DVNTF's potential....
THC,
Please allow me to give you a high level overview.
HP, IBM, Sun, MSFT, Netscape and everyother big boy on the corner are working together to develop OTP (Open Trading Protocol). Go to: ibm.com for more information. SET (a global internet standard) will be combined with OTP. SET uses encryption which in turn uses Digital certificates/ID's/PKI technology for internet authentication and security. (ecommerce security)
Side point:
VRSN is a spin-off of RSA (www.rsa.com) security. RSA is one of many companies that provide encryption algorithms which SET needs. The major players at RSA left and started their own business (VRSN). Now VRSN provides a crucial element.... Digital certificates. However, VRSN owns the Digital certificates/ID's/PKI process. So companies are at VRSN's mercy. In other words, VRSN offers a centralized solution, meaning: their the center, they own it, companies hane to go to them.
Moving on:
Cryptography utilizes digital certificates. So, the puzzle looks like this:
Ecommerce (Internet Business) needs OTP, OTP will use SET, SET will use encryption, encryption will use digital certificates/ID's/PKI technology.
Now the issue is, there are no rules/standards for Internet Business. So OTP is being developed by all the major players to standardize things. When the "Internet Steering Committee" approves it and makes it a standard (soon). Digital ID's/certificates/PKI technology will be used very heavily. PKI technology is going to play a very important role in providing a complete ecommerce security solution.
DVNTF's technology:
In a nutshell; DVNTF's technology will give companies the ability to own the digital certificates/ID's/PKI process themselves. This is a decentralized solution. With this technology companies can provide a complete ecommerce security solution themselves without relying on a Digital certificate "Autority" such as VRSN. The companies themselves become the "Autority". This is what the big boys are interested in.
I work with the COCC group (Computer Organization Channel Communications) located in Santa Clara CA. My group utilizes digital certificates/ID's for HP resellers/Channel Partners (VAR's, DAR's, etc...). We use this technology so we can determine who is authorized to resell our products or view product info. Obviously we don't want competitors to access this info. PKI technology helps this cause. We use the following sites for some of our resellers:
partner.americas.hp.com
hppartnership.external.hp.com
Companies (like HP) want to produce their OWN certificates/ID's for their OWN customers/resellers. It's much more efficient, cost effective and controlled. PKI technology will be used for much more than customers and resellers. As you know HP bought Verifone. Please read the following links to understand the impact DVNTF's could have:
hpcc920.external.hp.com
www2.echo.lu
infoworld.com
hp.com:80/pressrel/feb98/27feb98.htm
hpconnect.com
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