A1 Systems has successfully completed the testing program of A1S Mobile ID solution and obtained the status of the official Mobile Connect solution provider of the GSM Association (GSMA). The company has joined the list of 20 other official vendors and became the first Russian company among them.
The Mobile Connect initiative is actively developing by the GSMA and is one of the strategically important projects for the digital development of the telecommunications industry. To date, 70 Mobile Operators have launched Mobile Connect in 38 countries of the world. The service is used by over 100 million subscribers.
With Mobile Connect solutions a mobile operator can provide its subscribers and business customers with a set of services needed to successful digital interaction:
- secure multi-factor authentication and confirmation of separate operations, for example, payments or subscriptions to third-party services;
- identification, subscriber personal data sharing only after explicit confirmation has been received;
- sharing of information about actual location of the subscriber’s mobile phone with a subscriber’s permission during online or offline operations;
- KYC (Know Your Customer), checking personal data provided by a subscriber in the online service;
- protection against fraud related to the illegal re-issuing a SIM card (account take over).
Mobile Connect solutions eliminate the need for the subscriber to create and remember separate logins and complex passwords for different services. The subscriber just has to choose Mobile Connect as a way to login, register or confirm an operation, and then to approve the operation using an interactive dialog on his phone.
A1S Mobile ID consists of two logical blocks: A1S ID Gateway and A1S Authenticator. Both blocks can be delivered to the operator as part of a single solution, or separately.
A1S ID Gateway accepts online service requests. It implements the basic business logic of the service. The block checks the right of a service provider to perform requests to the service, Mobile Connect service activity at the subscriber, subscriber lifecycle, billing, etc. For these purposes, it integrates with OSS/BSS of the mobile operator. The subscriber can manage the service, view a log of his operations, configure personal data, revoke permissions to their use from service providers, etc. in a personal account. The service provider can view operation history, select and clear various tariff options and manage other service parameters in his personal account. The block contains special accounts for aggregators that help the operator to promote the service on the market.
A1S Authenticator is implemented based on A1S SDP. The purpose of A1S Authenticator is to process operation confirmation requests from A1S ID Gateway. Standard methods defined by GSMA for Mobile Connect can be used as confirmation methods: SMS+URL (LoA2 & 3), USSD (LoA 2 & 3), SIM Applet (LoA 2 & 3 & 4), smartphone application (LoA 2 & 3 & 4). SIM applet and smartphone application authenticators are supplied to operators as a white label product.
By now, A1 Systems has successfully implemented the pilot solution in the networks of two out of four Russian mobile operators. Commercial implementation projects are under way.