Onfido Acquires Airside Mobile for Shareable Digital Identity Solutions

Onfido has acquired Airside Mobile to deliver shareable digital identity solutions.

The acquisition will expand Onfido’s automated identity verification platform to include Airside Mobile’s shareable digital identity technology that has been used by over 10 million travelers and allows them to fast-track their way through airports, Onfido said in a Monday (May 22) press release.

“We plan to take Airside’s proven approach to the airline industry and apply it to other sectors requiring high customer assurance, such as financial services — providing a single, trusted view of each customer’s identity,” Onfido CEO Mike Tuchen said in the release.

The combination of Onfido’s Real Identity Platform and the Airside Digital Identity App will redefine the process of identity verification across travel, financial services, eCommerce, internet platforms and other applications, according to the press release.

Users will be able to verify their identity once, store their digital identity on their smartphone, re-use it to access services from other businesses in the Onfido network and manage the personal information that is shared, the release said.

“By teaming up with Onfido and layering in their trusted verification technology with Airside’s Digital ID, we can take identity to the next level with the same ease and trust we have with online payments,” Onfido General Manager for Airside Adam Tsao said in the release.

PYMNTS research has found that consumers want to be more involved in protecting their money and identity, even in everyday financial activities.

The preference for additional visible security measures is present across demographic groups, according to “Visible and Invisible Security: Perceptions in Digital Banking,” a PYMNTS and Entersekt collaboration.

The announcement of Onfido’s acquisition of Airside comes about eight months after Onfido debuted a next-generation facial biometric technology that verifies identity in seconds.

The solution is called Motion and it enables businesses to automate customer onboarding, assess a higher number of people faster and reduce exposure to fraud.

“In today’s fast-paced digital world, providing the best user experience is everything,” Onfido Chief Product Officer Alex Valle said when announcing the new technology in September 2022. “Consumers demand to be able to access products and services in seconds whilst also knowing they are secure.”