WSO2 Identity Server (WSO2 IS) is an identity and access management (IAM) platform from WSO2 that provides authentication, authorization, identity federation, user provisioning, and identity governance capabilities for applications and APIs.

Key capabilities

• Single sign‑on (SSO) for web and mobile apps using standards like SAML 2.0 and OpenID Connect (OIDC).
• OAuth 2.0 and OIDC provider functionality (authorization server + token management).
• Authentication options: username/password, multi‑factor authentication (MFA), adaptive/step‑up authentication with conditional flows.
• Identity federation / social login (federate with external IdPs using SAML/OIDC).
• User and identity lifecycle: SCIM-based provisioning, user self‑service, password recovery and account management.
• Authorization policies and entitlement: XACML-based fine‑grained access control and policy evaluation.
• API and microservice security: token issuance/validation, OAuth scopes, and integrations with API gateways.
• Identity governance and auditing: workflow support, consent management, auditing and compliance features.
• Extensibility and connectors: plug‑ins and connectors for LDAP/Active Directory, databases, social IdPs, external user stores, and custom handlers.
• Deployment options: on‑premises, private cloud, or container/Kubernetes deployments; commercial support and subscriptions available from WSO2.

Typical uses

• Centralized identity provider for enterprise SSO.
• Securing APIs and issuing OAuth2 access tokens for microservices.
• Bridging enterprise directories (AD/LDAP) with cloud apps.
• Implementing fine‑grained authorization and compliance workflows.

Audience and editions

• Used by enterprises, developers, and service providers needing a full‑featured IAM solution.
• Available as an open‑source product with community artifacts and backed by WSO2 professional/support offerings and documentation.

If you want, I can:

• Summarize which protocols/features you’ll need for a specific use case (e.g., SSO for web apps + API security).
• Give a high‑level deployment architecture or example configuration for OAuth2/OIDC or SAML.