VeriSign to Enhance Strong Authentication
Platform with the Introduction of VeriSign® Unified Authentication –
Smart Cards
Enhancement Will Complete VeriSign Unified Authentication Offering;
Providing an Integrated Suite of Smart Card and PKI Management Tools
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA., January 24, 2006 – VeriSign, Inc., (NASDAQ:
VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure services for
Internet and telecommunications networks, today announced it will enhance
its strong authentication service with the introduction of VeriSign®
Unified Authentication – Smart
Cards in the second quarter of 2006. VeriSign Unified
Authentication – Smart Cards will provide enterprises and government
agencies with an integrated, easy-to-use suite of management tools for
smart card and PKI
deployments, supporting a wide range of smart card types, workflows
and deployments options.
Recently, government and industry regulations have
directed agencies and enterprises to employ standardized smart card
identification mechanisms for their employees and external users.
Such directives include the Homeland Security Presidential Directive
(HSPD) 12, which mandates the issuance and use of common and reliable
credentials for all U.S. Federal Government employees and contractors.
In addition, large enterprises are starting to use unified physical
and logical access smart card credentials as a way to reduce the cost,
while increasing the security of their authentication infrastructures.
VeriSign Unified Authentication – Smart Cards will
provide a complete authentication solution by extending VeriSign’s strong
authentication platform with tightly integrated smart cards and PKI
components, allowing faster implementation and a lower cost of ownership.
This solution is also accredited to meet the U.S. Government Shared
Service Provider program requirements.
“The extension of the VeriSign Unified Authentication
platform to support Smart Cards represents the next logical step in
providing a complete, open-standards based authentication service for
government agencies and enterprises alike,” said Nico Popp, vice president,
Authentication Services, VeriSign Security Services. “VeriSign
Unified Authentication – Smart Cards will integrate best-of-breed smart
card and PKI management components under the same intuitive interface,
providing the most comprehensive, easy-to-use suite of management tools
that will enable any agency or enterprise to quickly provision, deploy
and manage smart card based strong authentication.”
VeriSign Unified Authentication provides a single,
integrated platform for provisioning and managing all types of two-factor
authentication credentials. It reduces the cost of deployment
by leveraging an enterprise's existing infrastructure and delivering
a flexible, future proof solution built on known, open standards.
For more information about VeriSign Unified Authentication
– Smart Cards, please go to: http://www.verisign.com/products-services/security-services/pki/card-management-system/index.html
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), operates intelligent infrastructure services
that enable and protect billions of interactions every day across the
world’s voice and data networks. Additional news and information about
the company is available at www.verisign.com
For more information, contact:
VeriSign Media Relations: Brendan P. Lewis, brlewis@verisign.com,
650-426-4470
VeriSign Investor Relations: Tom McCallum, tmccallum@verisign.com,
650-426-3744
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, the uncertainty
of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly
operating results due to such factors as the inability of VeriSign to
successfully develop and market new products and services and customer
acceptance of any new products or services, including VeriSign Unified
Authentication – Smart Cards; the possibility that VeriSign’s announced
new services may not result in additional customers, profits or revenues;
and increased competition and pricing pressures. 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, 2004 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.
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