VeriSign's Offering Will Combine Microsoft's Windows Server 2003 With
VeriSign's Strong Authentication Services
SAN FRANCISCO, RSA Conference 2004, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ --
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the leading provider of critical infrastructure
services for the Internet and telecommunications networks, today announced
that it will work with Microsoft Corp. to deliver authentication services that
combine Microsoft Windows Server 2003 with VeriSign's strong authentication
services. These services will significantly decrease the cost and complexity
of deploying strong authentication across the enterprise. VeriSign will
demonstrate this technology, which will go into Beta in April 2004, when
Stratton Sclavos, VeriSign chairman and CEO, gives his Keynote address at RSA
2004 later this afternoon. General availability of this service is slated for
Summer 2004.
"By leveraging existing standards in an open architecture framework, this
solution allows customers to deploy a variety of strong credential options
utilizing their existing Microsoft infrastructure," said Judy Lin, executive
vice president and general manager, VeriSign Security Services. "VeriSign's
highly scalable strong authentication service, combined with Microsoft Windows
2003 components, takes advantage of both companies' strengths to deliver a
service that is highly scalable and flexible, yet easy and affordable to
deploy."
For end users, VeriSign's strong authentication service uses and extends
Microsoft protocols licensed as part of a strategic partnership announced in
June 2003. This will allow for seamless provisioning of desktop PKI
credentials to include additional strong credentials, such as One Time
Password (OTP) tokens, PKI tokens, smart cards, and desktop PKI. These strong
credentials can be used in a variety of built-in Microsoft applications, such
as secure VPN, WIFI access or secure email.
Additionally, this service will allow network administrators to use
Microsoft Active Directory to manage users, and Microsoft Management Console
to provision credentials. These components will then be linked to VeriSign's
highly scalable, reliable, and secure strong authentication service to
validate 2-factored credentials. The combined solution will allow enterprises
to deploy strong authentication in scale, leveraging their existing
infrastructure, with minimal additional hardware or software.
"Customers have told us that they need integrated solutions for enabling
strong authentication in Windows environments," said Mike Nash, vice
president, Security Business and Technology Unit, Microsoft Corporation. "We
are pleased to work with VeriSign to help customers more securely manage user
and device identities within and across enterprises."
VeriSign's strong authentication service also includes one of the first
reference implementations of the OATH architecture. Announced Monday, February
23, OATH is a revolutionary new approach to drive more ubiquitous adoption of
strong authentication technology across all users, devices, and networks.
Based primarily on existing standards, OATH will help to ensure that secure
credentials can be provisioned and verified by disparate software and hardware
platforms, removing traditional barriers to widespread adoption.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. delivers critical infrastructure services that make the
Internet and telecommunications networks more intelligent, reliable and
secure. Every day VeriSign helps thousands of businesses and millions of
consumers connect, communicate, and transact with confidence. Additional news
and information about the company is available at http://www.verisign.com .
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information
constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the
Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's
actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such
forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include,
among others, VeriSign's limited operating history under its current business
structure; uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential
fluctuations in quarterly operating results; the ability of VeriSign to
successfully develop and market new services and customer acceptance of any
new services; the risk that VeriSign's announced strategic relationships may
not result in additional products, services, customers and revenues; increased
competition and pricing pressures; and risks related to potential security
breaches. More information about potential factors that could affect the
company's business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings
with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the company's Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002 and quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the
forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
NOTE: Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks
of their respective owners.
SOURCE VeriSign, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.verisign.com
CONTACT:
media, Brendan P. Lewis, +1-650-426-4470, or
brlewis@verisign.com, or investors, Kathleen Bare,
+1-650-426-3241, or kbare@verisign.com, both of VeriSign, Inc.
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