Telenor and the banking industry enter into a unique agreement to make life simpler for millions of Norwegians. Banking and payment services will be available via a mobile phone, anytime and anywhere. The Norwegian banking industry, through the Norwegian Savings Banks Association and the Norwegian Financial Services Association (FNH), is behind the BankID Partnership (BankID Samarbeidet). The BankID Partnership has developed BankID, an electronic proof of identity which can be used for identification and signing agreements on the Internet.

BankID for mobile phones will be available in 2008 and all banks participating in the BankID Partnership may offer BankID to their customers. 

"The financial industry is at the forefront of using modern and cost-effective solutions to the benefit of people in general. BankID for mobile phones can help meet people's expectation of being able to satisfy their banking needs anytime and anywhere. Having to stand in line to pay bills is ancient history," says Arne Skauge, Managing Director of FNH.

Usage of mobile phones has gone beyond speech and SMS to areas such as MMS and the Internet. BankID for mobile phones is a natural part of this development, and will initially be used in four areas: logging on to Internet banks, mobile banking, electronic service for business and the public sector, and account-based payment services for the Internet and mobiles (BankAxess).