Thai telco AIS and Malaysian telco Maxis signed MoUs with Singtel on Thursday to use its open API-based solutions suite that authenticates digital identities for consumer services – a day after the Bridge Alliance launched a new regional telco API exchange to facilitate such deals.
Under separate MoUs with Singtel, AIS and Maxis will use SingVerify to enable network-based authentication for mobile subscribers.
According to Singtel, SingVerify – which uses open APIs based on the GSMA Open Gateway framework – helps mitigate illegal account takeovers and unauthorised transactions that result from phishing and malware app scams. It also enables a smoother multi-factor authentication process as consumer’s digital identities are verified instantly and directly between the telco and service providers.
Singtel CEO Ng Tian Chong cited a recent report from LexisNexis Risk Solution, which found the overall attack rate for mobile apps in Asia Pacific is higher than the global average, with the majority being carried out by automated bots that target e-commerce payment transactions.
“The rise of ecommerce in the region has opened more avenues for digital fraud, significantly impacting consumers and businesses,” Ng said in a joint statement. “Together with AIS and Maxis, we can combat this rising digital fraud and protect our customers more effectively.”
The first two APIs to federated by AIS and Maxis include Device Location and Number Verify, the latter of which validates customers’ identities by matching their phone numbers with their registered account details on the service provider’s platform.
“The joint Number Verification API will provide businesses and platforms with a robust tool to domestically and regionally authenticate user identities through real-time phone number verification,” said Asnee Wipatawate, head of AIS’ Enterprise Telecom Technology Product Department. “By leveraging the combined strengths of those telcos, the API will offer a comprehensive and secure solution to protect against a wide range of fraudulent activities, including account takeovers, and phishing attacks.”
Wipatawate added that the Number Verification API will be made available to businesses across multiple industries, including financial services, e-commerce, and online gaming.
Singtel signed a similar MoU with rival telco M1 in March to combat digital fraud in Singapore, but this is the first time it has signed a federated telco API deal with overseas operators. Singtel also said the MoUs with AIS and Maxis mark “the first-ever international federation of Telco API in the world”.
Julian Gorman, Head of Asia Pacific at the GSMA, said this is what the GSMA Open Gateway initiative was designed to facilitate, and is especially necessary when it comes to combating digital fraud and cyber attacks.
“Cybercriminals operate beyond national borders, so it’s vital that mobile operators and developers of digital services unify behind a common approach to fraud prevention wherever they are in the world,” he said.
Bridge Alliance launches BAEx API exchange
The API tie-up with Singtel, AIS and Maxis comes on the heels of the Bridge Alliance – of which all three are members – launching a regional telco API exchange for its 34 members on Wednesday.
The Bridge Alliance API Exchange (BAEx) leverages Singtel’s Paragon orchestration platform to aggregate its member operators’ APIs for network authentication, user verification and network quality. The Alliance says this allows enterprises and developers to streamline deployment of new services on member operator networks by accessing a common API framework that provides secure, consistent and on-demand access to telco network capabilities across multiple regions.
The BAEx also enables regional aggregation and standardisation of telco APIs utilising CAMARA APIs under the GSMA Open Gateway, said Bridge Alliance CEO Ong Geok Chwee.
“Bridge Alliance has been working closely with our member operators and industry partners to advance regional telco API federation, building on the momentum of the GSMA’s Open Gateway framework and CAMARA API standards,” Ong said. “With the newly-launched Bridge Alliance API exchange BAEx, our alliance has a timely opportunity now to lead the charge in serving the needs of enterprises in areas leveraging telco assets, such as network-based authentication.”
