Why OpenAthens makes accessing knowledge simple through a single sign-on

OpenAthens are committed more than ever to make it easy for people to access the knowledge they need, when they need it, wherever they are.

OpenAthens is designed with your end-users in mind; one set of login credentials for all web resources and applications, to allow subscriber access without unnecessary barriers.

OpenAthens is designed specifically for librarians and knowledge managers to manage authentication and end user accounts. Our easy to use dashboard provides a responsive and intuitive interface to control to the information end users can access. You can achieve this by using new or existing attributes and categories, enabling control of access to specific resources. This can be based on licensing requirements as well as the structure and strategic focus of your organization.

Our software also offers comprehensive usage and access statistics for your content. This valuable insight details which parts of your organization engage most regularly with your resources. However, it also allows for better decision making into subscription licensing based on your end-user engagement.

How do you implement OpenAthens?

Now onto the trickier stuff: OpenAthens integrates with institutions’ existing directory services (such as Azure or LDAP) and connects to a range of library services. This removes the hassle of creating personal accounts for your end-users. Single links can be created that allow end-users access to the information needed, whether they are located within their organization or working off-site. It also enables access for people using mobile devices to reach the information they need.

Our fully supported software and ITIL accredited service desk ensure these standards are maintained when helping you. Just in case you ever find yourself out of your depth or experiencing issues with your software.

How is it different to other access-management options?

Unlike other technologies, OpenAthens has a range of unique features that improve the experience for both end users and library teams alike.

Our simple, easy to use, cloud-hosted service means we do the difficult stuff for you! Our industry-standard technology (SAML) is more secure than IP and is privacy preserving by design.

We enable and support user personalization to make the experience for your end-users seamless. Where publishers support it, OpenAthens will automatically log the end-user into a profile which could contain saved searches or favorite articles.

And we have an admin toolkit designed specially around library needs, including a link generator, permission management settings, reporting and analytics and walk-in user account generation.

Who is eligible?

If you maintain a  library or knowledge service you are eligible to enable simple, seamless access to your resources with OpenAthens.

Further reading

Take a look at a blog we wrote for EBSCO about the difference between SAML and IP authentication.