Baltimore announces W/SECURE for Wireless Transport Layer Security

The WAP Forum, London - 15 September, 1999 - Baltimore Technologies (London:BLM), a global leader in eSecurity systems, today announced W/SECURE, a new product which provides security for the wireless communications market. W/SECURE provides confidentiality, authentication and integrity of wireless Internet data, building a framework for identity and trust in services offered on a new generation of devices such as mobile phones and personal digital systems.

W/SECURE is an implementation of the Wireless Transaction Layer Security (WTLS), the security layer for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). This new powerful software development kit allows application developers to build Wireless e-Security into their systems, permitting secure encrypted sessions between online networked applications. W/SECURE also integrates with Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems to offer enhanced authentication and non-repudiation functionality provided by digital certificates.

"WAP is possibly the most important of unifying wireless communications protocols. In this light, the combination of WAP with the potential for mobile e-commerce points to a real need for PKI-enabled security solutions. In its WTLS implementation, W/SECURE, Baltimore Technologies gains an early foothold in what will surely become a strategic battleground in the e-commerce security war," commented Andrew Tanner-Smith, Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan Technology Group.

The first customer for W/SECURE is APION, a leading wireless Internet infrastructure provider that recognised the importance of security for its wireless services. W/SECURE is being used by APION to build full strength security into its range of WAP server solutions including its Binnian WAP Gateway product.

"Apion selected Baltimore as our strategic security partner following an extensive worldwide evaluation," commented Denis Murphy, Managing Director, Apion Ltd. "Baltimore's W/SECURE SDK combines simple high level API with the reliability and trust that Baltimore is synonymous with, allowing us to rapidly enhance our world leading WAP gateway product"

The growth in the wireless market is being driven by the massive growth in the popularity of mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDA) and handheld PCs (HPC). According to the Strategies Group, there will be more than 530 million wireless subscribers by the year 2001. This wireless world represents a huge new market for anyone involved in e-commerce. Using

W/SECURE in conjunction with WAP solutions presents a prime opportunity for e-business and e-commerce companies to benefit from security now offered with WAP solutions. For example, web banking, payments and online trading can now be transacted securely from your mobile phone.

W/SECURE is targeted at developers of WAP products and services who wish to deploy wireless applications that require a high level of security. Its implementation of WTLS allows developers to build full strength security into their WAP v1.1 client and server applications. WTLS is the mandated security layer within any WAP v1.1 compliant product. The high level API provided in W/SECURE abstracts the developer away from the complexities of cryptography and allows them to concentrate on the core functionality of the applications they are building. W/SECURE supports a wide range of cryptographic algorithms, including RSA, DSA, DES, Triple DES and Diffie-Hellman. Full details on W/SECURE are available on Baltimore Technologies' website at http://www.baltimore.com.

"Services and applications for wireless devices are increasing rapidly as organisations realise the enormous efficiency benefits to be gained from remote communication. Essentially, you no longer have to use a PC connected to the Internet to benefit from e-commerce," commented Fran Rooney, Chief Executive Officer at Baltimore Technologies. "However, in order to deliver these services in a secure, scalable and manageable way, new architectures are currently being designed. Baltimore's announcement of W/SECURE confirms, yet again, our commitment to providing frameworks for identity and trust that enable our customers to conduct secure e-commerce using the Internet. Mobile phones are the exciting new generation of Internet access devices."

The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is an industry-wide specification for developing applications that operate over wireless communication networks. It is an open, global standard that empowers mobile users with wireless devices to easily access and interact with information and services instantly. The WAP specification is developed and supported by the wireless telecommunication community so that the entire industry and, most importantly, its subscribers can benefit from a single, open specification. The WAP Forum, of which Baltimore is a member, is the global industry association that has developed the de-facto world standard for wireless information and telephony services on digital mobile phones and other wireless terminals.

About APiON
APiON is a world-leading provider of infrastructure into the wireless Internet marketplace and was responsible for delivering the world's first commercial WAP service. APiON's products and services allow customers, using any wireless technology, to access a wide range of Internet and advanced telephony services. APiON's underlying technologies converge IP, intelligent networking and wireless data, and position carriers for the explosion of data-based value added services expected in third generation wireless systems. APiON is headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Visit us at http://www.apion-tss.com or at Telecom '99 in Geneva for further information.

About Baltimore Technologies
Baltimore Technologies develops and markets security products and services for a wide range of e-commerce and enterprise applications. Its products include Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems, cryptographic toolkits, security applications and hardware cryptographic devices.

Baltimore UniCERT is a modular, scalable, multipurpose Certificate Authority (CA) which issues and manages digital certificates for a wide range of applications including email, browsers and virtual private networks. Baltimore PKI-Plus is a developer toolkit to PKI-enable legacy and new applications by providing support for a wide range of cryptographic, directory, smartcard and CA systems. Baltimore's PKI products are available directly and via global Trusted World partners. All products are supported by professional services comprising of system integration and consulting.

Baltimore Technologies was formed by the merger in January 1999 of Zergo Holdings plc and Baltimore Technologies Ltd. It has customers in over forty countries worldwide including some of the world's leading financial, e-commerce, telecommunications companies and government agencies.

Baltimore Technologies plc is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange (BLM). Intel Corporation is a minority shareholder in the Company. Baltimore operates from 21 cities world-wide with main offices in London, Dublin, Boston and Sydney.

Baltimore Technologies made e-commerce history in 1998 when President Clinton and Ireland's Prime Minister Ahern digitally signed an inter-governmental communiqu� using security technology provided by Baltimore.

For further information and press releases on Baltimore Technologies, please visit http://www.baltimore.com