Higgins project
| Company type | Open-source initiative |
|---|---|
| Industry | Identity management software |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Paul Trevithick |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Paul Trevithick, Mary Ruddy |
| Products | Higgins 1.X, Higgins 2.0, Personal Data Store (PDS), Identity Services |
| Parent | Eclipse Foundation |
Higgins is an open-source initiative designed to give users greater authority over their personal identity, profile details, and social network information.
The initiative consists of three primary elements:
- Active Clients – Applications embedded within web browsers on desktop or mobile platforms.
- Higgins 1.X: compatible with the OASIS IMI protocol, operating as an Information Card selector.
- Higgins 2.0: enhances functionality beyond the selector role by handling passwords, Higgins relationship cards, and protocols such as OpenID. Additionally, it functions as a client for the Personal Data Store (PDS), providing a centralized interface for personal data management and permission control.
- Personal Data Store (PDS) – Currently being developed for Higgins 2.0, this component stores personal data locally, manages access to external data sources, synchronizes data across multiple devices, and facilitates controlled sharing with trusted entities.
- Identity Services – Comprises software implementing an IMI and SAML-compliant Identity Provider along with tools that enable websites to support IMI and OpenID standards.
History
The origins of the Higgins Project trace back to 2003 when Paul Trevithick wrote the initial code. In 2004, it became part of SocialPhysics.org, a collaborative effort involving Paul Trevithick, Mary Ruddy from Azigo (formerly Parity Communications), Meristic, and John Clippinger at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Initially called the Eclipse Trust Framework, it joined the Eclipse Foundation in early 2005 with Mary Ruddy and Paul Trevithick serving as co-leaders. Significant corporate involvement began in 2006 through partnerships with IBM and Novell. Other contributors include Oracle, CA, Serena, Google, eperi GmbH, among others. The first official release, version 1.0, was launched in February 2008.
By 2019, Eclipse Higgins was archived and no longer maintained.
See also
- Windows CardSpace (previously known as InfoCard)
- I-Card
- Information Card