When we originally launched Force.com and defined Platform as a Service, our goal was to allow customers to build and deploy applications that were as easy to use and manage as Salesforce itself. We choose to focus on the user, and measure ourselves not on the number of machines we manage or VMs we deploy, but rather on the scale at which enterprises trust us with their users data, and how we can connect those users with applications and developers.

Today, we process over 7 Billion logins a year on behalf of 100,000+ customers. And, after years of establishing identity as an integral part of our platform, we’re extending the same trust, ease of use, and simple administration to third party clouds and applications with the introduction of Salesforce Identity

What is Salesforce Identity?

Salesforce Identity provides Identity and Access Management (IAM) services for Web and mobile applications, delivered through the simplicity, transparency, and trust of the Salesforce Platform.

For users, Salesforce Identity means no more frustration juggling passwords for each application. Login once and seamlessly access all your applications and data using Single Sign-On from a single, social Identity.
Administrators gain control and flexibility over access to applications by automating identity and access management processes through the simplicity you’ve come to expect from Salesforce.
CIOs can leverage existing authentication investments, while gaining control and peace-of-mind over your cloud investments via centralized reporting and deprovisioning.
Developers can build Web, mobile or tablet applications on the Salesforce Platform or on on any third-party platform through simple standards based integration.
ISVs can tap into the power and distribution of AppExchange and Login with Salesforce regardless of where their app runs, be that Force.com, Heroku, mobile, or any other cloud.

Single Sign-On and Social Applications for Users

With Salesforce Identity, your users login once and gain one click access to any of their applications through this single, trusted cloud Identity. Open standards like our integrated SAML Identity Provider, and a enterprise-ready OAuth2 framework provides open access to applications regardless of where they’re deployed, be that on the Salesforce Platform, on mobile platforms like Android and iOS, or even on third-party Clouds. And, since each Identity is social, the Identity enabled Chatter feed allows deeply integrated applications to push important information to the user, or even access the app directly from the feed.

Identity & Access Management

Salesforce Identity provides administrators a single place to manage user access to applications, be those Web, mobile or tablet. Beyond simple entitlement, Salesforce Identity can take the headache out of common administrative tasks like provisioning and deprovisioning by automating them through our drag-and-drop workflow engine and pre-integrated Identity Connectors. And, while many IDM services can automate user-management, the Salesforce Platform provides unprecedented levels of customization. Need to extend your user schema? Point and click, or call our API and you’re done. Triggers on users? Yup. Don’t like our workflow? Use our Flow workflow engine and it’s Identity Connectors to graphically customize your processes. Have some system we don’t connect to? Drop a plugin on our server … it’s a full Identity enabled PaaS.

Mobile Access Management

Almost every one of our customers is facing an increasingly mobile workforce. With native OAuth support, mobile Single Sign-On, and integrated Mobile SDKs, the Salesforce Touch Platform is already an amazing platform for mobile development. With Salesforce Identity, we’ve re-imagined OAuth for the enterprise, giving Administrators back control over authorization, and fine grained policies for their Mobile Apps.

Enterprise Directory Integration

At Salesforce, we’re running one of the world’s largest SAML service providers, and have developed deep expertise in connecting back to the enterprise. We’ve championed innovative features like SAML based Provisioning, and SAML support for mobile and API applications, allowing customers to easily leverage their existing investments in systems like Active Directory.

Cloud Directory Services

While your existing directory may power your intranet, is it ready for the Cloud? We believe the world is ready for cloud directories, and we think that should be standards-based. Building upon our work on the System for Cross Domain Identity-Management (SCIM) Salesforce Identity provides a modern, RESTful, standard cloud directory for delivering user attributes and entitlements to your applications. Push or pull your user attributes into and out-of Salesforce Identity without lock-in, through the openness of SCIM.

Centralized Reporting

With Salesforce Identity, you gain transparency, insight, and peace of mind with centralized reports over user authentication, access, utilization, and deprovisioning. And once again, since you’re on an Identity enabled platform, if you don’t like our canned reports, use our drag and drop report builder, build your own dashboards, or access your data via the API

White-Labeling

Want to run your own Identity Services? Build branded login and OAuth services? Power custom social profiles for your customers Cloud enable your products? Salesforce Identity is fully brandable for delivery of partner and customer solutions. And, since it’s wired into both consumer identity services like Facebook, and your Salesforce CRM data model, Salesforce Identity can help you acquire customers and keep your data up-to-date with simple social sign-on.

Learn More about Salesforce Identity

Want to learn more about Salesforce Identity? Join us at Dreamforce our Platform keynote on Thursday at noon, or our deep-dive session on Friday at 10:30 for a look at how Salesforce Identity can help transform experiences for your employees, customers, and partners.

http://salesforce.com/platform/identity