FreeYourID is a new web service that allows users to register a personal .Name domain name which in turn can be used as an OpenID identifier, website URL and email host. Your domain name will be in the format of first.last.name and the domain can then be directed to a website, host email aliases or more interestingly, be used as login credentials for services that support OpenID.
For those of you unfamiliar with OpenID it’s an open standards based identity network similar to Microsoft Password that allows you to login to any website that supports the standard using the same credentials. It alleviates the problem of having multiple accounts and multiple identities at different serives and allows you to have a single unique username, password an in-turn profile. To use OpenID, your identity is stored on a trusted identity provider. Instead of logging into a site directly, you log into your identity provider, which upon your verification, shares whatever identity information you choose with the site.
Currently there are a number of steps involved for a user to setup an OpenID identity, but with FreeYourID you can use your own .Name domain and have your OpenID identity setup and served automatically in a simple single-step signup process. With your OpenID enabled .Name domain setup you can then automatically login to any of the growing number of services that support the open identity protocol (for a list see here). This automation is key to helping OpenID reach a wider audience.
In addition, FreeYourID will be rolling out integration with Lycos Europe and Pageflakes. Lycos will be releasing a new product, which will use .name URIs for identity across email, IM, and VOIP. Pageflakes, within a week, will be rolling out personalized .Name addresses for their users to access their accounts. FreeYourID also recently partnered with JanRain to act as their OpenID server.
FreeYourID is giving away free 90 day trial of .Name addresses ($2.99/qtr or $10.95/yr. afterwards).