There is no definitive answer to this, but I might give it a try:
Federated authentication is authentication between entities in which
authentication tokes (and identities) are managed separately; it usually
involves separate protocols used for intradomain authentication and
federated authentication. For example, Kerberos is used within organisation
using Windows echosystem, but SAML-based tokens, or X.509 certificates, are
used to give access to resources at the federated partner. I guess
federation was the idea behind Windows domains and Kerberos realms but it
turns out more complicated - thus the protocol change. Go to
www.identityblog.com for inspiration and starting point.
Unified authentication is using single authentication token for everything.
Usually a marketing thing.
--
Svyatoslav Pidgorny, MS MVP - Security, MCSE
-= F1 is the key =-
*
http://sl.mvps.org *
http://msmvps.com/blogs/sp *
"Evon" <EM.Bateman@gmail.com> wrote in message
> I've searched Google using "what is unified authentication", "define
> unified authentication" and just plain unified authentication. I find
> plenty of sites that indicate this or that organization uses the
> unified authentication but not WHAT it is. I've found what federated
> authentication is by doing research, just can't seem to get a handle
> on what unifed is.