On the eve of Opus Research’s Voice Biometrics Conference, multi-factor security specialist ValidSoft announced that mobile financial services specialist Utiba would be integrating authentication services based on the VALid-4F(R) platform into future solutions. This move has huge implications for the voice biometrics market, since ValidSoft has been showcasing mobile authentication services that merge “four factors,” including “conversational” voice verification, location awareness, spoof-resistant identity assertion to augment existing anti-fraud methods, including PINs or out-of-band delivery of “one-time-passwords.”

Singapore-based Utiba has spent more than a decade developing a software platform to support mobile financial services. It has established business relationships with scores of mobile carriers, as well as mobile payment platform providers including MasterCard’s association of payment card issuers and mobile commerce software specialist Alternet Systems Inc. All told, Utiba claims that its software is in use in 30 countries and that the “Utiba Mobility” platform has roughly 500 million subscribers giving rise to over 12 billion transactions each year. The platform enables those subscribers to send money, pay bill and receive payments, including wages and government transfer payments, from mobile phones.

Both Utiba and ValidSoft have been actively building a global footprint for secure mobile payments and e-commerce. Utiba is a private company and its revenue figures are not public. It has supported implementations such as G-Cash/Globe in the Philippines, Maxis Malaysia, True in Thailand and the Orascomm Group in Bangladesh. The relationship with Alternet Systems signals an intention to grow in North America.

As we’ve reported here, ValidSoft has been laying the foundation for growth in Western Europe, the Pacific Rim and North America. Clearly the planets are aligning for growth in the coming year.

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Tags: Voice biometrics, mobile payments, Validsoft, mobile transactions