as the premiere user identification application on the Internet. It’s been great to have JanRain’s leadership and support in the OpenID community over the years,” said David Recordon, Open Platforms tech lead at Six Apart. “The release of OpenID 2.0 is a significant occasion for both our companies and for the entire OpenID community, and we anticipate that it will catapult OpenID into the mainstream.”