Avaya Holdings and identity and cyber security firm Post-Quantum have announced that they will collaborate on Identity-as-a-Service (IDaaS) aimed at transforming and improving data security in contact centres. IDaaS will initially be offered as the identity and authentication service for Avaya Mobile Experience.According to the companies, IDaaS uses emerging technologies to reduce the risk of identity fraud, which cost US consumers US$16 billion in 2016.The Avaya-Post Quantum collaboration focuses on creating a self-sovereign identity system, whereby individuals maintain direct control of their own identity attributes and credentials. The 'mobile-first' IDaaS incorporates biometrics to authenticate mobile callers; it unlocks sensitive data and uses blockchain to allow contact centres to authenticate the customer's identity and data.The companies say: "Since data security is central to this collaboration, all data in the system will be protected by quantum-resistant encryption. Sensitive data is stored in a vault protected by full tokenisation and encryption that can withstand attacks from quantum computers, securing data stored today against future threats. This vault can only be accessed when multiple parties give their approval, preventing unauthorised access by data centre staff. The product also uses blockchain technology to record contact centre interactions, increasing transparency and auditability.IDaaS will subsequently be available independent of Avaya Mobile Experience, as a standalone service for both current and new customers."Securing personal data and verifying identity are two primary challenges for contact centers," says Laurent Philonenko, SVP and GM, Solutions and Technology, Avaya. "As a key focus for Avaya, we see this as a great use of emerging technologies like blockchain to address a genuine business need. We now have the ability to take verified identities and bind them to the actions they conduct. Incorporating this into Avaya Mobile Experience is just the beginning of what we can do with trusted identities, and see broader relevance for a plethora of business applications.""We are delighted to partner with Avaya, who share our vision of future-proofing solutions," says Andersen Cheng, CEO, Post-Quantum. "Confidence in identity has become central to conducting business, and since this means handling sensitive personal data – which has a long lifespan – it is essential to protect it against current and future threats."
Avaya and Post Quantum team up for IDaaS
