News Archive 2005

21.09.2005
Partnership agreement to drive mobile strong authentication and digital signatures through wireless PKI-based solutions
Giesecke & Devrient, Valimo Wireless and secunet bundle activities to offer operators a complete solution

Munich/Essen/Helsinki, September, 21st 2005 - International technology group Giesecke & Devrient (G&D), secunet Security Networks AG, and Valimo Wireless have signed a partnership agreement in which each party contributes its own technology and services in order to offer mobile operators a complete strong authentication and digital signing solution based on wireless PKI technology. The companies are working together in a number of cases, including the delivery of core components of Elisa Mobile´s digital signature solution for e-Government services in Finland. In the Elisa case, Valimo delivered its Mobile Signature Service Platform (MSSP) and G&D the SIM cards equipped with security certificates necessary for user identification.

The market for mobile identity management and strong authentication solutions is in a fast growth phase, led by the Nordic countries where initiatives by governments and financial institutions are creating new service opportunities for the mobile operators. In addition to e-Government initiatives, bank-driven activities like Sweden's wireless PKI.net show that the financial sector is moving toward user-friendly mobile phone-based banking transaction validation. Due to the high penetration rates of mobile phones and the immobility of traditional online authentication solutions, the companies believe that the network operator is the only party capable of offering any person at any time the chance to sign documents and confirm transactions.

"We believe that our combined solution will enable operators to utilize their relationship with end users to reduce the churn of their subscriber base and generate new revenue streams", says Juha Mitrunen, Senior Vice President at Valimo. "While most operators engage in challenging competition with their peers in traditional service areas related to voice and data, identity management is a growing concern of their subscriber base and one where operators offering MSSP solutions based on our leading technology can clearly differentiate their offerings."

"Finland has proven that wireless PKI is no longer in a pilot phase, but that it has become reality. Together with Valimo, we have demonstrated that our components interoperate seamlessly and produce a very robust solution for demanding customers", comments Dr. Klaus Vedder, Head of the Telecommunication Division of Giesecke & Devrient. "Given the strong and global demand from other operators, we are bundling our components and adding the know-how and expertise of G&D's IT security service company secunet in order to offer operators an out-of-the-box wireless PKI solution."

"The partnership with Valimo and G&D combines state-of-the-art products with the comprehensive consulting and integration expertise of secunet", explains Thomas Koelzer, member of the management board of secunet Security Networks AG. "Our long standing experience in the field of wireless PKI enables our customers to adopt the new technology quickly and securely".

The companies are currently working together in a number of customer cases, and expect to announce new full-scale deployment by the end of the year.

About Giesecke & Devrient:
Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a technology leader in the field of smart cards, providing smart card based solutions in the areas of telecommunications, electronic payment, health care, identification, transportation, and IT security (PKI). G&D is also a leading producer of banknotes and security documents, and is dominant in the field of currency automation. The G&D Group, based in Munich, Germany, operates subsidiaries and joint ventures all over the world. During the 2004 business year, the group employed some 7,300 people and generated revenue of €1.16 billion. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.gi-de.com.

Contact:
Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
Ulrike Zeitler, Press Officer
Prinzregentenstraße 159, 81607 Munich, Germany
Phone: +49-89-4119-1189, Telefax: -2020
E-mail: ulrike.zeitler@gi-de.com

About Valimo
Helsinki-based Valimo Wireless delivers identity management and strong authentication software solutions, in both mobile and fixed-line environments, to its operator and corporate customers. Valimo's solutions are used by more than 20 European and Middle Eastern customers to date, assuring non-repudiation, high data security and high availability over most network infrastructures and end-user devices. Valimo is growing at a 50 %+ annual rate, has a AAA rating from Dun an Bradstreet, and offices in Helsinki, Germany and Spain with more locations coming soon. For more information, please see our website at www.valimo.com.

Contact:
Valimo Wireless
Paciuksenkatu 21
02700 Helsinki
Phone +358-9-4365-0080, Telefax: -0083
E-mail:

About Secunet
secunet Security Networks AG is one of the leading European service and product providers in the field of highly complex IT-security solutions. More than 200 highly qualified employees with many years of experience are available to our customers in seven branch offices in Germany and locations in Switzerland and the Czech Republic. We offer our customers the complete service range running the gamut from consulting, development, integration, and training to support services from one source. secunet covers the classic competence segments security consulting, security management and network security as well as key technologies of the future, such as digital identity, smartcard-based applications, embedded systems and SINA® (Secure Inter-Network Architecture). For further information please see www.secunet.com.

Contact:
secunet Security Networks AG
Dr. Kay Rathke, Head of Investor Relations & Public Relations
Kronprinzenstrasse 30, 45128 Essen, Germany
Phone: +49-201-5454-127, Telefax -456
E-mail: kay.rathke@secunet.com