a real deal, almost
September 22, 1999
Diversinet, BellSouth Wireless Data To Pilot Security Solutions For Wide-Ranging Wireless E-Commerce Applications Across U.S.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA--
First Call Corp. (a Thomson Financial company) among first to pilot
wireless e-commerce application
Diversinet Corp. (NASDAQ: DVNT, Canadian Dealing Network: DVNT), the leading provider of security solutions for wireless e-commerce, today announced it is working with BellSouth Wireless Data to create end-to-end e-commerce security solutions for subscribers to the nationwide BellSouth Intelligent Wireless NetworkSM . Diversinet is providing its patented Passport security software to facilitate such wireless data applications as personal banking, stock trading, healthcare and shopping.
One of the first companies to pilot the enhanced security applications will be the Boston-based First Call Corp., a Thomson Financial company, that's a leader in providing financial information. First Call offers real-time broker-sourced research, earnings estimates, equity and fixed income ownership information, insider trading data and corporate news releases.
The First Call service will be piloted by financial analysts to receive confidential quote and rating information for companies they are tracking. Diversinet's client software will be incorporated into the RIM Inter@ctive(tm) Pager 950 from Research In Motion Limited. The Inter@ctive Pager 950, with a superb, full keyboard and large screen, is designed for superior interactive wireless data communications.
BellSouth Wireless Data and Diversinet are also evaluating opportunities in the healthcare field and are in active discussions with a national medical company to market wireless e-commerce solutions to the medical community. Among the solutions to be developed will be the ability of doctors to wirelessly transmit prescriptions to pharmacies, such as when they are at a conference or traveling to and from a hospital.
The pilot projects are scheduled to begin by the end of this year.
These projects are part of a comprehensive strategy by BellSouth Wireless Data to take the lead in offering wireless e-commerce applications - such as stock trading, banking, shopping and healthcare -- across the United States.
For these applications to be successful, subscribers must be assured their transactions are secure. One of the major reasons potential purchasers are hesitant to use the Web for transactions is the fear of insufficient security measures.
Diversinet's Passport software provides security solutions that are optimized for wireless devices and other bandwidth-constrained products, such as smart cards. Diversinet uses a multi-mode approach to security that includes encryption, digital signatures, digital certificates and digital permissions.
In brief, digital certificates include information about the identity of the sender (such as someone who wants to purchase a stock or transfer funds from one bank account to another) and the recipient (such as a brokerage house or bank) via an encrypted, alphanumeric code. The certificate also includes the name of the company guaranteeing the validity of the information. The company guaranteeing the information - which could be the bank, stock company or a third-party firm - is called a Certificate Authority.
Once the certificates are exchanged and verified - typically within seconds - the transaction, which is encrypted, proceeds.
"In essence, Diversinet makes wireless e-commerce happen," says Nagy Moustafa, President and CEO of Diversinet. "Without an enhanced level of security, none of the exciting wireless e-commerce applications will succeed because users won't trust the safety of their transactions," Moustafa says.
"Diversinet's software provides that trust through our patented technology to ensure that buyers and sellers are authenticated. The software also provides an 'audit trail' that's vital if the transaction is ever disputed," he says. |
