Dimension Data and VeriSign Announce Alliance
To Extend Advanced Managed Security Services Features To European Enterprises
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND and MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA. – April 13, 2005
Dimension Data, the global specialist in providing IT solutions and
services, and VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent
infrastructure services for the Internet and telecommunications networks,
today announced an alliance that will provide end-to-end Managed Security
Services (MSS) for UK and Continental European enterprise customers.
Underscoring the commitment of both companies to provide best-of-breed,
world-class security services to customers, Dimension Data will now
incorporate VeriSign cross-platform monitoring, management and event-correlation
capabilities into Dimension Data architecture, security-consultancy
and deployment offerings.
Through the alliance, customers of Dimension Data
Managed Security Services will have their existing services extended
to leverage world-class VeriSign infrastructure that continually monitors
and correlates data across firewalls, Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS),
Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS), Virtual Private Networks (VPN), and
endpoint systems. By integrating these analyses with continuous vulnerability
assessments and Dimension Data’s understanding of the client’s network
and business, customers will have a comprehensive view of their network
health and overall security
A major benefit of a managed security service is the
provider’s ability to offer their clients effective early-warning systems.
Customers will benefit from the unique insights and advanced warning
that VeriSign receives through its handling of 14 billion Domain Name
System (DNS) queries each day for the .com and .net top-level domains,
its routing of global email queries, its comprehensive virus-tracking
and fraud-tracking activities via VeriSign Payment Services, and through
its resolution of over 250 million security events per day.
“The combination of Dimension Data and VeriSign offerings
will allow customers to take proactive action to defend their networks,
enforce corporate standards and improve levels of compliance to an ever-increasing
number of regulatory and legal standards,’’ said Mark Danton, security
solutions director in Europe for Dimension Data. “Furthermore, MSS customers
will continue to have a single point-of-contact with Dimension Data
for their Service Level Agreements (SLA), security design, architecture,
consultancy, deployment, monitoring and resolution, while benefiting from
the VeriSign intelligent monitoring and correlation technologies.”
“Our agreement with Dimension Data to provide advanced
MSS solutions for European enterprises is another example of the VeriSign
commitment to the EMEA market,” said Souheil Badran, vice president,
EMEA, VeriSign Security Services. “The recent opening of our Swiss Security
Operations Center, and our relationship with Dimension Data, will allow
even more enterprises to use the proactive intelligence provided by
VeriSign to protect their networks from malicious security threats.”
According to Khalda Parveen, Gartner UK, “Managed Security
Services is one of the fastest growing areas within network IT Services
in Western Europe, with an estimated compound annual growth rate of
20.5 percent from 2001 to 2007. Being able to view security issues in
the context of the entire networking infrastructure can be advantageous
for organizations. In addition, organizations are increasingly demanding
access to a lifecycle set of services, extensive delivery capabilities
and a single point-of-contact.”
For more information about comprehensive security
offerings from Dimension Data, visit: http://www.didata.com/Solutions/Security/SecuritySolutionsOverview.htm.
For more information on VeriSign Managed Security
Services, visit: http://www.verisign.com/products-services/security-services/managed-security-services/index.html.
About Dimension Data
Dimension Data plc (LSE:DDT) is a specialist IT services and
solution provider that helps clients plan, build and support their IT
infrastructures. Dimension Data applies its expertise in networking,
security, operating environments, storage and contact center technologies
and its unique skills in consulting, integration and managed services
to create customized client solutions. Additional information about
Dimension Data can be found at www.didata.com.
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN) operates intelligent infrastructure
services that enable businesses and individuals to find, connect, secure,
and transact across today’s complex, global networks. Additional news
and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.
For more information, contact:
VeriSign Media Relations: Brendan P. Lewis, brlewis@verisign.com,
650-426-4470
VeriSign Investor Relations: Tom McCallum, tmccallum@verisign.com,
650-426-3744
Dimension Data Press Relations: Michelle Atkins, michelle.atkins@za.didata.com,
+27-11-575-3958
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, the uncertainty
of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly
operating results due to such factors as the risk that VeriSign's announced
strategic relationships, including the relationship described herein,
may not result in additional products, services, customers, profits
or revenues; and increased competition and pricing pressures. 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, including in the company's Annual Report on
Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2004 and quarterly reports
on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the
forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.
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