VeriSign Selected by WEL Corporation to Deliver
Mobile Text Messaging to Enterprises Globally
Will facilitate three-way web-based data communications
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA. and FAIRFAX, VA., November 1, 2005—VeriSign,
Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure
services for the Internet and telecommunications networks, announced
today that WEL Corporation will use VeriSign’s premium Intelligent Messaging
Network in its web-based communications portal to connect to 500 carrier
networks worldwide and provide two-way messaging to enterprises using
mobile devices with short messaging service (SMS) capabilities.
“VeriSign is the world’s largest SMS service provider;
today we deliver 2 billion SMS messages every month for enterprises
and carriers. We are pleased to be helping WEL launch its SMS
service and portal in the Americas and Asia Pacific markets,” said Vernon
Irvin, executive vice president and general manager, VeriSign Communications
Services.
The WEL portal is accessible from any popular Web
browser and allows subscribers to send one-, two- or three-way SMS messages
to one or thousands of recipients. Message responses from recipients’
mobile phones are stored in the WEL portal in tabular format so senders
can view responses in real-time. Senders can also receive responses
via email. Responses can be returned from the portal to the recipients’
mobile phones in three-way SMS capability. As an alternative to having
responses returned to the portal, they can be returned to a mobile number
designated by the sender.
“We chose VeriSign because of service reliability
which is a must-have for global customers.” says Dave Hoffman, managing
director of WEL Corporation. “Fast and dependable service is especially
critical to enterprises and business users and we will soon be expanding
the service to Latin America and Europe.”
WEL’s services are used by corporations, small-to-mid-size
enterprises and government for fax, email, SMS and voice messaging needs.
The company’s three-way SMS technology can be used professionally: health
care industry members can use SMS to confirm appointments; supply chain
vendors can use it to notify customers of shipment delays; and disaster
response teams can use SMS to alert personnel and provide deployment
instructions.
VeriSign and WEL Corporation are taking a lead in
driving SMS growth. According to Forrester Research, more than 36 billion
short messages are expected to be sent in the U.S. alone this year and
increase to 81 billion by 2009.*
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About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), operates intelligent infrastructure
services that enable and protect billions of interactions every day
across the world’s voice and data networks. Additional news and information
about the company is available at www.verisign.com.
About WEL Corporation
WEL Corporation was founded in 2001 and is in the business of
providing managed message broadcast and business reply services utilizing
all communications methods including SMS, Voice (Text-to-Speech and
WAV File), E-mail and Fax. Additionally, WEL offers on-line Media Lists
(Radio, Television & Press) for sending out Media Alerts by way
of Fax and/or E-mail. WEL also offers any or all of these services fully
Re-Branded to Organizations wanting their own Enterprise Portal (for
their own use) or as Public Portal (to on-sell to their Customers).
WEL Corporation USA LLC is a privately owned company based in Fairfax,
Virginia. WEL has sales and support offices in Dallas, Texas. The WEL
Web Based communications portal supports SMS, Voice, Email and Fax. www.welcorp.com/usa.
For specific information about the WEL SMS capabilities: www.welsms.com
Trademarks
VeriSign and other trademarks, service marks and logos are registered
or unregistered marks of VeriSign, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the
United States and in foreign countries. Copyright © 2005 VeriSign, Inc.
All rights reserved.
For More Information
VeriSign Media Relations: Lori Sinsley, lsinsley@verisign.com,
650-426-4716
VeriSign Investor Relations: Tom McCallum, tmccallum@verisign.com,
650-426-3744
WEL Corporation: Denis O’Neil, denis.o@welcorp.com,
888-850-6216 ext. 202
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 increasing competition and
pricing pressure from competing services offered at prices below our
prices and market acceptance of our existing services, the inability
of VeriSign to successfully develop and market new services and the
uncertainty of whether new services as provided by VeriSign will achieve
market acceptance or result in any revenues. 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.
*Forrester Research, Sizing the U.S. Mobile
Messaging Market, July 2004
Worldwide Sites
