IT consultancy Morse has launched a service designed to enable firms to roll out two-factor authentication mechanisms to customers, employees or trusted suppliers.

Accode offers companies an alternative to token-based authentication systems, according to Morse. The service provides a Java-based application that generates a one-time passcode to access desktop and online services. The application can be stored on users’ mobile phones, said the firm’s technology director Mark Nutt.

“For many clients the fact that they have multiple devices to authenticate is a challenge. This will improve the service experience,” Nutt added. “Most people carry mobile phones, so if you can enable security through the existing infrastructure it is much more cost-effective.”

Nutt said the company is also in discussions with application vendors that are interested in using the technology to make their products safer, as well as with ISPs that could provide the service as a value-add.