WISeKey, Microsoft and the OISTE Foundation cooperates to reduce the gap in the new Digital Identification Divide by issuing 20 million Digital Identities at WSIS

Tunis, 16th November 2005. As part of its support to the World Summit on Information Society, WISeKey in cooperation with Microsoft and the OISTE Foundation will be providing a Digital Identification Infrastructure designed to support a network of 20,000 Certification Authorities. Each of these Certification Authorities operating from 189 countries will be authorized to issue a minimum of 1,000 Digital Identities each supported by the WISekey-OISTE Trust Model creating a de-facto global digital identity community of 20 million users.

WISeKey will be selecting organisations participating at WSIS as potential participants in this program and will provide with one CertifyID Blackbox for issuance of eIDs to their top clients and members participating at WSIS.

Carlos Moreira, President of WISeKey, commented: "The purpose of the Digital Identity is to restore the ease and security human transactions once had when business was conducted only face-to-face. In today's world, a networked world, we are often conducting sensitive business and personal transactions over vast distances without ever meeting or even speaking. Digital Identities are required worldwide so we ensure global participation and we exclude the exclusion".

Jan Muehlfeit, Vice-President Public Sector Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Microsoft Corporation commented: "Information security and the extension of workflow to include citizens and companies are key components of e-government. We look to partners such as WISeKey to ensure that solutions based on Microsoft technologies are delivering value for the unique needs of the Public Sector."

Mr. Nitin Desai, Special Adviser of the United Nations Secretary-General to WSIS commented "The Digital Identification project foreseen by the OISTE Foundation using WISekey technologies will assist governments participating at WSIS to understand that Digital Identification is not just about technology and electronic service delivery; it is about using security, legislation, information and communications technology to improve the delivery, quality and accessibility of public services built around the needs of the citizen and customer. It will mean doing things in radically new and different ways and will accelerate the process to bridge the digital divide gap."

Mr. Carlo Lamprecht, State Counsellor, Minister of Economy, Labour and Foreign Affairs, State of Geneva, Switzerland, commented " The work carried out by WISekey and partners in the area of Digital Identification will have profound implications in the way the Internet will work in the future. Geneva as the birthplace of the World Wide Web and headquarters of WISekey is the ideal place to continue these discussions at the Geneva World Security Forum, an event designed to continue the work of WSIS in this area". This Forum planned for 2006 aim to be the world wide focal point for all security related issues and solutions.

WISekey is pleased to invite organizations participating at WSIS to visit the WISekey Digital Identification Center Stand 2202 Swiss Pavilion ICT4all Platform - WSIS 2005, Tunis and get a free Digital Identification. View full Article at: http://www.wisekey.com/wsis/digitalid.htm

Contact:

Daniel Ybarra

E-Mail: daniel@wisekey.ch

Tél. +41/22/929'57'57