Payfone-EnStream partner on ID authentication platform

A joint venture of the big three telecoms announced a partnership on Monday with U.S.-based Payfone Inc. to support the Canadian roll out of an app that could replace passwords in the future. Mobile Connect is an app platform developed by the GSM Association (GSMA) and it’s been adopted by EnStream LP, a partnership between Telus Corp., BCE Inc. and Rogers Communications Inc. According to EnStream’s chief identity officer Robert Blumenthal, Mobile Connect could serve as a replacement to passwords when needing to authenticate sensitive data like banking information. “It will be as simple as the way you sign in with Facebook,” said Blumenthal to The Wire Report over the phone. “You'd add a button to your screen, it will be ‘sign-in with mobile connect,' and then that button links directly to the mobile device that you're involved with.” Enstream’s technology has multiple components: identity confirmation which is based on a comparison of personal data stored by the telecoms, as well as a location and device authentication services which uses mobile technology, its chief operating officer Almis Ledas told The Wire Report in February. While it does use EnStream’s identification services, as previously covered by The Wire Report, Mobile Connect is a different product, said Blumenthal. In the future, “you're going to have an app like this that will prove that you are who you say you are on all these different places,” said Blumenthal. “As opposed to having a hundred passwords. Mobile Connect will give you the control over accessing those services." The service is in a pilot phase and the app is expected to fully commercialize in 2019. With a goal to support Canadian travellers and users of foreign providers, Blumenthal said the partnership with Payfone increases EnStream’s international footprint and brings Payfone’s analysis ability to improve matching accuracy. “ provides an enhanced level of analytics around the authentication result and they have access to multiple countries. We have a platform that is Mobile Connect,” said Blumenthal. Payfone chose EnStream as a partner, according to Blumenthal, because of the close relationship EnStream has with the telecoms in Canada. While Mobile Connect has been deployed by other companies and individual telecoms in other countries, EnStream is uniquely positioned as having access to multiple Canadian telecom databases, he said. Blumenthal also highlighted features which would emerge with use of a platform like this, especially in the ability to consent in the use of personal information. “You'll be able to control whether you want to withdraw your consent for this or that information with any online provider. It really is providing consumers with control over their information,” he said.

Payfone-EnStream partner on ID authentication platform

Brief | June 18, 2018

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Payfone-EnStream partner on ID authentication platform

Brief | June 18, 2018

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