VeriSign Announces Interoperability Support for Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft Customers, Including University of Alabama at Birmingham, Benefit From Industry's First Extranet Gateway Service to VeriSign Global Trust Network
September 9, 1998 08:01 AM
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- VeriSign Inc. VRSN , the leading provider of public key infrastructure (PKI) and certificate authority (CA) solutions, today announced plans for enhanced integration between Microsoft's Exchange Server and VeriSign's digital certificate solutions. VeriSign Digital IDs and VeriSign OnSite can already be used in conjunction with the built-in S/MIME capabilities of the Outlook 98 client to enable the delivery of secure email in extranet applications. Qualified Microsoft Exchange Server customers using Certificate Server will now be able to issue and manage digital certificates within the VeriSign Global Trust Network(SM) (VGTN). This secure email extranet "gateway" service will provide interoperable and mutually trusted digital certificates to help ensure secure business to business and business to consumer communications and transactions on a global basis. The announcements made today build on the two companies' broad array of secure products and services currently available to enterprises worldwide and can be viewed at the Microsoft Exchange Conference in Boston in booth # 405
The University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) is the first customer to use VeriSign's new service. The University has a large and geographically disperse constituency of users and was looking for a digital certificate solution that would seamlessly integrate with its existing Microsoft Exchange Server solution while offering secure global interoperability with its external community. By implementing VeriSign's solution, the University can use its Microsoft Exchange Server with Certificate Server to issue and manage digital certificates within the VeriSign Global Trust Network, the world's leading network of interoperable digital certificates and certificate authorities (CA).
"The VeriSign Gateway solution was the perfect match for our extranet needs," said Bob Duffett, President of Birmingham-based Priority Software, Inc., providing onsite computer and network support for the CCC. "Leveraging our existing investments with Microsoft while accessing the VeriSign Global Trust Network delivers the peace of mind that our communications are secure and trusted -- no matter if they are internal or external in nature."
The extranet gateway solution will enable qualified Microsoft Exchange Server customers to use Certificate Server to issue and manage digital certificates within the VGTN. Since VeriSign's digital certificate technology is embedded in millions of copies of Web browsers, thousands of servers and major email programs in use today, certificates issued under the VGTN benefit from global interoperability across intranet, extranet and Internet applications. Joint VeriSign/Microsoft customers will also be able to choose to deploy a fully-operational PKI through VeriSign OnSite -- a state-of-the-art, turn-key digital certificate management solution backed by VeriSign's highly scalable processing services with their choice of Intranet or extranet digital certificates. Since OnSite is based on Open PKI, enterprises can gain broad interoperability, rapid time-to-market, significant cost savings, and scalability across intranet, extranet and Internet commerce applications -- benefits unattainable with proprietary, stand-alone PKI software.
"We are pleased to see companies like VeriSign taking advantage of and extending the secure messaging infrastructure provided with Exchange Server 5.5 and Outlook 98, including the native support for S/MIME and X.509 certificates," said Dave Malcolm, Microsoft Group Product Manager for Exchange Server. "VeriSign's services allow customers to integrate the public key infrastructures provided by Exchange and VeriSign, making it easier for companies that have implemented VeriSign OnSite or Microsoft Certificate Server with VeriSign's Gateway service to automatically be trusted by other organizations over the extranet."
"As Internet-based applications extend from intranets to broader extranets, communities of interest, and global customers, there is a clear need for scalable and secure PKI solutions," said Richard Yanowitch, vice president of marketing for VeriSign. "Teaming with Microsoft Exchange Server customers, VeriSign and Microsoft are building powerful Internet applications that provide for secure communications and promote confidence in conducting business online."
Digital certificates issued under the S/MIME protocol enable a secure email environment which permits end users to digitally sign and encrypt electronic mail and attachments, allowing for enhanced security through authentication of the sender and recipient as well as the privacy and integrity of the message contents. Enterprise customers implementing a VeriSign OnSite solution can now integrate with the complete range of Microsoft client and server email products (see "VeriSign promotes secure online communications with Microsoft Outlook 98," March 24, 1998).
VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. is the leading provider of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificate solutions used by enterprises, Web sites and consumers to conduct secure communications and transactions over the Internet and private networks. VeriSign's enterprise PKI solutions are available through VeriSign regional account representatives, resellers, and global affiliates. The company's Digital IDs and Secure Server IDs are available through the company's Web site at www.verisign.com. For more information visit VeriSign's Web site at www.verisign.com.
NOTE: VeriSign is a registered trademark exclusively licensed to VeriSign Inc. Digital ID and Digital ID Center are service marks of VeriSign Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
SOURCE VeriSign, Inc.
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