iconectiv calls for new smart ID systems

We need better identity verification to stop account takeovers – that’s the call from iconectiv in a white paper published last week.

The paper ‘Never Underestimate the Power of Identity’ looks at the effects of account takeover on mobile. It says phishing calls are skyrocketing and that fraudsters are getting sneakier. They use social engineering to obtain a consumer’s number and port it to their own device.

iconectiv argues the best defence is an identity verification system that instantly checks if a number has been recently ported.

Chris Drake, Chief Technology Officer, iconectiv, said: “Access to cross-network information is the key to combating this type of mobile fraud. It would allow authentication through a consumer’s mobile identity to remain a simple yet effective version of multi-factor authentication.”

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Route Mobile joins race to establish e-sports in India

The two founders of Route Mobile will invest $10 million in a new e-sports venture for India: COBX Gaming.

Rajdip Gupta and Sandip Gupta said they want to create a national league and have a team capable of competing against the best in the world by 2018.

The league will kick off in April with a reported $15,000 prize fund. Later 14 slots will be filled by international teams with a prize pool of up to $500,000.

A few weeks ago Nazara Games revealed a similar $20 million plan to create a professional league in the country.

Gupta said: “I’m aware of the competitors in the space, but I firmly believe that we have something new to offer. Our goal is to get one Indian team to participate regularly at the international level.”

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Novatti teams up with PayGround on Scandinavian payment launch

Australia’s Novatti las launched a new mobile payment product in Sweden, with Norway and Denmark to follow soon.

It partnered with Sweden’s PayGround to develop an electronic voucher product for customers and merchants.

The service is based on Flexepin voucher technology, which gives consumers a safe way to top up accounts and pay online.

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SoftBank chooses Gemalto for IoT support

Japanese operator SoftBank will use Gemalto’s IoT services to support its push into the machine to machine space.

Putting connectivity into machines is different from giving SIMs to people. It requires remote management, which is where Gemalto’s Remote SIM Provisioning platform comes in.

Softbank will use the platform to drive into areas such as connected cars, wearables, traffic monitoring systems and smart meters.

Sashidhar Thothadri, SVP for Mobile Services & IoT, South Asia & Japan at Gemalto, said: “We are excited to be selected by SoftBank and with our experience of deploying more than 20 projects worldwide, we are confident of delivering a solid platform to boost new revenue streams and create a unique and valuable experience for customers.”

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Opera revamps Mini browser for Android in India

Faster downloads are coming to India thanks to mobile browser specialist Opera.

The firm’s latest version of Opera Mini for Android features an ‘Extreme Mode’. This presents downloadable content in a drop-down and then supports downloading without scrolling around the page.

It also gas an auto scan feature to help download files without accidentally clicking pop-up ads.

“Mobile browsers are becoming the gateway to Internet users in India. But there are challenges regarding limited bandwidth availability, content distribution and accessibility,” explained Nuno Sitima, EVP of the mobile business unit at Opera Software.

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