Vonage is doubling down on a message the enterprise market is starting to hear clearly: the mobile network itself is becoming a critical layer of digital trust. The Ericsson-owned communications platform has won two 2026 Juniper Research Future Digital Awards, earning Platinum for Network API Solution Innovation and Gold for Best Mobile Identity Solution.

At the center of the recognition is the Vonage Identity Insights API, a network-based service designed to help enterprises verify users, prevent fraud, and improve digital experiences by tapping directly into real-time mobile network intelligence.

In an era of escalating fraud, account takeovers, and SIM-based attacks, Juniper’s nod signals growing industry consensus that traditional authentication methods—passwords, one-time passcodes, even app-based verification—are no longer sufficient on their own.

Why Network APIs Are Having a Moment

The Future Digital Awards, presented annually by Juniper Research, recognize companies shaping the next phase of digital infrastructure. Vonage’s win reflects a broader shift underway in enterprise security and identity: network-level signals are becoming as important as application-layer defenses.

The Identity Insights API pulls intelligence directly from mobile operators, enabling enterprises to detect events like SIM swaps in real time. That capability has become increasingly valuable as fraudsters exploit weaknesses in SMS-based authentication and social engineering tactics.

By surfacing trusted network signals—data that applications can’t easily fake—Vonage is positioning its APIs as a foundational layer for modern identity verification.

“With the Vonage Identity Insights Network API, we provide enterprises with next-generation network intelligence to validate users, prevent fraud, and elevate customer experiences,” said Christophe Van de Weyer, President and Head of Business Unit API at Vonage.

Beyond Awards: A Consistent Market Signal

This isn’t a one-off win. The Juniper awards build on Vonage’s recent designation as an Established Leader across three Juniper Research reports covering:

• The Network APIs Market

• The Global Mobile Identity Market

• A2P and Business Messaging

Together, those reports highlight Vonage’s global network reach and breadth of communications APIs, spanning SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, and other rich messaging channels.

That matters because network APIs don’t operate in isolation. Their value compounds when combined with messaging, verification, and customer engagement tools—areas where Vonage already has deep enterprise penetration.

Identity, Fraud, and the Customer Experience Tradeoff

One of the persistent tensions in digital identity is the tradeoff between security and user experience. More friction reduces fraud—but often at the cost of conversions. Network APIs offer a way out of that stalemate.

Because Identity Insights operates behind the scenes, enterprises can strengthen fraud detection without adding steps for the end user. That’s increasingly attractive in industries like fintech, e-commerce, and digital services, where abandoned logins and failed verifications directly impact revenue.

The use of SIM swap detection is particularly timely. As regulators and enterprises scrutinize mobile-based authentication, network-derived trust signals are emerging as a safer alternative to SMS-only verification flows.

Ericsson’s Bigger Play in the API Economy

Vonage’s progress also reflects Ericsson’s broader ambition to monetize telecom networks through APIs, turning carrier infrastructure into programmable assets for enterprises and developers.

As telcos look beyond connectivity revenue, network APIs—identity, quality of service, location, and fraud signals—are becoming central to their growth strategies. Vonage’s recognition suggests that this model is moving from concept to execution.

For enterprises, that means easier access to signals that were once locked inside carrier systems. For the industry, it signals a gradual but meaningful convergence between telecom infrastructure and cloud-native application development.

The Takeaway

Vonage’s double win at the 2026 Juniper Research Future Digital Awards underscores a shift that’s easy to miss amid louder AI headlines: trust is becoming a network-native capability.

As digital fraud grows more sophisticated and user tolerance for friction shrinks, enterprises are looking deeper into the stack for answers. Network APIs—once niche—are fast becoming a strategic differentiator.

Vonage, it seems, is betting that the future of identity doesn’t live solely in apps or devices—but in the networks connecting them.

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