Swedbank and SEB started using Smart-ID
Starting from today, users can log in to Swedbank’s and SEB’s mobile and internet banking environments in Estonia using the new electronic identity solution Smart-ID.
SK ID Solutions (SK) has created an app that works on both Android and iOS platforms and is available in the App Store and Google Play Store to ensure that their innovative solution Smart-ID can be used conveniently and comfortably. A special SIM card or a card reader are not necessary to use Smart-ID, the only thing required is an active internet connection. Smart-ID is not dependent on country borders and is thus very easy to implement across the world. This Estonian innovation will open up new opportunities for both e-service providers and their users.
“We have created a modern and comfortable electronic identity or eID solution, which is not dependent on a SIM card or the operating system of the smart device, but is still very secure. I am very glad that Smart-ID has earned recognition in the banking sector and that both Swedbank and SEB, as owners of SK, support innovation by implementing the new solution,” said Liisa Lukin, SK ID Solutions’ Business Development Manager of Additional Services.
“The development of digital banking over the past few years has been very rapid. Today, Swedbank has more than half a million internet and mobile banking users. Mobile banking is used by around 150 000 of those clients every month and that number is constantly growing. At the same time, there are a lot of people among our clients who for various reasons have not yet started using modern personal identification tools. I believe that for a lot of the people who use smart devices, Smart-ID is a very convenient means for logging in to our digital channels and attending to their businesses there,” said Agnes Oidsalu, Swedbank’s Head of Digital Services.
“Above all, we wish to join Smart-ID to offer our clients the option of replacing the still very widely used code cards with a new and simple authentication method for online banking. In both internet and mobile banking, fast, flexible and secure solutions are required in today’s modern world for transactions as well as simply being able to identify a person electronically. By joining Smart-ID, we are taking the next step together towards comfort and security, and we hope that our clients will receive the new solution well. The triumph of the web services of the biggest banks in Estonia began more than 20 years ago, when the first code cards were handed out to the clients. But the world around us today, along with its opportunities but also its security risks, requires different solutions,” said Ainar Leppänen, SEB’s Head of Retail Banking and Technology.
In addition to Swedbank and SEB, Smart-ID has been implemented in the e-services of the school management system eKool, Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp, and the TV and internet service provider Starman.
The innovative Smart-ID works on a simple principle: the user downloads the Smart-ID app from the Google Play Store or the App Store on to their smart device and identifies themself by using Mobile ID or their ID card. As with the ID card and Mobile ID, Smart-ID also requires the use of PIN1 and PIN2 codes which the user will create within the app. Using Smart-ID is free of charge.
SK ID Solutions specializes in international e-identity solutions. We are Estonia’s partner in issuing certificates for identity documents. We enable the citizens of different countries to log on to e-services and use digital signatures. SK ID Solutions caters to more than 600 organizations, which include financial, healthcare, and various other private and public sector e-services. Our services in Estonia have more than 600 000 end users.