Educational Trust Federation Membership

This question asks if you're part of special authentication networks used by universities and research institutions worldwide. InCommon (US) and eduGAIN (global) are like exclusive clubs where educational institutions share login systems. If you're a member, universities can more easily and securely connect their login systems to your application, as everyone follows the same verified standards and agreements.

For SaaS companies targeting higher education, federation membership can dramatically accelerate sales cycles. Universities prefer vendors in these federations because it simplifies procurement, reduces legal review, and ensures standardized security practices. Without membership, each university must individually verify your security and create custom integrations. Membership can reduce implementation time from months to days and opens doors to international education markets through eduGAIN's global reach.

Companies often assume federation membership isn't necessary if they support SAML, but membership provides trust and legal frameworks beyond technical compatibility. Another mistake is joining InCommon without understanding the ongoing obligations, including annual fees, security attestations, and incident response requirements. Some vendors join but don't properly configure their metadata, making the membership useless in practice.