- Singtel and Bridge Alliance have come together to set up Bridge Alliance API exchange (BAEx) using Singtel’s orchestration platform Paragon
- Thailand’s AIS and Malaysia’s Maxis signed MoUs with Singtel to leverage its open API-based solutions
- Using BAEx will help enterprises accelerate time to market of new services and enhance simplicity of working with several telcos
Singaporean telco Singtel has partnered with Bridge Alliance, a group of 34 mobile operators, to build a regional application programming interface (API) federation with a telco API exchange using Singtel’s Paragon platform.
Paragon is an all-in-one orchestration platform for telco networks. Bridge Alliance is introducing Bridge Alliance API Exchange (BAEx), which uses Paragon to bring together its user’s network authentication, user verification and network quality APIs.
Following the announcement of partnership with Bridge Alliance, Singtel signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Thailand’s AIS and Malaysia’s Maxis to enable network-based authentication for mobile subscribers through SingVerify. Based on telco APIs based on GSMA’s Open API Gateway, SingVerify helps telcos address illegal account takeovers and phishing scams.
“This marks the first-ever international federation of telco APIs in the world, involving telcos from three countries working together to help enterprises access real-time telco network data to strengthen authentication and combat fraud,” said a press release about the API exchange.
Standardization and common frameworks are key
Singtel believes that with BAEx, enterprises and developers can streamline the deployment of new services on member operator networks by accessing a common API network. This enables the regional aggregation and standardization of telco APIs utilizing The Linux Foundation's CAMARA APIs.
CAMARA is an open-source project in collaboration with GSMA, where GSMA Open Gateway APIs are defined, developed, and published. The GSMA Open Gateway ensures network capabilities from various operators are integrated into a single, accessible technology layer, promoting interoperability and federation across the API economy and facilitating innovation.
“Building on Singtel and Bridge Alliance’s experience with its ecosystem of member telecom operators, BAEx will significantly reduce complexity and friction for enterprise customers, developers, and solution providers through its unified integration, simplified commercial framework and common operational support model,” said the press release.
The APIs will support several enterprise use cases, including for fintech, e-commerce and Over-the-Top (OTT) providers, starting with network authentication, user verification and location tracking functions. This will allow enterprises to fast-track time to market to launch new services and bring down the complexity of working with several telecom service providers.
“Enterprises that have operations spanning multiple countries and regions, will depend on reliable, high-quality connectivity to meet their mission-critical business needs and ensure seamless operations,” said Mike Heffner, Vice President of Enterprise Platforms at Singtel’s Digital InfraCo. “This partnership will enable both Singtel and Bridge Alliance to support our customers’ use cases requiring dynamic and granular control of regional telco networking capabilities,” he added.
“We are delighted to advance API federation leveraging Singtel’s Paragon platform. “Through BAExas a single interface enabling regional consumption of telco APIs, we aim to accelerate telco API exposure to enable our member operators to serve the needs of enterprise customers. An open telco API economy is key to creating new business opportunities for enterprises,” added Dr Ong GeokChwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance.