In Brief: Atari Pioneer Joins Security Firm's Board

Nolan Bushnell, the technology entrepreneur best known for founding Atari Corp. in 1971 and heading the company until 1978, has joined the board of Wave Systems Corp.

Peter Sprague, chairman of Wave Systems, which offers security and privacy technology for personal computers and digital commerce, said he met Mr. Bushnell more than 20 years ago on a television show where they "were trying to predict the electronic future. We have since worked separately and together to try to make some aspects of that future occur."

Mr. Bushnell, 56, is currently chairman and chief executive officer of uWink.com Inc., a developer of e-commerce and entertainment kiosks in public places.

"Of particular relevance to my background and focus," he said, "is Wave's ability to support microtransactions that enable the reality of the 'pay-for-a-play' arcade to come to the Internet. On a broader scale, Wave supports the sale of wonderful content that previously had no viable economic model, thereby allowing entrepreneurship to flourish on a broad and international scale."

In June, Wave announced an agreement to buy N-Able Technologies of Danvers, Mass., another data security and authentication specialist, for $41 million of stock.

Wave said its technology for computer modems and television tuners would complement N-Able's systems for keyboards and smart card readers.

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