PARIS, November 14, 2002: Baltimore Technologies (London BLM), a global leader in e-security, and Atos Origin today announced a strategic agreement with SFR, the second largest mobile operator in France, to provide the security technology behind a new national mobile commerce service. The service enables SFR's mobile subscribers to digitally sign transactions over their mobile phones, thus opening up a wide range of new, secure value-added services. The project is one of the first pilots in France that enables subscribers to digitally sign mobile transactions and simultaneously authorise secure credit card payments.
The project's security is architected around Baltimore's wireless security solution, Telepathy(tm), a wireless extension of Baltimore's UniCERT(tm) PKI product. The solution enables digital certificates and public key cryptography, extensively used to secure e-commerce on the 'wired Internet', to be integrated easily and cost effectively into existing mobile phone networks. UniCERT is used by some of the world's largest organisations as a mission-critical e-security system. Baltimore Telepathy is designed for rapid deployment by mobile operators to secure wireless data services. The solution is designed to support current GSM and next generation networks, thus future-proofing the SFR investment.
"We are particularly pleased with our partnership with Baltimore Technologies," added Christian Huguet, Managing Director of Services Activities for Atos Origin. "The Baltimore Telepathy(tm) solution combined with the support of the Baltimore team has been crucial to meeting the very short deadlines for deploying this pilot."
"Baltimore continues to be the leading Wireless PKI provider to mobile operators," said Patrick Jourdas, Senior Vice President EMEA with Baltimore Technologies plc. "We were first to market in 2001 with a commercial carrier-grade Wireless PKI when it became obvious that wireless data services would be a key driver of competitiveness in the mobile sector. We are delighted to be working on this project with SFR, who share our vision of secure mobile commerce."
To deliver this project, Baltimore was selected by SFR as part of a consortium of partners led by Atos Origin, who will integrate the pilot, provide the gateway and host the platform. The consortium also includes Gemplus, who will provide the SIM cards and OTA servers. The pilot programme was launched at Cartes 2002 in Paris and will run over 4 months. Initial mobile commerce applications will include remote payments, credit top-up, authentication to loyalty programmes and premium content.
About Atos Origin
Atos Origin is an international information technology service provider. Atos turns client vision into results through the application of consulting, systems integration and managed operations, including outsourcing and on-line services. In August 2002, Atos Origin acquired KPMG Consulting in the UK and The Netherlands, which now trade as Atos KPMG Consulting. The company generates annual revenues in excess of Euro 3.3 billion and employs 30,000 staff in 30 countries. The Group's client list includes major companies such as ABN-Amro, Akzo-Nobel, Alstom, BNP Paribas, British Petroleum, Euronext, Fiat, ICI, ING, KPN, Lucent, Philips, Renault, Royal Bank of Scotland, Saudi Aramco, Shell, UBS-Warburg, Unilever, Vivendi Universal, Vodafone and Wolters Kluwer. For more information, please visit the company's web site at http://www.atosorigin.com
About Baltimore Technologies
Baltimore Technologies' products, services and solutions address the fundamental security needs of e-business in distributed environments. Baltimore's e-security technology enables companies to verify the identity of electronic counterparties and securely manages which resources and information users can access through open networks. Many of the world's leading organisations in Finance and Government have deployed Baltimore's e-security technology to enable e-business over fixed and wireless networks. Baltimore offers worldwide support for its authorization management and public key-based authentication products.
Baltimore's products, services and solutions are sold directly as well as through its worldwide partner network, Baltimore TrustedWorld. Baltimore Technologies is a public company, trading on the London Stock Exchange (BLM). For more information on Baltimore Technologies, please visit http://www.baltimore.com
Media Contacts:
Irene Dehaene
Baltimore Technologies (EMEA)
Tel: +353 1 881 6407
Mobile: +353 87 292 3333
irene.dehaene@baltimore.com
Philippe Mesguich
Baltimore Technologies (France)
Tel: +33 1 72 74 63 06
Mobile: +33 609 96 80 96
pmesguich@baltimore.com
Anne de Beaumont
ATOS ORIGIN
Tel: +33 1 49 00 96 42
anne.debeaumont@atosorigin.com
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Certain statements that are not historical facts including certain statements made over the course of this document may be forward-looking in nature. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance and achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements implied by such forward-looking statements.