Imagine: An identity management system that you control;
that tells interested parties only what you want them to know; that protects
your identity and privacy, while learning about your preferences and streamlining
your access to your favorite Websites.
Atigeo LLC, a Bellevue,
Wash., startup, is promising just that through
its Lifepass software. Lifepass works something like Amazon.com’s
preference engine, but it works across multiple sites – as many as subscribe as
partners to its tagging system. Lifepass is capable of taking into account
context, location, role, intent, as well as interest and preferences, in order
to build a profile that is continuously learning about the user, according to
Atigeo chief scientist Olly Downs.
“We’re
really about putting consumers in control of their identities. The partners
only get to see the part of the profile that’s relevant to them,” said Downs.
Lifepass is
built with an Atigeo technology called xPatterns, an intelligent layer of
software based on a modularized SOA (Service-Oriented Architecture) platform. “The
technology works behind the scenes. It understands what it means for you to say
you like the Giants and you live in San Francisco.
The technology can make indirect, but understanding-based associations,” Downs
said.
Although Atigeo
faces competitors in companies such as Choicestream
and RichRelevance, Downs
claims that Lifepass is unique in that it puts the user in control of his or
her own profile.
“You can
see and manage your profile. You have control over it. No one can see the
profile attributes and it’s hard even for us to associate your attributes with
your name. There is no Social Security number or credit card information,” said
Downs.
To succeed,
Lifepass must gain adoption by Website operators as well as end users. With a
critical mass of partners on board, consumers will be able to move from site to
site, in control of their identities and exposing as much – and no more – information
as they desire to the partners.
“Consumers
benefit because they don’t have to tell people who they are over and over
again,” said Downs. Business will benefit by being able
to attract and retain visitors to their Websites as well as to cater to their
preferences more effectively.
Founded
in 2005, Atigeo has received $27 million in venture capital funding and has 60
employees. Atigeo’s president is former Microsoft executive Michael Sandoval.
