The three leading mobile operators in Germany - Deutsche Telekom, O2 Telefónica, and Vodafone - have officially launched a new service aimed at assisting app developers and companies in combating online fraud and safeguarding the digital identities of their mobile customers.
The network APIs represent a new business model for German operators by bringing these network capabilities to developers and
enterprises to improve existing services or create new services. The German
mobile industry expects today’s announcement to accelerate the growth of
digital services and apps, by ensuring they integrate seamlessly with national
mobile networks, as well as hundreds of others around the world.
The two network APIs (Application Programmable Interfaces)
are available in the CAMARA standard and can help mobile commerce and financial
institutions develop new services to combat digital fraud and protect Germany’s
mobile subscribers. For example, identification for logging in to user accounts
of websites and apps can now run automatically in the background via number
verification instead of two-factor authentication, where customers receive a
one-time password by SMS and must manually enter it.
The three operators are working with technology partner
Vonage, part of Ericsson, to make the APIs available to enterprise developers.
Vonage is already working together with its customer, Vinted, Europe’s leading
international online C2C marketplace dedicated to second-hand fashion, to
integrate these new APIs.
Launched at MWC Barcelona a year ago, the GSMA Open Gateway
is a common and open framework between operators to make it easier for app
developers, enterprises and cloud providers to build safer apps and services
that seamlessly communicate with each other. This is done through single,
programmable, access points to mobile networks known as APIs. From Argentina to
China, the USA to Australia, 47 mobile operator groups worldwide, representing
239 mobile networks and 65% of global connections are already part of the
initiative.
Improving online security and
tackling mobile fraud.
Fraud prevention is one of the most important issues that
app developers in every market are looking to address right now, with
fraudulent misuse and fake accounts representing a major threat to their
business models.
The new Open Gateway APIs launched today will allow
developer teams and partners to create new intelligent layers of customer
authentication, verification, and security within mobile phone networks.
The new services will also make online authentication
simpler and faster for online customers, as mobile applications, cloud services
and connectivity networks will all be interoperable through the APIs.
Through the global initiative, businesses and
developers can also access new markets with their services, allowing them to
achieve new revenues by marketing them across the world.
Peter Arbitter, SVP Magenta API Capability
Exposure (MACE), Deutsche Telekom, said: “5G
network APIs represent an important new business area for telco operators. The
GSMA Open Gateway initiative helps to broaden the reach of our offerings
through aggregation in key markets for our customers, while maintaining a
consistent user experience.”
Alfons Lösing, Chief Partner & Wholesale
Officer of O2 Telefónica, said: “Open Gateway opens the door to new business models for mobile network
operators. Based on our standardized network APIs we enable partners and app
developers to drive forward new services for private and business customers and
accelerate digital innovations. This will make our network even more important
as a digital lifeline.”
Johanna Wood, Head of Developer Strategy of
Vodafone, said: “Developers play a key
part in the acceleration of innovative digital services within a scaled
ecosystem between network operators and enterprises. Vodafone is excited to be
part of the Open Gateway initiative, which is a significant step forward in
making these services more accessible through the promotion of open standards
in the developer community.”
Savinay Berry, Executive Vice President of
Product and Engineering for Vonage, said: “Ericsson
and Vonage are leading the development of a global network platform by opening
the network for third-party developers to make capabilities universally
available for further innovation. With developers thriving from a well-built
and supported API platform, enterprises can grow from new, unique and customisable
API innovations while communication service providers benefit from network
monetisation and growth opportunities. We are committed to making CAMARA
successful and aim to be a driver of the future evolution of CAMARA.”
Henry Calvert, Head of Networks, GSMA, said: “Online security and fraud are major
challenges that we all need to overcome as an industry for customers to feel
safe and for the market to flourish. It’s fantastic, therefore, to see
Germany’s operators come together with technology partners and online commerce
platforms to tackle this threat, through the Open Gateway initiative.”
Germany’s GSMA Open Gateway ecosystem is set for
enhancement in 2024, with additional partners such as Microsoft Azure to make
the first CAMARA APIs available. GSMA Open Gateway APIs are defined, developed,
and published in CAMARA, the open-source project for developers to access
enhanced network capabilities, driven by the Linux Foundation, in partnership
with TM Forum.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
