Live Earth Adds VeriSign as
Wireless Messaging Partner
VeriSign’s Global Digital Infrastructure Will Enable Mobile Phone
Users to “Answer the Call” Through Short Message Service (SMS) on July
7, 2007
Mountain View, CA – July 2, 2007 – As two billion people gather
worldwide on July 7th to witness 24 hours of Live Earth concerts, a
global audience will be empowered to “Answer the Call” to help solve
the climate crisis. As the wireless messaging platform partner of Live
Earth, VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) – the leading provider of digital
infrastructure for the networked world – will enable participants to
use their mobile phones and personally show their commitment to making
a change for the environment.
Concert goers and home viewers alike will be able
to text a key word pertaining to one of six areas of their lives in
which they want to make a change (home, job, shop, ride, share, and
lead) to 82004. In return they will receive a message back confirming
their commitment, and giving them a solution to apply to their daily
lives, such as replacing traditional light bulbs with more energy efficient
compact fluorescents, or leaving the car at home and biking to work.
A second message will invite people to publicly join in the movement
by responding with their first name, last initial and city which will
then be posted on screens at the various concert venues through a VeriSign-enabled
text2screen feature. TV broadcasts and online event streams on MSN.com
will also incorporate text pledges, and the names of people who participate
will be listed on liveearth.org after the concerts end.
“Live Earth is committed to providing our global audience
with ways to ‘Answer the Call’ and individually make a difference to
help solve the climate crisis,” said Kevin Wall, founder and producer
of Live Earth. “With VeriSign’s help, we’re able to communicate this
message on a mass scale in a way that engages people and inspires them
to act.”
Live Earth’s SMS communications launched last week
and will continue long after the event. Participants can sign up for
ongoing mobile communications and solutions from Live Earth by sending
a keyword (SOS) to the short-code or by entering their mobile information
on a Web form.
“VeriSign is proud to bring our expertise and mobile
messaging technology to Live Earth’s global effort to improve the environment,”
said Todd Johnson, senior vice president of global marketing, VeriSign.
“We provide the digital infrastructure that enables more efficient communication,
access to content and sharing of information, making a positive impact
on our environment.”
The Live Earth SMS campaign is designed to communicate
solutions to the climate crisis that people can easily incorporate into
their daily lives while giving attendees and viewers around the world
a chance to be a part of this historical event.
The Live Earth SMS campaign is running in 4 global
markets – the U.S., UK, Germany and Australia – and will be incorporated
in venue and in broadcast in every market.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) operates digital 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.
About Live Earth
Live Earth is a monumental music event that will bring together more
than 2 billion people on July 7, 2007 to combat the climate crisis.
Live Earth will stage concerts in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo, Shanghai,
Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, and Hamburg and will feature a mix of
both legendary music acts like The Police, Genesis, Bon Jovi and Madonna
with the latest headliners like Kanye West, Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed
Peas and Jack Johnson.
Live Earth’s 24 hours of music across 7 continents
will deliver a worldwide call to action and the solutions necessary
to answer that call. Live Earth marks the beginning of a multi-year
campaign to drive individuals, corporations and governments to take
action to solve the climate crisis. Live Earth is partnering with
the Alliance for Climate Protection, The Climate Group, Stop Climate
Chaos and other international organizations in this ongoing effort.
Live Earth was founded by Kevin Wall, a worldwide executive producer
of the Live 8 concert series in 2005, and is supported by former U.S.
Vice President Al Gore.
smart is the world's only automaker serving as an
Official Partner. Unlike any other vehicle, the new smart for two combines
a modern, individual lifestyle with environmental protection by setting
the standard in urban mobility and offering the lowest CO2 emission
of any vehicle on the market. smart responds to environmental demands
with innovative, technologically sound solutions and as a result produces
positive and credible answers to the question of ecological driving.
Philips, as the world’s leading lighting supplier,
joins Live Earth as an Official Partner. Philips was the first
to introduce the energy saving light bulb in 1980 and has put environmental
product improvement at the heart of its business with its EcoDesign
program since 1994, increasing its green product range year by year.
Live Earth is partnering with companies on a local
level who share the commitment to helping people live a more energy
efficient lifestyle. PepsiCo, an Official Partner of Live Earth, is
committed to making a difference with eco-friendlier packaging, energy
and water conservation and waste reduction. It’s all part of PepsiCo’s
commitment to Performance with Purpose -- to do better by doing better.
Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal auto insurance company, joins
Live Earth as an Official Sponsor and is the latest extension of Esurance's
efforts to conserve energy and preserve the planet's precious resources.
For more than seven years, Esurance policyholders have helped save thousands
of trees by buying their auto insurance online and using electronic
documents. The Absolut Spirits Company, an official Live Earth
partner, is working to reduce its carbon dioxide impact by focusing
on sustainable agriculture, reducing impact on climate change and optimizing
use of natural resources as mandated by V&S Group, the parent company
of ABSOLUT Vodka and one of the leading international spirits companies.
Live Earth will reach a worldwide audience through
an unprecedented global media architecture covering all media platforms
– TV, radio, web and wireless channels. Contacts
VeriSign Media Relations: Allison Flerl, aflerl@verisign.com,
650-452-4867
VeriSign Investor Relations: Nancy Fazioli, nfazioli@verisign.com,
650-426-5146
Live Earth Media Relations: Jennifer Banovetz, Jennifer_banovetz@cohnwolfe.com,
310-498-5273
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 implement
price increases, and customer acceptance of any new products, services,
or price increases, including the price increases mentioned herein;
the possibility that VeriSign’s announced new products, services and
price increases may not result in additional customers, profits or revenues;
and increased competition. 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, 2005 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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