Airtel Launches VeriSign Identity Protection Services for Enterprise
IT News Online Staff
2008-11-18
Bharti Airtel Ltd. has introduced VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Services for its Enterprise customers in India. VIP Services is a suite of authentication and fraud detection solutions that help enable organizations to strengthen and protect their customers' online identities.
VIP Services work through a token that integrates with the Enterprise customer's existing Web site to strengthen and streamline its network security and help prevent account takeovers. Enterprises can choose from different types of credentials, such as credit-card sized form factor or tokens shaped like a memory stick, to provide the most convenient option to their end customers.
The tokens help end customers with a two layer security approach by entering a "one time password" (OTP) after they have entered their standard user name and password. These tokens or credentials can be used at any VIP member site. For Enterprises, these solutions are on a hosted platform and are therefore easy to deploy, with no additional investment in infrastructure and minimum operational expense.
"Airtel has always been at the forefront of service innovation. This solution is yet another example of how we are extending the possibilities of online commerce to make Indian enterprises more competitive. Through this strategic alliance, Airtel is aiming to build an ecosystem, which will allow more safe and secure Web transactions to consumers and provide the much needed impetus to e- commerce and m-commerce transactions," said David Nishball, President, Enterprise Services, Bharti Airtel Ltd.
VIP Services can be deployed across organizations with large consumer bases such as online gaming, SaaS, online retail, financial services, transactional portals, travel portals, Telecoms and ISPs, e-government initiatives, healthcare/life sciences, etc. Moreover, the VIP Services can also be used within large organizational ecosystems such as broker/dealer, insurance networks, healthcare extranets and others.
This is the second product of the Airtel-VeriSign partnership following the set up of the Regional Internet Resolution Site (IRS) in India in June 2008. Airtel and Verisign had entered into a partnership in June 2008 to bring strong capabilities in the security domain in India.
"With an increase in cases of phishing and identity theft, more businesses than ever are seeing online/digital security as the key driver to attract and grow relationships with their customers; it's all about trust," said Shekhar Kirani, Vice President, VeriSign India. "Our partnership with Bharti Airtel has now reached a critical stage where we are ready to deliver our VIP Services to the India market, designed to strengthen and protect consumers' online identities. This partnership combines the globally trusted VeriSign brand and its VIP Services with Bharti Airtel's strong in-country reach, support and expertise. Together, they create what is perhaps the most compelling value proposition for businesses to capture and rebuild consumers' online confidence and trust."
VIP Services consists of 1) the VIP Authentication Service, which is a hosted two-factor authentication solution that provides a more secure online experience for end users by adding an extra layer of security on top of traditional user-names and passwords; and 2) the VIP Fraud Detection Service, a risk-based authentication solution that invisibly monitors for any fraudulent activities.
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