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1. What is the mission and vision of BlueShore Financial?

BlueShore Financial’s mission: “Passionately improving our clients’ financial well-being in an interconnected, digital world.”

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

Trustworthy digital identity is critical to enable the continued development of a robust digital economy in Canada, and the potential direct and indirect benefits that come with it for all Canadians. Furthermore, lack of  a common trusted digital identity approach could result in a patchwork of various digital ID schemes, which would not only cause confusion for Canadians (and thus much slower adoption), but also create easy targets for cyber criminals.

From a financial industry perspective, a trustworthy digital ID is a critical component to successfully implement Open Banking, one of the globally accepted key trends in banking.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does your organization address challenges associated with this transformation?

Two of the most populous countries in the world have established digital IDs: India with its government issued Unique ID (UID) number—or Aadhaar—identity program, and China with its digital identify provided by Ant Financial. These two countries are most populous with emerging economies. To remain a global player, Canada has to be able to compete with the likes of India and China when it comes to technology-savviness

Several other countries now have national digital identify programs and while these programs may not be perfect, they are evolving – Canada needs to do the same. Canada needs to start with a digital identity program, and then use an agile and iterative approach to evolve and keep up with new technologies as well as consumer needs and demands. Since Canada is somewhat late to the game, Canada can learn from the experience of other countries in both technology implementations and consumer rollout, which I know DIACC and its members from across the spectrum of government, finance, healthcare, telco, retail, auditors, etc., are discussing and working through DIACC Pan-Canadian Trusted Framework approach.

BlueShore addresses the challenges in two ways:

I. Internally we see digital identity as a core component of our digital transformation journey.

II. Broadly, digital identity is part of our conversations from Open Banking, to Payments Modernization to Data Privacy. We also work closely and in a “spirit of partnership” with our core technology partners.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Canada has a role to play as a G7 member to show digital leadership with respect to developing and launching a national digital identity program. Not only would this provide opportunities for Canadian businesses, but it would also demonstrate a model of how government and industries are able to work together to provide a key digital tool for Canadian consumers.

5. Why did your organization join the DIACC?

BlueShore saw the work DIACC and its members were doing defining, creating and building a national digital identity framework. It was this framework approach that attracted our attention to bolster our digital transformation work.

6. What else should we know about your organization?

BlueShore Financial is a boutique financial institution providing a full range of personal and business banking, wealth management, insurance and commercial lending solutions. With a branch network located across the Vancouver Lower Mainland and Sea-to-Sky Corridor, BlueShore Financial helps clients achieve financial wellness® through personalized solutions and expert advice, delivered in a unique Financial Spa® branch environment. BlueShore Financial manages over $6.5 billion in Assets Under Administration and is consistently ranked among the top 20 financial planning firms in Metro Vancouver.

BlueShore Financial is an Imagine Canada Caring Company, contributing at least 1% of pre-tax profits annually to charities and not-for-profit organizations within the communities it serves. BlueShore Financial is the operating name of BlueShore Financial Credit Union.

1.What is the mission and vision of one37 Solutions?

Our mission is to unlock the potential of the universal identity with privacy, security and trust, one experience at time.

Our vision is to deliver unparalleled personalized user experience built on decentralized secure identity platform.

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

The economic costs of the fragmented identity systems across various channels and businesses, the weak identity systems resulting in identity theft, SIM swaps and account takeovers, and increased corporate liability due to data breaches and regulatory non-compliance are skyrocketing and taxing in both existing and emerging markets.

The implementation of trustworthy digital identity systems will have exponential effects on the market growth and efficiency by streamlining and simplifying daily processes between citizens, governments and service providers in existing markets looking for efficiency and in emerging markets looking to close their digital gap and gaining security and speed of implementation.

At the onset, the rollout of decentralized identity systems seems both timely and significant. However, considering the various challenges that the global industries such as travel and healthcare have been currently facing in the form of security threats, adherence to health norms or regulatory compliances, there is a digital race to incorporate all of the above through a single trust platform while also ensuring a truly seamless experience. Thus, to stay competitive and build customer loyalty, there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way new advancements in technologies can be incorporated to balance such rising risk and opportunity demands.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does your organization address challenges associated with this transformation?

A trusted digital identity will have a major impact on the Canadian and world economies by adding tremendous value to a country GDP. The speed of trust will have ripple effects on every aspect of the economy.

one37 provides a state-of-the-art, safe and secure decentralized identity platform for identity verification in verticals such as travel and health. We are working with our partners and service providers to improve the daily lives of citizens in various scenarios such as “Contactless & Touchless Travel” and facilitate the seamless interactions between travelers and service providers along their journey while ensuring user authenticity, data integrity, compliance and governance for all relevant stakeholders within an ecosystem.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Canada is the world leader in digital identity and the protection of privacy and personal information. By championing the implementation of a decentralized identity technology across the public and private sectors, Canada will provide the role model for the decentralized identity implementation across the world and foster unprecedented growth in the digital identity economy. Canada is in a unique position to shape the future of travel, healthcare, banking and governmental services with monumental implications on both the governmental and corporate sectors worldwide.

5. Why did your organization join the DIACC?

To  participate in the on-going discussions and the valuable work that DIACC is spearheading in digital identity and the implementation of the PCTF and be able to add value, work with other companies and partners and contribute in return to the growth of the identity economy.

6. What else should we know about your organization?

Every one37 team member is a strong believer in the deep impact that the decentralized universal identity will have on improving the life of every Canadian and world citizen and we are committed to working with our partners to add tremendous value one experience at a time.

1.What is the mission and vision of IMDS?

Since the 1980s, we have been hearing about paper-free businesses and the drive to move toward a more digital workplace. Today, the approach to digitally transform businesses has shifted from a technology-first perspective to a more business centric approach, with paper-free processes becoming a focal point and opportunity for many organizations.

In 1995, IMDS’ co-founders wrote the book The Advanced Document and described the following three areas: outbound documents, inbound documents and the lifecycle of documents. These three areas work together and in today’s world (whether it’s a document or a communication), this model still applies:

• Inbound documents – document capture and data extraction

• Outbound documents – customer communications management (CCM)

• Archiving – Enterprise Content Management (ECM)

With offices in Quebec, Montreal and Paris, the IMDS Research and Development centre is based in Montreal. This team works on automatic processing technologies linked to the document, and more particularly on pattern recognition and classification methods, and on facial recognition solutions using machine learning, deep learning and artificial intelligence.

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

A strong digital identity is needed for businesses and administrations to create an accurate and complete view of the customer, allowing on-going conversations, a strong engagement; and personalized and relevant content. Transactions are growing in volume and complexity. Customers are now in the driver’s seat, and they expect seamless, omni-channel service delivery.

But this approach needs to allow individuals to have complete control over their data identity.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does your organization address challenges associated with this transformation?

Digital identify needs to incorporate a strong identification and authentication process.

The use of biometrics made a technological leap. Facial recognition is more and more widespread when accessing your mobile terminal or your computer. However, access to the mobile terminal often gives access without additional authentication to applications or services for which a first authentication has already been performed beforehand or which relies on an identification provider.

Access  to a digital wallet requires a higher level of security, at least for certain important steps in account management (i.e., creation, request for a digital certificate, access to confidential information, etc.) IMDS addresses these challenges with a strong authentication approach that is based on multi-criteria authentication: i.e. Photo ID document verification, selfie, liveness, etc.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Canada has an opportunity to be the leader in digital identity and trust services. Some of the best universities in the world, R&D companies, software vendors, consultants and experts are here in Canada.

DIACC and its members all experts in their own field are the proof that Canada will lead the way in this space.

5. Why did your organization join the DIACC?

The goal of many organizations is to provide a digital identity for citizens, supported by a digital wallet, to simplify and expand access to government services.

IMDS joined DIACC to collaborate with a group of experts, share, and learn from other Canadian businesses, in order to participate in the creation of the Pan-Canadian Trust Framework.

6. What else should we know about your organization?

IMDS is the software vendor for AD’DOC Capture Pro. AD’DOC ™

Capture Pro is a state-of-the-art solution for character recognition, document data verification and facial recognition. Easy to learn, AD’DOC ™ Capture Pro will allow you to quickly design a document dematerialization workflow.

Thanks to its experience that was forged over 20 years in this field, and with more than 750 million documents scanned per year and (more than 20 billion characters recognized per year) AD’DOC ™ Capture Pro is a complete production solution that has proven itself in many industries (Banks, Administration, etc.).

1.What is the mission and vision of Vaultie?

At Vaultie our mission is to allow physical people to both provide, and control, indisputable links to their digital documents (and other assets) while providing complete user control over their documents privacy. From legal documents to payments to driver’s licenses, we strive to let people stand beside their actions and intent. We do this by building secure, easy-to-use software based on verifiable credentials, blockchain, and ethical facial recognition. All of which have incredible power to enable this technology and together are creating the ability to provide a safer and more efficient future.

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

A trustworthy digital identity is critical for existing and emerging markets because it breaks down barriers and allows business to be conducted regardless of location and economic circumstances. The ability to trust a person, despite not having them physically present is necessary to allow cross-border cooperation on business activities and this software facilitates this.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does your organization address challenges associated with this transformation?

Digital identity will streamline the way Canadians access their most important services, from government services to banking, to legal documents. Most importantly, digital identity and authentication shift control of that information to the user which is more secure and protects their privacy.

Digital identities will become a critical compliance tool for many businesses, particularly banking, law, government services, and insurance by facilitating trust between the person and a “Verifier”. On the most relatable level, the trust that can be facilitated by digital identity enables Canadians to spend less time physically having to go somewhere to show credentials or sign documents and more time on their own projects or with their families.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Canada has already demonstrated its ability to lead the charge in digital identity and services. It has an educated user base who are demanding frictionless interactions with industries that seem to be willing to adopt them. DIACC plays a central role in bringing all of those players to the table and creating a unified landscape which we can use to facilitate digital identity standards across various industries. We’re thrilled to be joining the conversation on how to best make that a reality.

5. Why did your organization join the DIACC?

We think Verifiable Credentials and digital ID play an important role in shaping the way Canadians access their services and conduct business. There’s a lot of industries that need to collaborate in order to facilitate that reality. We joined DIACC to be part of that conversation, offer our expertise on Identity linked documents, and learn how we can facilitate the adoption of digital ID and authentication through conversations with other industry players.

6. What else should we know about your organization?

We’re a group of young energized technologists, with backgrounds in financial services and blockchain, and access to a coffee machine! We’re driven by allowing people to show transparency in their business dealings, while maintaining their privacy. Vaultie started off with a goal of creating a fraud-proof digital signature, which could show indisputable proof that a person, and not just their account, signed a document. We’re really proud of our Vaultie digital signature product, which can be verified and trusted by any third party the signatory chooses to share it with. We could not have dreamed about the opportunities that now exist with digital credentials and are excited to be working on the future of trustless interactions.

1.What is the mission and vision of ECAD Labs Inc.?

At ECAD Labs Inc., our mission is to increase the GDP of the blockchain economy by creating safe and easy-to-use software development tools for blockchain applications. As an open-source first company, we are most successful when we empower all developers to build innovative, world-changing applications

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

Decentralized ID and authentication tools built on public blockchain protocols will provide an accessible, trusted, and secure platform for individuals to manage their personal information and interact online with businesses and governments. These tools can have a profound impact on Canada and emerging markets by improving access to regulated online services while reducing reliance on intermediaries that may suffer from limited oversight or trust.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does ECAD Labs Inc. address challenges associated with this transformation?

Decentralized digital identity and authentication will transform the Canadian and global economy by shifting control of personal information back to consumers and reducing compliance costs for regulated entities providing online products and services.

This technology will become a critical compliance tool for businesses and institutions as virtual currencies, digital securities and other blockchain-based products and services are integrated into regulated markets.

At ECAD Labs Inc., we are building open-source developer tools to simplify the adoption of decentralized digital identities in blockchain applications.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

As an advanced, educated, and urbanized economy with high online connectivity rates, Canada is well-positioned to become a leader in the development and adoption of digital identity and verification technologies.

DIACC plays a vital role in this process, and ECAD Labs Inc. is excited to join the conversation.

5. Why did ECAD Labs Inc. join the DIACC?

At ECAD Labs Inc., we believe that decentralized digital identification and verification tools  will facilitate the mass adoption of virtual currencies and other blockchain technologies. Our goal is to provide our clients with open-source software development tools that support vendor neutral access to decentralized ID and authentication services interoperable across technologies and jurisdictions.

Joining DIACC will help us understand, support and develop decentralized ID and verification standards, meet community members and advocate for a regulatory environment that promotes Canadian innovation.

6. What else should we know about ECAD Labs Inc.?

ECAD Labs Inc. is a Vancouver based software development company that builds and maintains open-source software development tools and libraries for the Tezos blockchain protocol, including the TezosTaquito.io TypeScript library, Signatory.io remote signer, and TezGraph.com indexer API. We are currently working with industry partners to support decentralized identities in various blockchain applications.

DIACC is very pleased to welcome EY. In this member spotlight, DIACC President Joni Brennan interviews Abhishek Sinha, Peter Law, and Atul Ojha to hear their thoughts on digital ID and the great work that EY is doing in this space.

1.What is the mission and vision of ApplyBoard?

 ApplyBoard believes that education is a right, not a privilege. The company empowers prospective international students around the world to access the best education by simplifying the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process. By connecting international students, academic institutions, and recruitment partners on a single digital platform, ApplyBoard drives qualified student applications and diversity to over 1,200 campuses across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. To date, ApplyBoard has assisted more than 120,000 students along their educational journeys and has become the world leader in providing study abroad opportunities.

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

As a company that has disrupted the traditional education application process

through technological innovation, ApplyBoard understands the importance of developing a trustworthy digital identity. The company has broken down barriers to accessing information and opportunity, creating a global digital ecosystem that spans thousands of partners and customers in hundreds of countries around the world. During the online application process, the ability to trust the identity of the applicant is key to improving global mobility. Proof of identity is required at various stages of the international student journey, including admission, international payments, and immigration.

ApplyBoard recently launched ApplyProof, an industry-leading platform that enables immigration stakeholders, students, and institutions to validate document authenticity by providing access to the digital original held securely by ApplyProof. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital ecosystems and doing business online, driving the need for heightened security and privacy demands. It is critical for businesses like ApplyBoard to innovate and partner with organizations like DIACC to champion the creation of secure digital properties and tools to drive a digital future.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does ApplyBoard address challenges associated with this transformation?

ApplyBoard firmly believes that by creating a strong digital identity framework for Canadians, we will be able to build global trust that will increase capacity for international collaborations. International students play a vital role in driving the Canadian economy. By improving efficiency and trust in the digital ecosystem, the international education segment will thrive faster with fewer costs while positively impacting local economies. Additionally, a robust digital identity framework will reduce international students’ reliance on shared physical locations, allowing them to learn from multiple locations simultaneously from around the world.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

By bringing together the most forward-thinking public and private sector organizations, institutions, and other stakeholders in the country, Canada has the ability to step up and become a global leader in the digital identification and authentication space. Working together, these groups will showcase their abilities and achieve collectively desired outcomes that benefit Canadians and drive us closer to creating a secure, scalable, inclusive, and privacy-enhancing digital ecosystem.

5. Why did ApplyBoard join the DIACC?

ApplyBoard has joined DIACC to become a foundational member of the ecosystem that’s addressing key identification issues. ApplyBoard is excited to bring its technology and experience to the ecosystem while having the opportunity to learn from other leaders. Together, we will improve the international student journey for the thousands of students that choose to study in Canada every year. As we grow our base of global partners, we are excited to play a role in sharing standards around the world.

6. What else should we know about ApplyBoard?

ApplyBoard was founded in 2015 by Martin, Meti, and Massi Basiri, three brothers that came from Iran to study at post-secondary institutions in Canada. Today, the company has grown to become the world’s largest online platform for international student recruitment, using AI and machine learning to assist more than 120,000 students with their educational journeys. In 2019, ApplyBoard was named the fastest-growing technology company in Canada by Deloitte, ranking #1 on the Technology Fast 50™. The company ranked #2 in 2020. To learn more about ApplyBoard, please visit their website.

1.What is the mission and vision of FaceTec?

FaceTec’s mission is to end identity theft and protect privacy by ensuring access to important accounts and information is only available to their legal owners. FaceTec’s state-of-the-art biometric cybersecurity AI has been specifically designed to enable widespread, secure, unsupervised identity verification and user authentication from any modern smart device or PC with a webcam. 

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

Strong, reliable, digital identity verification empowers individuals by allowing full access and control over current accounts, and protects them when they open new accounts. Trusted digital identity is also critical for enterprise, allowing them to ensure the customers they interact with are legally who they purport to be. By fostering trust on both sides of any remote interaction, FaceTec lowers friction while increasing value. Beyond quantifiable economic benefits, effective user authentication offers noneconomic value to individuals through social and political inclusion, rights protection, and enhanced transparency. The certainty trustworthy digital identity provides is a benefit to individuals, organizations, and society as a whole, and drives higher overall social and economic utility.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does FaceTec address challenges associated with this transformation?

The adoption of a trustworthy remote digital identity verification program will pay quick and lasting dividends in Canada’s social, economic, and political activities. Natural communications barriers – within and outside of Canada – including vast distances, changing weather, and topographical challenges, will be minimized, fostering simplified, trusted interactions regardless of the environmental circumstances.

FaceTec’s technologies were created from inception to promote inclusion and provide the same advantages to anyone with digital access, regardless of their physical, economic, or social status.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Canada’s international reputation for thoughtful, rational decision-making will lend significant credibility to the adoption of strong digital identification programs. With a very diverse and large population, Canada will prove to be a beacon for other large-scale digital ID projects that society as a whole will benefit from.

5. Why did FaceTec join the DIACC?

The DIACC’s goals and approaches to solving a major social and economic problem are aligned with FaceTec’s. Leveraging the DIACC’s comprehensive relationship network and FaceTec’s first-hand technology and market experience, will ensure the development of a much more effective and inclusive solution.

6. What else should we know about FaceTec?

A pioneer and global leader in biometric cybersecurity dedicated to privacy, security, and transparency, FaceTec has provided the most accurate remote authentication technology to hundreds-of-millions of users on six continents. FaceTec patented 3D FaceScan UI, battle-tested 3D Liveness Detection, and 3D Face Matching AI anchors identity and enables true passwordless authentication from all modern smart devices and webcam-enabled systems. FaceTec’s small-footprint (3.9mb) device SDKs and neural-network-powered server SDK comprise a complete, feature-rich authentication platform that allows customers’ user data to stay encrypted behind their own firewalls. Easy to integrate into any app or web page, hundreds of organizations now provide exceptionally secure new account onboarding and ongoing access to high-value accounts in financial and government institutions, telecoms, ecommerce, blockchain, social networks, and more.

1.What is the mission and vision of ARUCC?

The Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC) provides leadership in the post-secondary education field and service to its member institutions nationally and internationally, helping foster the advancement of registrarial practices in Canada. ARUCC strives to meet the needs of its members by adopting proactive measures reflecting changes in our professional environment.

Member institutions consist of universities, colleges and polytechnics that are recognized through either Universities Canada or the Colleges and Institutes Canada.

2. Why is trustworthy digital identity critical for existing and emerging markets?

The need for online solutions increased with the COVID-19 pandemic. These solutions will become the norm as Canada and the global economy adapt to consumer expectations. As members of the post-secondary education field in Canada, we are not unfamiliar with the need for trustworthy digital identity given the increased demand for sending/receiving electronic documents.

3. How will digital identity transform the Canadian and global economy? How does ARUCC address challenges associated with this transformation?

Digital identity is most often managed as a gate to individual businesses through methods such as confidential passwords, PINs, and security questions. With each business having its own requirements (i.e., variations of password length and structure) it becomes nearly impossible for people to remember them all. Businesses and post-secondary institutions are forming allegiances to minimize the impact on the individual while maintaining trustworthy digital identity. An example of this is with CRA and banking passwords.

ARUCC also recognizes the need for trustworthy digital identity and is leading the implementation of a National Network with the core objective of improving permission-based, trusted access and portability of learner documents (i.e., transcripts, confirmation letters) across Canada and with trusted international partners for students, graduates, participating post-secondary institutions, provincial application centres and member 3rd party organizations.

4. What role does Canada have to play as a leader in this space?

Canada is in the global arena and is recognized as being trustworthy and reliable. From the post-secondary perspective, Canada has over 2.5 million students including more than 642 thousand international students[1] (based on 2019 statistics). As a destination for higher education it is imperative that trusted networks be established for identity management. The formation of the ARUCC National Network allows us to establish a ‘made for Canada’ solution that can also be tied to other trusted networks (i.e., My eQuals, CHESICC).

In 2018 Canada ratified the Lisbon Recognition Convention which demonstrates our commitment to the recognition of academic credentials, which need to be portable, as learners and alumni move to work and live around the globe. This inspires the work of ARUCC to enhance trusted document exchange and provide learner credential wallets.

5. Why did ARUCC join the DIACC?

ARUCC believes in working together to achieve common goals. We feel the purpose of ARUCC and the creation of the National Network to support learner mobility aligns well with DIACC’s principals.

6. What else should we know about ARUCC?

ARUCC was formed in 1964 and became incorporated in 2018. It includes over 150 member institutions representing over 2.5 million current learners and millions of alumni from within Canada and around the globe.