The OpenID Foundation launched the OpenID Certification Program in 2015. The Program enables organizations to certify that their OpenID Connect implementations conform to specified profiles of the OpenID Connect standard.

The certification program is a tool to help ensure that implementations by different parties will interoperate. It provides assurance to the global community of developers that the identity services that certifying organizations have deployed conform to the OpenID Connect standard. The goal is that OpenID implementations will “just work” with one another.

Google, Microsoft, ForgeRock, Ping Identity, Nomura Research Institute, and PayPal were among the first to certify that their implementations conform to one or more of the profiles of the OpenID Connect standard. Soon after launch, the certification program was opened to all OpenID Foundation members in May 2015.

The Foundation announced the current certification fee schedule in December 2015. This included member and non-member pricing, with member pricing being less as a member benefit. It was important to the OpenID Foundation Board of Directors to have a fee schedule that encouraged certifications even if it meant having to subsidize the cost of certifications for a period of time.

The Foundation launched Relying Party certification in July 2017. The Foundation’s Board of Directors decided to maintain the same subsidized fee schedule. In the three and a half years, the OpenID Certification Program has been clearly successful. As of December 2018, there have been 232 OP certifications of 78 implementations and 59 RP certifications of 25 implementations. The OpenID Certification Program was recognized with two awards in 2018 with the IDnext Identity Innovation Award and the European Identity Award for Best Innovation.

The certification program is about to grow again. In June 2018, the Foundation announced plans to expand the scope of the self-certification program to deployments of the Financial-Grade API (FAPI) specifications. FAPI certifications will be available through the OpenID Foundation as of April 1, 2019.

As a bit of background, the Open Banking Implementation Entity (OBIE) has developed the UK Open Banking standard. The first version went live in the UK on 13th January 2018. The OIDF and the OBIE are actively working with other standards bodies, banks, and fintechs to build a truly global Open Banking standard. The OBIE model is based closely on the OpenID Foundation’s FAPI (Financial-Grade API) specifications. The OBIE has made key contributions over the course of 2018 to move its model closer to the OIDF’s FAPI standards.

As we enter this next phase of the certification program, the Foundation Board of Directors decided that it is time for the certification program to be self-sustaining and to not continue to rely on Foundation subsidies. It was also decided that the updated Connect and FAPI certification pricing should be.

As a result, the FAPI certification prices taking effect on April 1, 2019 will be:

FAPI Certifications

Member Certification Fees

• $500.00 USD per new deployment of a FAPI certification profile

Non-Member Certification Fees

• $2500.00 USD per new deployment of a FAPI certification profile

The current OpenID Connect certification prices will remain in effect until June 1, 2019, giving people a bit of time to complete any planned certification applications before the new pricing takes effect. At that point, the new pricing will be:

OpenID Connect Certifications

Member Certification Fees

• $500.00 USD per new deployment

Non-Member Certification Fees

• $2500.00 USD per new deployment

The Foundation Board of Directors have approved significant investments in 2019 to continue the expansion of the certification program. These fees are required to enable the certification program to be self-supporting going forward. Certification continues to be a member benefit as, OIDF members pay 20% of the non-member fees. If you or your organization are on the fence about joining, now is a good time to do so.

The Foundation will continue to communicate to the community on the progress of the FAPI certifications as we work diligently towards our April 2019 production milestone.

Thank you for your continued support of the OpenID Foundation and your participation in the OpenID Certification program. As always, if you have any feedback or questions, please contact me directly.

Don Thibeau
Executive Director