Mountain View, Calif., May 30, 2001 - VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq:
VRSN), the leading provider of Internet trust services, today announced
that its Global Registry Services division will support registration
of .bz
names to its customer base of over 80 domain name registrars. These
registrars account for over 75% of domain names registered on the Internet.
VeriSign was selected to provide these services by University Management
Limited, which manages the .bz domain.
"We are pleased that University Management
Limited has chosen VeriSign to provide registry services for the .bz
domain," said Herb Hribar, executive vice president and general
manager of VeriSign Global Registry Services. "We believe .bz is
primed for growth, and its availability through our unparalleled network
of distribution partners will help drive this growth.
The .bz domain is an unrestricted and largely untapped
domain name space on the Internet and therefore an ideal opportunity
for businesses and consumers that have been unable to register their
desired name in other domains. .bz is the country code TLD associated
with the nation of Belize. University Management Limited has been given
the rights to manage the domain. Under the terms of the agreement, VeriSign
will also provide registry database services and propagate the database
throughout the Internet from its global network of name servers.
"We selected VeriSign as our registry provider
because of their unmatched network of distribution partners through
which most of the world's Web addresses are registered plus their proven
technical abilities in managing domain name systems," said Juan
Carlos Namis, [General Manager ]of University Management Limited. "This
partnership positions the .bz domain for explosive growth."
VeriSign will make the .bz domain available through
its Shared Registration System (SRS), the system currently in place
in support of other TLDs, including .com. Use of the SRS will allow
multiple domain name registrars to simultaneously access the .bz registry.
About University Management Ltd
University Management LTD is a private commercial registry established
to manage, market and promote Belize's ccTLD ".bz". UML also
provide other Internet related services such as Web hosting, e-mail,
co-location servers and specialized IT training. Currently University
Management Ltd is a joint proprietorship between DataPro International
Limited and the University of Belize.
The company's mission is to develop and promote
Belize's Network Information Center (BZ-NIC).
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN - news) is the leading provider of trusted
infrastructure services to Web sites, enterprises, electronic commerce
service providers and individuals. The company's domain name, digital
certificate and payment services provide the critical Web identity,
authentication and transaction infrastructure that online businesses
require to conduct secure e-commerce and communications. VeriSign's
services are available through its Web sites (www.verisign.com) or through
its direct sales force and reseller partners around the world.
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,
risks that the Department of Commerce won't approve the new registry
agreements, 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. 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.
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