Creating a new Google account has now become a one-click-process for Yahoo users, thanks to Google’s decision to use of OpenId for authentication purposes. Though Google still doesn’t support the usage of OpenId for replacing passwords on its own sites but this new feature brings the ability to use OpenId for the Google signup process.
What is this feature?
What happens after you create a new Google account? You activate it by clicking on the verification URL received in the mailbox. This can be lengthy and many users do not bother to finish the entire process. So, this new feature will now allow Google to direct you to the sign-In page of your email-provider for authentication. Once your account is verified there, your email provider will pass the control back to Google. Thus your account is verified on a single click.
Currently, this feature is available for Yahoo users only but Google is looking forward to expand it for other email providers as well.
What is an OpenId?
OpenId is a standard that allows the users to be authenticated in a decentralized manner thus allowing them to sign in to multiple websites using existing account. OpenId is rapidly gaining adoption on the web, with over one billion OpenId enabled user accounts and over 50,000 websites accepting OpenId for logins. OpenId providers include Microsoft, Yahoo!, WordPress, AOL and MySpace, and some specialist organizations such as ClaimID and VeriSign.
Good for OpenId and Google
This move by Google seems to be more towards enhancing the User’s experience by simplifying the signup process. Also, OpenId is becoming an increasingly popular standard as evident from the increasing number of websites that are using it. So this feature might turn out a boon for both OpenId and Google. Yahoo email account holders still constitute a large percentage of email market and Google has some exciting web tools (Google Docs, Google Reader, AdWords) to offer. So it makes perfect sense for the Internet major to target these users.
Effects on Yahoo?
Will this new feature benefit Yahoo in the same way as it does to Google and OpenId? Not sure, but it will certainly enhance the web experience of yahoo user. I feel that Yahoo has a strong mail product and as long as it continues to keep its users happy, there shouldn’t be any cause to worry.
Do you think that this new feature by Google can challenge Yahoo’s (email) market?
