MTN Nigeria has selected Gemalto, the world leader in digital security to provide it with its LinqUs Mobile ID platform, a Universal SIM-based digital identity solution will improve security and convenience in the online economy.

This new project, operated for MTN in SaaS mode by Gemalto Allynis Services, marks the first commercial rollout of SIM based services delivering convenient mobile authentication for all mobile users.

Compliant with the latest GSMA standards, Mobile Connect, ‘MTN Token’ will be available immediately to MTN Nigeria’s 70 million subscribers and will position the operator as the country’s foremost provider of secure digital identification and authentication.

MTN Token offers their users a universal digital ID combined with a mobile-based second factor authentication, for easy and secure web service access, payments and financial transactions validation.

When using MTN Token for eCommerce, banking, insurance, ePublic and corporate networks services, the user’s mobile phone number is employed as the username.

Depending on the level of protection required by the service provider, the process is completed by simply pressing OK on the handset, or entering a unique user-selected PIN code.

Any service provider in Nigeria can now easily adopt MTN Token services to dramatically strengthen protection of online services against identity theft and cybercrime. It also enables the operator to offer a convenient digital journey to its customers, removing complex registration and log-in processes, while sparing them the hassle of remembering new username/password combinations.

MTN Token leverages the secure SIM vault, creating a trusted environment for sensitive data and transactions, without the initial infrastructure investment required by in-house implementations.

“With the launch of MTN Token, we are the first private provider of secure online identity and positioned as a warrant of digital ID and authentication in Nigeria,” said A’isha Umar Mumuni, General Manager, Products & Innovation at MTN Nigeria. “As our network of service providers adopting MTN Token grows, the solution will deliver significant reductions in fraud whilst easing the frustration often experienced by consumers on their digital journeys.”

“The long-established partnership between MTN Nigeria and Gemalto is the perfect foundation for this ground-breaking project,” said Eric Claudel, President for Middle East & Africa at Gemalto. “Bridging the gap between security and convenience, Mobile Connect represents the future of user authentication. It also fully supports operators in monetising new value added services”.

*Press statement by APO