The GSMA Mobile Connect mobile-based authentication solution has been made available to two billion consumers globally. 

 

Since the solution was introduced at Mobile World Congress 2014, 34 mobile network operators (MNOs) have launched the service in 21 countries, with plans for additional launches and trials to follow in 2016 and beyond, said a statement.

 

Operators offering services based on Mobile Connect include América Móvil, Axiata Group (Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka), China Mobile, China Mobile Pakistan (Zong), China Telecom, China Unicom, DNA, Elisa, Globe Telecom, Indosat Ooredoo, Mobilink, Mobitel, Orange (Egypt, France, Morocco, Spain), Sunrise, Swisscom (Switzerland), Telefónica Group (Argentina, Mexico, Peru, Spain), Telenor Group (Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand), TeliaSonera (Finland), Telkomsel, Telstra, TIM and Turkcell (Turkey). 

 

Mats Granryd, director general, said: “Over the past two years, the industry has come together to simplify consumers’ lives by offering a single, trusted, mobile phone-based authentication solution that respects online privacy and helps to mitigate the vulnerability of online passwords.

 

“As Mobile Connect is rolled out globally, mobile operators are fulfilling an important role in the digital identity space, giving users control over their own data and enabling consumers, businesses and governments alike to interact and access online services in a convenient, private, and trusted environment.” 

 

The GSMA’s Mobile Connect solution enables customers to create and manage a digital universal identity via a single log-in solution. The service securely authenticates users, enabling them to digitally confirm their identity and their credentials and grant safe online access to mobile and digital services such as e-commerce, banking, health and digital entertainment, and e-government, via their mobile phones, said the statement.

 

It works by employing the user’s unique mobile number, combined with a unique PIN for more secure use cases, to verify and grant online access anywhere they see the Mobile Connect logo. All operators and online service providers using Mobile Connect have signed up to the GSMA Mobile Connect privacy principles, which is a core pillar of Mobile Connect, it said.

 

While initially focused on secure and convenient log-in to digital services, Mobile Connect is evolving to deliver secure authorisation of digital transactions and to add context and attributes about the user and the transaction to increase convenience, trust and security for users and online service providers, while respecting users’ privacy. This is currently being trialled in the UK by O2 and Vodafone. - TradeArabia News Service