Japanese Partner J-Data
Begins Sales of WebNum™ Shortcuts to Allow Users to Browse Internet
Content Quickly and Easily
Mountain View, CA and Kyoto, Japan, December 11, 2001 - VeriSign,
Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the leading provider of digital trust services,
today announced an agreement with J-Data to enable mobile Internet users
in Japan to navigate the Internet by entering short, memorable numbers
into the keypad of mobile devices such as cellular phones and personal
digital assistants (PDAs).
J-Data Co. Ltd. will serve as a VeriSign International
Gateway Partner to promote VeriSign's WebNum™ services to Japan's 55
million mobile Internet users. VeriSign's WebNum services enable businesses
to register one- to seven-digit numbers linked to their domain names.
These "shortcuts" allow mobile users to reach Internet sites
with speed and efficiency. For example, a user who wants to check airfares
might type in "1-2-3" to reach an airline site rather than
entering an alphanumeric domain name on a handset's keypad - an exercise
that can often entail 50 or more keystrokes. Without WebNum, the user
simply might not bother.
"We can make it even easier for people to access
the Internet using mobile devices, and we believe VeriSign's WebNum
service will drive usage of the mobile Internet in new ways," said
Koji Sasaki, CEO of J-Data. "The mobile Internet market is already
strong in Japan and poised to grow with new users and applications beyond
the most popular one, which is messaging."
As part of the agreement, J-Data will immediately
begin selling the full range of WebNum services to Japanese content
providers. These services and features include: Local Logo Numbers (LLNs),
which are numeric names or vanity numbers that act as localized domain
names by resolving to Internet sites in Japan; Global Logo Numbers (GLNs),
which can connect mobile users to any Web site globally; and Every Telephone
Numbers (ETNs), which match individual phone numbers to the e-mail or
Web address of the owner's choice to leverage present investments users
have made in publicizing their telephone numbers to customers.
"More than 60 percent of Japan's population
is currently subscribing to mobile phone service, and our goal is to
improve the mobile Internet experience for these users," said Tim
Griswold, director of business development-WebNum Services, VeriSign.
"Japan is a prime focus for our WebNum services, and we are pleased
to offer in-country sales and support through our agreement with J-Data."
According to Forrester Research, more than half
of all consumers in Japan use mobile phones. The research firm asserts
that in Japan messaging is the top data application, ring tones and
picture downloads come next, followed by news, weather, and sports information.
Accessing specialty content and mobile commerce services is currently
more difficult. VeriSign is aiming to resolve this with its WebNum service.
If consumers can type in a short numeric code to reach their favorite
news source or delivery service, they'll likely do so, which in turn
means increased user airtime and revenue for carriers.
WebNum Services combine VeriSign's digital trust
services and Internet identity expertise, offering conveniences for
Internet users and branding opportunities for enterprises. WebNum services
also provide revenue opportunities for telecommunications carriers and
do not require any changes to existing telecommunications infrastructures.
As the demand for WebNum services grows, carriers can increase their
Average Revenue Per User, realize the potential for increased up-take
and usage of mobile data devices and decrease churn rates.
Interested content providers may visit www.webnum.com
to check the availability of potential WebNum Logo NumberTM shortcuts.
To inquire about registering a "shortcut" in Japan, companies
should contact Atsushi Ito, mobile solution manager of J-Data, at ito@j-data.co.jp,
(Tel. +81-75-325-3343).
About J-Data
J-Data, founded in 1996, offers Internet navigation solutions to the
Japanese market. J-Data published the "Home Page Guide," a
comprehensive directory of Japanese language Web sites beginning in
1996. These sites were accessible through short numeric codes entered
on J-Data's Web site or through bar code entry into Set Top Boxes provided
by J-Data. Services are available for home use, from hotel rooms and
via coin operated Set Top Boxes in other non-residential locations.
For more information, see www.j-data.co.jp.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq:VRSN) is the leading provider of digital trust
services that enable everyone, everywhere to engage in commerce and
communications with confidence. VeriSign's digital trust services create
a trusted environment through three core offerings - Web identity, authentication
and payment services - powered by a global infrastructure that manages
more than 5 billion network connections and transactions a day. VeriSign
offers these core services directly to end users and through resellers
and affiliate partners, such as VeriSign-Japan. Additional news and
information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.
Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information
constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section
27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve risks and uncertainties
that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially from
those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential
risks and uncertainties include, among others, VeriSign's limited operating
history under its current business structure, failure of the Illuminet
merger to close due to the failure to obtain regulatory or other approvals;
failure of the Illuminet stockholders to approve the merger; the risk
that the VeriSign and Illuminet businesses will not be integrated successfully
and unanticipated costs of such integration; uncertainty of future revenue
and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating
results; increased competition; risks associated with the company's
international business and risks related to potential security breaches.
More information about potential factors that could affect the company's
business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with
the Securities and Exchange Commission, especially in the company's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000, Registration
Statement on Form S-4 filed on October 10, 2001 and Quarterly Reports
on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, June 30 and September
30, 2001. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking
statements after the date of this press release.
VeriSign is a registered trademark of VeriSign,
Inc. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
VeriSign Contacts:
Media: Cheryl Regan, cregan@verisign.com,
+1-703/948-4472
Investor Relations: Katie Ochsner, kochsner@verisign.com,
+1-650/426-3512
J-Data Contacts:
Atsushi Ito, ito@j-data.co.jp,
+81-75-325-3343
Kiyoshi Takata, takata@j-data.co.jp,
+81-3-3512-3620
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