India roll out of Mobile Connect programme to happen soon: GSMA VP Marie Austenaa
In 2014, GSM Association, the London-based global mobile operators' lobby group, launched Mobile Connect that allows anybody with a mobile number to log-in to websites and applications without the need to remember passwords and usernames.
- Jul 11, 2016,
- Updated Jul 14, 2016 7:22 AM IST
In 2014, GSM Association, the London-based global mobile operators' lobby group, launched Mobile Connect that allows anybody with a mobile number to log-in to websites and applications without the need to remember passwords and usernames. The service is offered by telecom operators. The user will be able to access apps and websites - such as bank accounts, travel and retail sites - on their desktop or mobile without any passwords.
The programme is now spread to some 22 countries, including India where the service will be launched shortly. Marie Austenaa, VP and head of Personal Data at GSMA is heading the Mobile Connect project globally. At the two-day Mobile World Congress Shanghai conference, she spoke to Business Today's Manu Kaushik on the future of this new technology that will take away the pain of remembering passwords across apps and websites. Edited Excerpts:
Tell us about the progress of Mobile Connect project in India.We are working with six major operators in India. They have set up services, and they are focusing to launch Mobile Connect. India is technically ready but operators are not commercially offering it to everybody. The India rollout will happen quite soon.
What's the current status of project in other parts of the world?Currently, there are 2.8 billion people that can use this service in various degrees across 41 operators in 22 markets. We have done the first deployment last year in Sri Lanka with Dialog Axiata and Mobitel launching a beta trial. GSMA is facilitating the programme. We have defined common standards, framework and technologies, and the common set of APIs (application program interfaces). We have defined key components of the service to make sure that it's fully interoperable between all operators. It takes time to deploy.How is Mobile Connect useful?There are a number of passwords that we have to remember. If we don't remember, it's painful for users, and for companies because they have to reissue passwords. People tend to have half a dozen passwords, and that's not secure. We are seeing more and more security breaches and frauds happening. It will replace passwords.
Will it take away the pain of remembering passwords across different accounts?Yes. It's a federated login mechanism. The mobile number is now the key. You don't have to remember your passwords. Your mobile number now becomes your new digital identity. There's a change going on in the market. Service providers are now moving towards identifying their users based on their mobile numbers, not email or username. The internet is consumed over mobile number. People can know my mobile number but the user has to login through mobile phone [to enter websites or apps].
But isn't it tedious?It's a little cumbersome if I am using just one service but if I am using 100 accounts, [then it is useful].
Suppose I have Gmail in my mobile, and I use it frequently. Do I have to login every time?No, they typically cache it.
Is it a free service?There are different levels of services. At the basic level, my personal opinion is that it's going to be difficult to operators to charge because it is just replacing passwords. The operators can set any price they want. When you add a pin to it, and you make it a [more] secured authentication, there are costs [involved]. That would be a business decision by the operators whether they want to charge for it.
What will happen to the existing password?You might forget about it.
In 2014, GSM Association, the London-based global mobile operators' lobby group, launched Mobile Connect that allows anybody with a mobile number to log-in to websites and applications without the need to remember passwords and usernames. The service is offered by telecom operators. The user will be able to access apps and websites - such as bank accounts, travel and retail sites - on their desktop or mobile without any passwords.
The programme is now spread to some 22 countries, including India where the service will be launched shortly. Marie Austenaa, VP and head of Personal Data at GSMA is heading the Mobile Connect project globally. At the two-day Mobile World Congress Shanghai conference, she spoke to Business Today's Manu Kaushik on the future of this new technology that will take away the pain of remembering passwords across apps and websites. Edited Excerpts:
Tell us about the progress of Mobile Connect project in India.We are working with six major operators in India. They have set up services, and they are focusing to launch Mobile Connect. India is technically ready but operators are not commercially offering it to everybody. The India rollout will happen quite soon.
What's the current status of project in other parts of the world?Currently, there are 2.8 billion people that can use this service in various degrees across 41 operators in 22 markets. We have done the first deployment last year in Sri Lanka with Dialog Axiata and Mobitel launching a beta trial. GSMA is facilitating the programme. We have defined common standards, framework and technologies, and the common set of APIs (application program interfaces). We have defined key components of the service to make sure that it's fully interoperable between all operators. It takes time to deploy.How is Mobile Connect useful?There are a number of passwords that we have to remember. If we don't remember, it's painful for users, and for companies because they have to reissue passwords. People tend to have half a dozen passwords, and that's not secure. We are seeing more and more security breaches and frauds happening. It will replace passwords.
Will it take away the pain of remembering passwords across different accounts?Yes. It's a federated login mechanism. The mobile number is now the key. You don't have to remember your passwords. Your mobile number now becomes your new digital identity. There's a change going on in the market. Service providers are now moving towards identifying their users based on their mobile numbers, not email or username. The internet is consumed over mobile number. People can know my mobile number but the user has to login through mobile phone [to enter websites or apps].
But isn't it tedious?It's a little cumbersome if I am using just one service but if I am using 100 accounts, [then it is useful].
Suppose I have Gmail in my mobile, and I use it frequently. Do I have to login every time?No, they typically cache it.
Is it a free service?There are different levels of services. At the basic level, my personal opinion is that it's going to be difficult to operators to charge because it is just replacing passwords. The operators can set any price they want. When you add a pin to it, and you make it a [more] secured authentication, there are costs [involved]. That would be a business decision by the operators whether they want to charge for it.
What will happen to the existing password?You might forget about it.