Last updated: 14 November 2019
In the Innovation City (Hall 3, stand 3A11) at Mobile World Congress this year, you’ll find a great stand dedicated to Mobile Connect, a solution that serves as your new online identity. It’s a greatly needed solution for two key reasons:-
- We are all so busy now; we need to be able to login, securely, to services on the go and with ease.
- We can’t rely on passwords any more for secure logins anymore.
So, how can Mobile Connect help? It’s simple; by matching you to your mobile phone, Mobile Connect lets you log-in to websites and applications quickly without the need to remember dozens of passwords and usernames. It’s safe, secure and there’s no need to worry that your personal information will be shared without your permission.
It’s a great tool to be used in the effort to move us all away from using insecure passwords. While logging in through social networks can remove the need for passwords, there’s no guarantee this information is secure, end to end. With Mobile Connect on the other hand, no information is made available to service providers without the user’s consent, making logging in more private and safe.
As you can see in the flow chart below, when using the solution, you are authenticated through your mobile phone, rather than through personal information.
You can also see how easy to use it is here in this Vine video made live on the stand at MWC15 today.
We’ve discussed how mobile authentication can simplify and secure logins before on the blog, and we’re pleased to enable Mobile Connect using our Mobile ID solution. What we must focus on now is how we need both Mobile Network Operators and service providers to come together now in recognizing how much this solution could improve security and convenience for end users.
MNOs are more than ready for Mobile Connect, as many are embracing the solution. This is mainly down to MNOs’ commitment to securing their users’ digital identities. As Marie Austenaa, VP and Head of Personal Data & Mobile Identity Programme, GSMA, said today at the Mobile Connect Seminar: “MNOs are really now embracing their role in digital identity”. It’s now the turn of service providers to get more involved and to understand how customers need a smoother, securer experience when using digital services. Signing up and joining Mobile Connect couldn’t be easier and there are many benefits for everyone (MNOs, service providers, end users) involved. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, when we’re all signed up to Mobile Connect, we’ll finally be able to say ‘goodbye’ to insecure passwords and ‘hello’ to a securer and more convenient mobile life.
