As part of this launch, VeriSign also unveiled business relationships with leading third-party authentication providers including Aristotle, ChoicePoint, Equifax and Trans Union (see related releases dated October 17, 2000), adding to the company's existing relationship with eccelerate.com, a Dun & Bradstreet Company.

``In order for e-commerce to become both spontaneous and frictionless, businesses and consumers must feel confident that the parties they are dealing with online are truly who they say they are,'' said Stratton Sclavos, president and CEO of VeriSign. ``Through powerful partnerships and a range of verification models, our new Authentication Service Bureau significantly reduces the time and expense spent by businesses to authenticate their customers and trading partners, setting the stage for the rapid deployment of new online applications.''

Through a ``one-stop'' source, VeriSign's Authentication Service Bureau offers businesses, B2B exchanges and other service providers the ability to verify the identity of customers and trading partners via a range of authentication options, including automated checks against public and proprietary data sources, manual verification of enrollment information, physical business-site inspections and personal presence validation. The Authentication Service Bureau provides linkages to key authentication services providers, enabling online authentication of trading partners or consumers against a broad array of data sources. Authentication models can be combined with an enterprise's current authentication procedures for customized deployments and an application programmer's interface (API) enables enterprises and B2B exchanges to integrate their own databases with the VeriSign Authentication Service Bureau, allowing VeriSign to issue digital credentials to previously verified end-users on an organization's behalf.

After the authentication procedure is complete, VeriSign issues a digital certificate to an end-user, which binds his or her identity and other attribute information -- such as organizational affiliation -- into an unforgeable tamper-proof software file. This certificate serves as an electronic ID card, which can then be used for ongoing identification online and is also used to append a legally valid ``digital signature'' to an electronic transaction or communication. Once issued to properly authenticated users, certificates can be used for a myriad of applications. B2B exchanges and Internet marketplaces can bring together buyers and suppliers. Health care providers can issue certificates to consumers for secure and confidential access to their own health care records. Banks can use certificates to enable online banking transactions and governments can enable Internet voting.

For each enterprise or exchange subscribing to VeriSign's Authentication Bureau services, VeriSign establishes a separate digital certificate hierarchy, known as a Certificate Authority (CA), and then operates the registration and authentication for that CA on the customer's behalf. Enterprises have access to a web-based interface to view reports and manage the system with day-to-day authentication operations operated by VeriSign's trusted personnel and a range of industry-leading authentication service providers.

Customers are also able to take advantage of VeriSign's strict, universally accepted practices and certificate policy statement, annual security audits, 24 X 7 digital certificate architecture, and comprehensive errors & omissions insurance and liability-sharing agreements. The Authentication Service Bureau is part of VeriSign's end-to-end trust services platform which combines authentication services, payment services, and validation services, such as digital notarization and digital receipts, into a single utility delivered over the Internet.

Pricing and Availability

Authentication Services from the new VeriSign Authentication Service Bureau are available immediately. Pricing is audience -- and application- specific and based on transactions and business volume.

About VeriSign

VeriSign, Inc. is the leading provider of trusted infrastructure services to web sites, enterprises, electronic commerce service providers and individuals. The company's domain name, digital certificate and payment services provide the critical web identity, authentication and transaction infrastructure that online businesses require to conduct secure e-commerce and communications. VeriSign's services are available through its web sites (www.verisign.com and www.netsol.com) or through its direct sales force and reseller partners around the world.

NOTE: VeriSign is a registered trademark of VeriSign, Inc.

All other trade names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, potential volatility in VeriSign's stock price, uncertainty of Internet privatization, increased competition in the domain name registration business including price competition, customer acceptance of new products and services offered by the company in addition to or as enhancements of its registration services, risks associated with the company's international business, uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and fluctuations in its quarterly operating results. 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, especially in the company's Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on April 12, 2000, as amended, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2000.

SOURCE: VeriSign, Inc.