Nokia has entered a commercial agreement with digital healthcare platform BeeHealthy to introduce network-based identity verification into patient-facing healthcare applications.
The integration uses Nokia’s Network as Code platform to verify users through mobile network capabilities, replacing conventional SMS-based one-time passwords.
BeeHealthy provides digital healthcare software used by healthcare providers and insurers across Europe and the Middle East.
The companies said the new approach is intended to give patients a simpler and more secure way to access digital health services through their mobile devices.
SMS one-time passwords remain widely used for authentication but can introduce friction into digital healthcare journeys and may also be vulnerable to risks including phishing and SIM-related fraud.
Network-based verification instead uses information available through telecommunications networks to authenticate a user without requiring them to manually enter a code.
For healthcare providers, reducing authentication steps could make it easier for patients to access services including digital consultations, appointment functions and other online care pathways.
The technology also illustrates how telecommunications infrastructure is becoming more closely integrated with healthcare platforms as care increasingly moves into digital channels.
Nokia’s Network as Code platform provides developers with access to network capabilities through application programming interfaces.
By integrating these capabilities into BeeHealthy’s platform, healthcare organisations can incorporate telecom-based verification into their existing patient applications.
The collaboration also creates a new healthcare use case for programmable telecommunications networks.
As healthcare organisations expand telehealth and mobile patient services, digital identity and secure access are becoming increasingly important parts of the patient experience.
The partnership reflects a broader shift in digital healthcare from focusing primarily on clinical applications towards strengthening the underlying infrastructure required to make those services secure, accessible and easy to use.
