Tech Bytes: Two More Digital ID Deals for Verisign

Verisign Inc. said it has signed agreements to deliver its Digital ID technology through a consumer electronics company and an Internet security vendor.

Verisign said it would supply private-branded digital certificates to Thomson Consumer Electronics for its RCA Network Computer, a television attachment.

The digital authentication company also entered what could grow into a multifaceted alliance with Querisoft Inc., maker of the SecureFile privacy enhancement system for Microsoft Windows platforms.

For Thomson, maker of RCA, General Electric Co., and ProScan televisions, Verisign certificates will assure network computer users that they are dealing with the proper TV service provider, in this case NetChannel. The communications would then be secure for credit card payments, software downloads, and other sensitive transactions.

Richard Yanowitch, Verisign's vice president of marketing, said the adoption of digital certificates by a consumer products company "helps accelerate the adoption of electronic commerce and communications in the home."

The first step in the deal with Atlanta-based Querisoft is to integrate Digital IDs in the SecureFile system. Upon installation, SecureFile customers automatically have the option of using Verisign certificates.

"This is an example of two companies working off industry standards ... to significantly increase the value passed on to their customers," Mr. Yanowitch said.

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