Valimo and Egypt Trust to provide Mobile ID services for Vodafone Egypt customers

Valimo provides multipurpose Mobile ID technology to kick off first pilot implementations in Middle East and Africa

CAIRO, Egypt – 8 December 2009

Egypt Trust, a Digital Signature and Information provider, and Valimo, the global market leader in Mobile ID solutions, today announced an agreement to launch Mobile ID service pilots in Egypt. Vodafone Egypt, the Egyptian subsidiary of the world’s leading international mobile communications group, provides the SIM cards, connectivity and secure messaging for the pilot. The Mobile ID service is delivered in co-operation with Professional Services & Integrated Solutions “ProSIS”, a leading IT security consultant and Valimo’s Business Partner.

At the first stage of the launch, the Mobile ID service platform is offered to selected Egyptian service providers. The providers were chosen by analysing customers’ interests and prioritising banking, governmental and brokering segments. Kicking off in early 2010, the first service pilots run for three months. The installation of Mobile ID platform began in November.

“Complete security and ease-of-use are challenging to combine and ideally Mobile ID should be usable anywhere, anytime. Safe use requires secure authentication,” explained Yahia Al-Atfy, Chairman, Egypt Trust. “Mobile ID is a simple, easy to use solution for proving your identity and obtaining easy access to your accounts. The user doesn´t have to remember separate passwords, just one PIN code is enough.”

“The Mobile ID pilot will be launched in Egypt with a number of service providers,” explained Mahmoud Swedan, CEO, ProSIS. “Initially, Mobile ID can be used to access and confirm transactions in cardless ATM’s and online stock trading services.”

Mobile ID users are able to securely log in to online services, sign documents and confirm transactions by using their mobile phones. As people typically have their mobile phones with them at all times, a legally binding digital signature is easily done regardless of time or place.

“The Egyptian authentication market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. The government aims to develop governmental services with e-Services in order to increase Egypt’s competitiveness,” said Juha Murtopuro, CEO, Valimo. “Currently, Valimo Mobile ID is used in a variety of services throughout the world, including mobile banking and payments, governmental services, e-commerce and m-commerce applications, along with enterprise access management. Mobile ID enables various digital self-services such as mobile payments, banking and money transfer, which is very convenient especially for people living in scattered settlement areas.”

“More and more customers in the Middle East and Africa browse the internet with their mobile phones. As mobile authentication is secure, legally binding and easy to use, we expect to see rapid growth in mobile signing,” said Mohamed Wahba, Payment Platforms Marketing Senior  Manager of Vodafone, “Mobile ID is easier than sending an SMS, and it enables multiple users, profiles or roles in one device. The latter is important when considering eg. communities which share one mobile device.”

Valimo Mobile ID can be used for all services that require personal authentication, identification or a legally binding signature. It is based on Wireless Public Key Infrastructure (WPKI). Valimo is the global market leader in Mobile ID solutions in terms of both installation base and number of active users. Valimo solutions are used by operators, banks, enterprises, public sector, e-commerce and other service providers throughout the world.

Valimo mobile signature can be used with all mobile phones and devices with a SIM card or other secure storage inside. The resulting safe and reliable digital authentication replaces various tokens, password and code lists. When using an online service requiring authentication or digital signing, the request is sent to the user’s mobile phone using secured SMS technology. The message pops up on the phone screen, asking the user to confirm his or her identity or approval by entering his or her personal PIN code. If the device is lost or stolen, the services cannot be accessed without re-entering the PIN.

For further information, please contact:

Marika Pirhonen
Director, Marketing & Communications, Valimo Wireless Oy
Tel: +358 40 559 33 97
Email: marika.pirhonen@valimo.com

Moataz El-Toukhy
Payments Senior Specialist, Vodafone Egypt
Email: Moataz.el-toukhy@vodafone.com

Rania, Nasr
Business Development Manager, Egypt Trust
Tel: +20 22 26 68856
Email: rnasr@egypttrust.com

Mahmoud, Swedan
CEO, ProSIS
Tel: +20 17 60 34411
Email: mahmoud.swedan@prosis-eg.com

About Valimo

Valimo mobilizes digital IDs. Valimo Mobile ID allows mobile phone users to securely authenticate, digitally sign documents, confirm transactions and payments, simply by entering a self-chosen PIN code. The multi-purpose solution combines strong security and ease of use, enabling new service concepts and more efficient processes. Valimo Mobile ID is used in a variety of services throughout the world, including online banking, mobile payments, e/m-commerce applications, governmental services, along with enterprise identity and access management. The two-channel, two-factor method based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) produces a legally binding signature regardless of time and place. Valimo Mobile ID solutions are global market leaders in terms of installation base and number of active users. Founded in 2000, Valimo Wireless is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. For further information, please visit www.valimo.com.

About Vodafone Egypt

Vodafone Egypt is a total telecommunications provider, covering a wide array of voice and data exchange services, as well as 3G, ADSL and broadband Internet services.

Launched in 1998, Vodafone Egypt supported by Vodafone Group’s know-how and its own local market research provides innovative products perfectly suited for its customers.

The leading Vodafone Egypt spirit and its ever broadening network have paved the way for numerous investment opportunities and world-class continuous customer support.

Vodafone investments in Egypt are an evident reflection of its commitment to its civic involvement for a stronger market foothold, both on the short and long terms. When the Vodafone Egypt General Assembly voted in September 2006 in favour of the acquisition of 51% of Raya Telecom shares – a telecom leader on its own right, the aim was to secure further expansion of corporate communication services, serving different Egyptian businesses and companies. A further acquisition of up to 97.52% of Raya Telecom shares followed after the ground-breaking success of the initial step. Later, Vodafone secured an even stronger market share when Telecom Egypt pushed for a major increase of its own Vodafone corporate share from 25.5% to 44.7% in a massive stock acquisition move.

Today, Vodafone still owns a dominant 54.9% share of Vodafone Egypt and is cooperating very actively with the selective and powerful local team. The crowning event of this cooperation was the resounding and very successful introduction of 3G Broadband technology to the Vodafone Egypt network on May 11, 2007, enabling unprecedented visual communication, song downloads, and a variety of invaluable corporate services ranging from the Vodafone Mobile Connect Card, the USB modem, the Little Box for wireless internet services (Wi-Fi) for large corporations and businessmen and broadband internet access for individuals and corporations.

Another giant step for Vodafone Egypt was its close matching of its own corporate policy with local government policy through the provision of job opportunities for young graduates, exporting high-tech products and the launch of its renowned call center in Egypt. The call center has leaped from success to success ever since its inception in 2006, particularly when Vodafone Egypt signed call center contracts with Vodafone Australia, New Zealand and lately the UK to provide top-notch customer and technical support for customers in these countries with a consequent increase in call center staffing reaching 1400 employees, and an expected figure of 1800 by the end of 2009. This international expansion further sealed the confidence of Vodafone Group in its Egyptian counterpart for the provision of call center services of world quality and standards, and its trust in the ever expanding possibilities of the Egyptian youth.

Vodafone Egypt staff is now 6000-member strong and is proud to be serving more than 20 million customers all over Egypt. Its success relies on its superior network, privileged customer service, innovative products and a determined goal-based strategy. Vodafone Egypt is also proud to offer effective roaming communication supported by agreements with 488 partners in 177 countries spanning the world.

About Egypt Trust

Egypt Trust ET (Egyptian Co. For Digital Signature & Information Security SAE) has been established in Egypt since 2005. It is based on the establishment of the Information Technology Industry Development Agency (ITIDA) which sets the main basics for data security, protection and validation of digital signatures. Egypt Trust major purposes is to deliver to the market (and especially the government ministries and agencies) the highest, unique, top notch, guaranteed, high quality, patented and standard Information Security services and products as an affiliate of Verisign Inc. (the sole affiliate in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East). Egypt Trust focus mainly on the government, banking and stock market sectors, in specific on e-government and mission critical applications (e.g. banking and stock market), on the security sensitive ministries (e.g. Ministry of Defense and Interiors, on ICT carriers and service providers), mobile companies, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Telecom companies.

About ProSIS

Professional Services & Integrated Solutions “ProSIS“ was established by a group of highly qualified and committed professionals with the ambition to excel in meeting the customer’s needs.

ProSIS is providing professional information security services and cryptographic solutions to government and business clients to help them develop, implement and maintain their information security programs, policies and strategy.

Our know how, vast experience, track record, and customer focused approach makes ProSIS uniquely qualified to offer viable and robust IT security solutions that meet business objectives of various organizations and provide protection to their investments and network infrastructures.