OP-Pohjola Group will start utilising the mobile certificate developed by teleoperators in the services for its corporate and institutional customers. The objective is to contribute to improving electronic services and making them more widely used in Finland. The Group's partner in this project is DNA.
"Our view is that cooperation beyond industry boundaries is the best way for us to reach our objectives. For OP-Pohjola Group, the mobile certificate developed by teleoperators represents a means to meet the market needs that cannot be covered completely with the authentication services currently available for banks," says Hanna Äijälä, Development Manager from OP-Pohjola Group.
"With this authentication method, merchants will be able to identify customers who use the mobile certificate provided by any bank or teleoperator.
"The mobile authentication service is a major improvement to help businesses develop their electronic services and increase their user-friendliness.
"For OP-Pohjola Group, the mobile authentication service is part of the natural development of electronic services and merchant services. We want to support and assist our corporate customers in electronic commerce and offer companies the best possible tools for identifying their customers, concluding agreements and doing business on their web and mobile services.
"In addition, we want to enable consumers to enjoy the best possible customer experience on the services provided by enterprises other than the bank," she continues.
Mobile authentication service to be integrated in the current authentication service
On 15 November 2011, OP-Pohjola Group will integrate the mobile authentication service in the current authentication service for corporate and institutional customers (TUPAS authentication service). The mobile authentication service will be available automatically for OP-Pohjola Group's corporate customers who use the TUPAS authentication service. Customers will be able to adopt the new service effortlessly.
"In future, the mobile certificate will be an authentication method in payment services, for example. We are not abandoning online bank user identifiers and single-use key codes - the mobile authentication service will be provided as an alternative," says Äijälä.
According to Hanna Äijälä, OP-Pohjola Group sees the mobile authentication service as a natural and positive way to improve electronic services. The importance of this improvement is highlighted by the increasing popularity of mobile devices for which traditional key code lists may not be the most convenient option.
"We hope that the mobile authentication service will become a widely used authentication method which makes daily errands easier and supports the development of information society services," says Äijälä.
Harri Koponen, Head of M&A and Special Operations from DNA, supports the view of creating benefits for the entire society.
"For Finns, using mobile phones for communication is an integral part of daily life. From now on, the mobile phone is also a convenient and secure tool to use for daily errands. OP-Pohjola Group is in the forefront in making familiar and popular electronic services available to all users of the mobile certificate even easier than before. This will also create a foundation for electronic services being offered on an ever broader scale," says Harri Koponen.
Using this authentication method requires that the SIM card of the customer's mobile phone is suitable for the mobile certificate and that the customer registers as a user of the mobile certificate, for example on the web service of his or her own teleoperator.
For more information, please contact:
Hanna Äijälä, Development Manager, OP-Pohjola Group, tel. +358 (0)10 252 7179,
Harri Koponen, Head of M&A and Special Operations, DNA, tel. +358 (0)40 721 02739
OP-Pohjola in brief
OP-Pohjola Group is Finland's leading financial services group providing a unique range of banking, investment and insurance services. The Group has the mission of promoting the sustainable prosperity, well-being and security of its owner-members, customers and operating regions through its local presence. Its objective is to offer the best and most versatile package of loyal customer benefits on the market. OP-Pohjola Group consists of some 200 member cooperative banks and the Group's central institution, OP-Pohjola Group Central Cooperative, with its subsidiaries and closely-related companies, the largest of which is the listed company Pohjola Bank plc. With a staff of more than 12,000, OP-Pohjola Group posted consolidated earnings of 575 million euros before tax in 2010 and had total assets of 84 billion euros on 31 December 2010. The group has over four million customers.