Google/Grandcentral buyout could stimulate OpenID
Uno as Web2.0
Jul|4|2007
Everyone has been covering the latest acquisition by Google: that of GrandCentral.
You can read up on it here:
Techbizmedia
Techcrunch
Mashable
Gigaom
This is one step closer to managing your online identity. Essentially you want a single reference point that is you, for me this is my domain, www.unodewaal.com, but for other people it might be their myspace profile or linkedIn account. This is a stripped down version of Identity 2.0.
This acquisition has meant a significant amount for online identity. Now one of the biggest players online has a way for to link to your real-world self. The single-sign-on (SSO) with your Gmail address was a good start, but sooner or later you’d get that you could sign in with your GrandCentral number.
Ofcourse this isn’t much different from using your OpenID account. OpenID is a way for you to manage your online identity, but currently doesn’t have a good method for transferring to real world. In the comments section of Gigaom Marshall Kirkpatrick mentions what a game changer it would be for Google to adopt support for OpenID. I think this might just be a step towards some kind of conversion.
Technorati Tags: identity 2.0, openid, google, grandcentral, online reputation
