This project Higgins sounds fascinating. But the big question is whether or not it will really ever be something that people can accept in everyday life?

IBM, open source firm Novell and start-up software company Parity Communications are contributing code to an open source initiative, code-named ‘Project Higgins’, which will spawn a new generation of security software, giving people more control over their personal online identity information. Project Higgins builds upon a concept developed by Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society.

Project Higgins, which is being managed by the Eclipse open source foundation, is developing software for ‘user-centric’ identity management, an emerging trend in security software. The software enables users to actively manage and control their online personal information such as bank accounts, telephone and credit card numbers and medical and employment records. Rather than having institutions manage this information, people will decide what information they want shared with trusted online websites that use the software. Source: DMasia

Tags: novell, project higgins, eclipse open source foundation, online personal information