Patent ID: 7346908

Claim:
A computer system comprising: a processor; an identity manager executing on the processor; a plurality of applications, the applications executing on the processor substantially simultaneously; and a registry containing a plurality of profiles and a plurality of identities of users of the computer system, each of the identities containing a plurality of work-environment settings, one of the identities being designated in the registry as the current identity of a user of the computer system, one of the profiles being designated in the registry as the current profile, wherein each of the applications registers at least one connection point with the identity manager when the application opens, wherein the application gives permission to change identities to the identity manager via the registered connection point or points of the application, and wherein the identity manager changes the identity that is designated as the current identity in the registry if permission is received from all registered connection points of each application, the identity manager changing the identity that is designated as the current identity without changing the profile that is designated as the current profile.