The new 1Password service allows businesses to quickly authorize passkeys

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Image credits: Lawrence Dutton/Getty Images

The 1Password password manager today launched a new service, Passage by 1Password, that is designed to allow businesses to create passkey authentication in their apps and websites without having to maintain their security infrastructure.

The release marks 1Password’s expansion beyond credential management and into the customer identity access management space. But it’s also on trend. Apple introduced passkey support for iOS back in September to enable iPhones to act as login tools for any compatible website or app. PayPal launched support for passkeys on iOS in October, while other companies like Google, Shopify, Kayak, and DocuSign have also provided support.

“Password replacement has been anticipated since the early 2000s, but now all the major platforms — Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc. — along with 1Password and others have joined the FIDO Alliance to make the passwordless vision a reality,” 1Password President CEO Jeff Shiner told TechCrunch in an email interview. (The FIDO Alliance, the industry governing body for certification, is tasked with defining passkeys specifications.) “By launching Passage by 1Password, we aim to drive adoption of this technology by enabling developers and companies to easily implement passage-by-1Password logins into their products and services.”

As for Shiner’s point about the superiority of passkeys, it is true that the technology — a biometric-based login solution — is far more secure than passwords, in general. As The Verge’s Jess Weatherbed notes, passkeys can completely replace passwords and verification systems like two-factor authentication or SMS verification, providing better protection against hacking and phishing attacks since there’s no hard login or code sent in to be stolen.

They’re also easier to use than passwords – arguably. Research from the FIDO Alliance found that 58% of US consumers have abandoned their shopping carts and stopped their purchases because of difficulty managing passwords, while 1 own password Research indicates that 75% of people would consider using passkeys instead of passwords.

Passage by 1Password includes two products: Passkey Complete and Passkey Flex. Complete allows businesses to create passkey user experiences that work across platforms including iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. As for Flex, it allows customers to implement passkey solutions over time while educating customer support teams and integrating the solutions with their existing identity management systems.

Passkey Complete and Passkey Flex are free for up to 1,000 active users per month. Moreover, companies pay per use; No 1Password subscription required to use Passage.

Asked how Shiner sees how Passage fits into 1Password’s broader product portfolio, he said he thinks it’s a “natural extension” but also a path to expansion — coming just over a year after the company raised $620 million in an estimated Series C round. Its value is $6.8 billion. At the time of the fundraiser, 1Password attributed its success to continued remote and hybrid work and the rapid adoption of cloud applications, both trends in line with the broader move toward passkeys, according to Shiner.

1passwordThe company’s vision has always been to build a more secure and simple digital future for everyone, and we do this by taking a human-centered approach to security so that businesses, individuals and developers can easily protect their private information.” 1 password It enables developers across a range of companies to integrate passkey login experiences into their projects using just a few lines of code… We’re in the works now and have seen strong initial interest in our solutions with thousands of developers signing up to try them out in the early stages.”

1Password, which offers a directory of sites, apps, and services that actually allow users to log in with passkeys, has been vocal in its support of the technology on the consumer side, as have competitors like Dashlane. The company recently announced that starting June 6th, anyone with a 1Password account will be able to save and manage their passkeys, 1Password teased allowing users to replace Master password with passkey.

“The ability to completely remove a password, and the friction that comes with it, will become a competitive advantage for these early adopters,” Shiner continued. “When there’s a security benefit, a business advantage, a usability advantage, that’s what really helps drive passkey adoption forward for a specific sector… We see this as a win-win for both businesses and their customers, and it’s something we’re excited to support and make a reality.” “.