Amazon unveils single sign-on service for Web sites and apps

You may soon be able to log into your favorite Web sites and apps using just your Amazon credentials.

Following in the footsteps of Facebook and other online companies, the retail giant on Wednesday launched a single-sign on feature dubbed Login with Amazon. The goal of the service is to reduce the need to juggle multiple passwords by allowing you to use your Amazon account to access various Web sites, apps, and games.

Available now to all developers, Login with Amazon is already in place at such Amazon subsidiaries as Zappos and Woot. Amazon claims that both sites saw strong user response to the feature in its early adoption, with 40 percent of new Zappos customers electing to sign in with an Amazon account rather than create a new account.

"Login with Amazon enables app developers and Web site owners to leverage Amazon's trusted sign-in solution, allowing them to focus on providing a great experience for their customers," Michael Carr, Amazon's vice president for e-commerce services, said in a statement. "Amazon customers now have a hassle-free way to quickly and securely sign-in to apps, games, and Web sites, without having to remember yet another password."

Developers of Web sites, apps, and games can tap into Login with Amazon at no charge. Amazon says the service is easy to integrate, promising that the entire process from registration to launch can be completed in just a matter of hours. Software Development Kits are available for the Web as well as iOS and Android apps. Developers who want to learn more about the service can check out the Login with Amazon Web site.

With its new service, Amazon joins a growing list of online companies that offer single sign-ons. Facebook, Twitter, and Google are among those that have integrated themselves at many Web sites so that users can log in with their existing accounts.