TRANS UNION SELECTS VERISIGN AFFILIATE SERVICES TO ESTABLISH CERTIFICATE AUTHORITY FOR RELYING PARTNER NETWORK
Trans Union Enables Network of Internet Businesses and Consumers to Engage in Secure Online Transactions
RSA DATA SECURITY CONFERENCE '99, SAN JOSE, CALIF., JANUARY 18, 1999—VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the world's leading provider of Internet-based trust services, and Trans Union LLC, the nation's leading consumer credit information company, today announced that Trans Union has selected VeriSign's Affiliate Services to establish itself as a Certificate Authority (CA) to enable secure Internet transactions between consumers and its Relying Partner Network. Trans Union's Relying Partner Network is a value-chain network that brings consumers and Web sites together in such applications as home banking, online auction houses, online brokerages, document delivery, online communities, Internet e-mail services, web retailers and lending services. As a Certificate Authority, Trans Union will distribute digital certificates to consumers who are referred to the company from the Relying Partner Network, establishing a broad trusted infrastructure for secure e-commerce and communications.
Trans Union maintains one of the largest consumer-oriented databases in the world and is a primary source of credit information for companies that have risk management or portfolio evaluation needs. The combination of Trans Union's vast repository of consumer credit information and VeriSign's expertise in online trust services delivers to the Relying Partner Network a trusted and authenticated population of users to whom they can confidently market their products and services. With the Relying Partner Network, businesses will increase Web site security, establish broad digital certificate interoperability and reduce online fraud.
"We looked at all of the top providers to help us create a leading digital certificate solution for our partners and consumers and only VeriSign had the broad digital certificate expertise that we were looking for," said James Randall, Director, Trans Union Internet Business Group. "With VeriSign's Affiliate Services, we're able to offer Internet businesses the ability to verify consumers' identities using our credit information and authentication infrastructure and enable secure and private Internet transactions."
Trans Union is deploying its Relying Partner Program during the first quarter of 1999. Through the use of digital certificates, Trans Union will enable consumers to manage online investments, conduct home banking and engage in secure communications with the confidence that their transactions are private and have not been tampered with in any way, a critical security component when using the Internet for the transfer of private information. "Trans Union is the clear leader in offering superior, high-value credit information and its decision to secure its business with VeriSign's Affiliate Services is a testament to the value it places on secure, private online transactions and communications," said Richard Yanowitch, vice president of marketing at VeriSign. "By leveraging the security of digital certificates, Trans Union is able to offer its Relying Partners and consumers the confidence that business and transactions conducted over the Internet will be private and secure."
VeriSign Affiliate Services
VeriSign's Affiliate Services have been designed to serve the needs of major service providers with extremely high volume digital certificate issuance requirements. These include electronic commerce service providers who establish themselves as large-scale regional or multi-national Certificate Authorities (CAs); Internet Service Providers or Web hosting companies which deliver connectivity and other value added services to a range of business and consumer customers; and transaction processors, financial services companies, professional services firms, and other entities that operate Internet-based communities of interest (such as Web portals). These Affiliates typically offer digital certificate services to their customers either under their own brand, the VeriSign brand, or within a co-branded certificate hierarchy. In many cases, the certificate services are integrated with other value-added services offered by the provider. Examples include an ISP which offers Web site digital certificates in conjunction with its Web site hosting services or a large e-commerce site which offers certificates to each member of its customer base to support secure user authentication and electronic messaging.
Trans Union LLC
Trans Union is the nation's leading consumer credit information company, with owned and independent credit bureaus in all 50 states. The company provides a broad range of industries with products and services that include credit reports, risk scoring models, target marketing systems, pre-employment evaluation reports, skip tracing and search tools, customized lists, transaction services; products that service both equity and first mortgage lenders; as well as other information-based products. Trans Union also offers similar products through its international operations in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Italy, Mexico and South Africa. Offices have also recently opened in Chile, Kenya and Peru.
VeriSign, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRSN) is the leading provider of Internet-based trust services and digital certificate solutions needed by Web sites, enterprises, electronic commerce service providers and individuals to conduct trusted and secure electronic commerce and communications over IP networks. VeriSign's digital certificate services for Web sites and consumers are available through the company's Web site at www.verisign.com. The company's digital certificate services for enterprises and electronic commerce service providers are available through regional account representatives, resellers, and global affiliates.
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CONTACT:
Amy Royer
Blanc & Otus
Tel: (650) 404-0900, or
Email:aroyer@bando.com
CONTACT:
Christine Hill
Trans Union
Tel: (312) 466-7839, or
Email:chill@tuc.com
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