VeriSign Secures WiMax

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure services for the Internet and telecommunications networks, announced today that it has been selected by the WiMAX Forum™, the exclusive global organization dedicated to certifying the interoperability of wireless broadband access products based on global standards, to provide PKI-related services to all WiMAX Forum Certified™ solutions based on IEEE 802.16-2004 and ETSI HiperMAN 1.2.1. This partnership promotes industry-wide equipment compatibility and interoperability within the WiMAX Forum community by creating a single, trusted device authentication standard across broadband wireless networks.

“VeriSign has proven experience creating interoperable trust models, and demonstrated a deep understanding of the WiMAX requirements, giving us the confidence that they are the best choice to secure the millions of WiMAX devices that will be deployed,” said Ron Resnick, president and chair, WiMAX Forum. “VeriSign met the WiMAX requirements for a PKI Trust Model and can provide scalable, robust PKI trust services to our more than 350 member corporations worldwide.”

Widely considered a disruptive technology, WiMAX Forum Certified equipment will enable the next generation of wireless applications, delivering wireless high-bandwidth voice, data and video services to businesses and residences. Under the agreement, VeriSign will operate the WiMAX root CA used to create a single, trusted device authentication standard for WiMAX networks. The VeriSign® Custom Device Certificate Service (CDCS) allows embedding X.509-standard digital certificates into all WiMAX Forum Certified hardware devices based on IEEE 802.16-2004 and ETSI HiperMAN 1.2.1 standards. Using strong certificate-based authentication allows service providers to ensure network access, digital content and software services can be secured from unauthorized access.

“VeriSign’s mission is to create and operate transformational infrastructures that become indispensable to society,” said Nico Popp, vice president, Authentication Services for VeriSign. “WiMAX promises a whole new level of data access flexibility that will be much less location specific for customers. This type of robust mobile, portable or fixed broadband access will be unprecedented, encouraging innovation and improved services.”

VeriSign Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN)