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.