BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The GSMA today announced that, since the launch of Mobile Connect at Mobile World Congress 2014, there are now 17 mobile network operators (MNOs) who have launched the service in 13 countries, with plans for additional launches and beta trials to follow in 2015. The GSMA’s Mobile Connect service enables customers to create and manage a universal identity that will securely authenticate them and allow them to safely access mobile and digital services such as e-commerce, banking, health and digital entertainment, as well as e-government portals, via their mobile phones.
Launches have been announced in Bangladesh by Robi (part of the Axiata Group); in China with China Mobile and China Unicom; in Indonesia with Indosat (member of the Ooredoo Group), Telkomsel and XL Axiata; in Malaysia with DiGi (part of the Telenor Group); and in Sri Lanka with Dialog Axiata and Mobitel. Etisalat Group has enabled Mobile Connect in eight markets, including Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Niger, Nigeria, Togo and Tanzania.
“Mobile Connect is designed to simplify consumers’ lives by offering a single, trusted, mobile phone-based authentication solution that addresses the vulnerability of online passwords, while also respecting online privacy,” said Anne Bouverot, Director General, GSMA. “The industry has made important progress in rolling out the service around the world, 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.”
Future Mobile Connect Deployments
The GSMA is working closely with operators globally to support further Mobile Connect deployments. Operators committed to launch include: Grameenphone, part of Telenor (Bangladesh); Bouygues Telecom and Orange (France); Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone (Germany); Telecom Italia and Vodafone (Italy); Telenor (Pakistan); Orange, Telefónica and Vodafone (Spain); Swisscom (Switzerland) and Vodafone (UK). Orange is also committed to launch the Mobile Connect service in Belgium, Poland, Romania and throughout the Orange footprint in the Middle East and Africa. Etisalat, Ooredoo, STC and Zain will work together to launch Mobile Connect throughout the Middle East and North Africa region and across their markets. In the United States, the GSMA has been awarded a grant by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as part of the US government initiative the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC) to fund a technology proof of concept pilot of a mobile-based identity service.
Extending the Mobile Connect Ecosystem
Mobile Connect is now in commercial use by a wide range of digital service providers in the launch markets including ecommerce, insurance, email, online travel and classified sites such as Cipika, Continental Insurance, MyDeal, Mudah, OLX, Rumah Tiket, Souq.com and WOW. Mobile Connect uses the API Exchange, provided through technology partner Apigee, which enables service providers and developers to implement Mobile Connect without having to develop for every individual operator.
Operators are also leveraging Mobile Connect to simplify the log-in and account management of their own customers. The GSMA has entered into framework contracts with Mondia Media, who will use Mobile Connect in their digital entertainment solutions, starting with a music streaming service from Universal; and Signicat, who will use Mobile Connect in digital ID solutions such as electronic document signing and secure online banking.
The GSMA provides a ‘Mobile Connect Accelerator’ (MCX) to support the rapid rollout of Mobile Connect and to ensure global interoperability. The GSMA has partnered with technology suppliers Ericsson and WSO2 for MCX, which offers operators a managed service model that allows them to rapidly deploy Mobile Connect and at reduced costs, therefore achieving scale more quickly. The MCX requires only minimal integration with the operator’s mobile network, and is connected with the API Exchange for global discoverability so that users of any mobile network offering Mobile Connect can log in to any application. The GSMA is also working alongside other vendors such as Gemalto, Morpho and Orange Business Services, who are delivering various components that are compliant with Mobile Connect and are designed to ease service deployment.
Notes to Editor
Mobile Connect demonstrations from many of the above partners can be seen during Mobile World Congress 2015 in the GSMA Innovation City which is located at Stands 3A11 and 3A31 in Hall 3, Fira Gran Via and will be open during Mobile World Congress exhibition hours from Monday 2nd March through Thursday 5th March 2015.
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with more than 250 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies, equipment providers and Internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and the Mobile 360 Series conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.