Tieto establishes a Blockchain pilot program in the Nordics – introduces a global identity network for secure digital interactions

To help its customers pursue the opportunities enabled by the emerging blockchain technology, Tieto has established a new Blockchain Solutions business unit. The purpose is to help organisations in various industries to renew their business by providing technology consulting and full stack services through an extensive ecosystem of partners. One of the first steps is to introduce a global identity network for Nordic customers together with Evernym – a leading developer of self-sovereign identity technologies.

Blockchain and distributed ledger technologies enable businesses, public organisations and individuals to form trust relationships and transact over the Internet more efficiently, without involving middlemen. Various industries are increasingly starting to reap the benefits of the groundbreaking technology, which Gartner recently named as one of the top 10 strategic technologies for 2017.

Tieto´s newly established Blockchain Solutions unit aims to help customers get past the technology hype and capture the real opportunities ahead. The unit will initially focus on digital identity, personal data, digital ownership and supply chain related use cases enabled by key technologies such as Sovrin (Hyperledger Indy), Hyperledger Fabric and Ethereum.

- Blockchain has rapidly emerged as one of the disrupting technologies of the 21st century. We believe that it will be one of the key ingredients of success for our customers’ future business and that it can be harnessed to build more equal, inclusive and smarter societies. Our mission is to ensure that our customers are in the forefront in adopting this technology and benefit from the new business opportunities that it provides, says Markus Hautala, Head of Blockchain Solutions at Tieto.

Global identity network providing secure control of personal data

Tieto strives to explore this space in close collaboration with its ecosystem of customers and partners. As one of the first concrete steps, Tieto and Evernym - the leading developer of self-sovereign identity technologies - have launched a Sovrin Pilot Program with the aim of introducing a global identity network to Nordic customers. The program helps companies do more business, increase trust and reduce costs with the help of a distributed identity network. The multi-party initiative aims to rapidly validate and implement commercially viable solutions that leverage this global network.

- We are very excited about the collaboration. Our industry expertise, combined with Evernym´s experience from creating applications that enable people to securely control their own identity data opens up vast opportunities for our customers. Choosing when, with whom and how much people and businesses wish to reveal in any given exchange is key for building future proof solutions that also meet privacy related demands and regulations, says Markus Hautala.

Tieto has a strong role in driving Real-Time Economy development in the Nordics and was recently named one of the top 25 technology providers to financial services companies worldwide by IDC Financial Insights. Tieto is currently also looking into how to utilise blockchain technology within healthcare. Together with California-based company Gem, the company is working on how to link genetic data stored in biobanks, personal health records at hospitals and individual citizens to create personalized medical records that enable better care for patients.

For additional information, please contact:

Markus Hautala, Head of Blockchain Solutions, Tieto
phone: +358 40 182 4299, e-mail: markus.hautala[at]tieto.com

About Sovrin
The international, non-profit Sovrin Foundation is governed by a constitutional Trust Framework that ensures its independence from government or industry influence and codifies its dedication to providing self-sovereign digital identity for all. The Sovrin network is operated by independent stewards and uses the power of a hybrid distributed ledger as a fast, private and secure framework for providing every person, organization, and connected device a permanent identity with which to transact online and operate securely in everyday life. Learn more about the Trust Framework underlying the Sovrin network: www.sovrin.org. 

About Evernym
Founded in 2013, Evernym develops software solutions that leverage the Sovrin distributed ledger technology to provide every individual, organization and connected device with secure and irrevocable identity. Learn more about Evernym and its self-sovereign identity solutions at www.evernym.com.

Tieto aims to capture the significant opportunities of the data-driven world and turn them into lifelong value for people, business and society. We aim to be customers’ first choice for business renewal by combining our software and services capabilities with a strong drive for co-innovation and ecosystems. www.tieto.com