AIAG Makes Deal with VeriSign for E-Commerce
31 March 1998
Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG) Selects VeriSign, Inc. to Secure E-Commerce for the Automotive Industry
VeriSign and the Automotive Network eXchange(R) (ANX(R)) Accelerate IPSec For
Virtual Private Networking
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., March 31 -- The Automotive Industry
Action Group (AIAG), a not-for-profit automotive trade association, today
selected VeriSign, Inc. as a digital certificate service
provider for secure enterprise communications for the Automotive Network
eXchange (ANX) service. ANX, a network service initiative developed at AIAG,
provides business-quality-of-service for performance, reliability, security,
administration and management for virtual private networking solutions for the
automotive industry. Leveraging the Secure Internet Protocol (IPSec) standard
for virtual private networks (VPNs), automotive trading partners will be able
to communicate securely and privately via the ANX network using VeriSign's
interoperable digital certificate services. This announcement highlights
VeriSign's ongoing expansion of strategic industry partnerships by providing
large-scale enterprise certificate solutions to the automotive industry, one
of the largest groups of industrial companies in the world.
By moving toward VPNs based on IPSec rather than the existing and costly
system of private leased line networks, ANX is pioneering a new communications
paradigm for the automotive industry, enabling trading partners to communicate
utilizing different hardware and software vendor solutions. VeriSign will
provide ANX users with digital certificates that act as electronic credentials
for secure communications and transactions, providing access control to
various areas of the ANX network. The ANX service will promote and recommend
interoperable VeriSign digital certificate services to its members from the
automobile, manufacturing, and trading partner communities. The combination of
ANX and VeriSign IPSec digital certificates is designed to meet the automobile
industry's stringent security requirements for extending corporate intranets
outward to trading partners -- creating more flexible communications at a
significantly lower cost.
"The exchange of information between suppliers and the automotive industry
is critical to making sure that business continues to run smoothly. Due to the
competitive nature of the industry, security is a crucial component to the ANX
network," said Karl E. Schohl, Automotive Network eXchange Business Manager at
the AIAG. "VeriSign has made a commitment to work toward standards-based
interoperability and cross-certification with other certificate vendors in
order to provide the ANX with an open platform for future growth."
IPSec is a vital technology standard for organizations looking to
implement and utilize VPNs for electronic commerce and communications. As the
Internet is increasingly leveraged for business use, security and
authentication are mission-critical components for a robust infrastructure.
Public Key Infrastructure systems (PKIs) and digital certificates act as
vehicles to secure these information assets at the network level and provide
them with a high level of security. With their alliance and commitment to
IPSec and VPNs, VeriSign and ANX are enabling automobile manufacturers and
suppliers to exploit the power of the Internet for business and forge the way
to make VPNs viable for commerce and communication.
"ANX is one of the most visible and strongly supported of the new wave of
business-to-business virtual private networks running over the Internet," said
Richard Yanowitch, VP of Marketing at VeriSign. "VeriSign is excited to
partner with AIAG's ANX to help them take advantage of the efficiencies that
the Internet offers and provide our digital certificates for IPSec to enable
trading partner authentication and secure messaging."
Automotive Network eXchange(R) (ANX(R))
ANX is a TCP/IP network comprised of trading partner subscribers,
certified service providers and network exchange points allowing for efficient
and secure electronic communications among subscribers, each requiring only a
single access circuit. AIAG predicts that the ANX will save the auto industry
millions of dollars annually by improving trading partner communications,
simplifying data network connections and providing a foundation for future
network and applications growth. More information about AIAG and the ANX can
be found at http://www.aiag.org/anx.
Automotive Industry Action Group (AIAG)
Founded in 1982, AIAG is a not-for-profit trade association of
1,300+ North American automotive and truck manufacturers and their suppliers.
Originally recognized for its efforts to standardize electronic data
interchange (EDI) and bar code standards to assist Tier One suppliers, AIAG's
mission has expanded to cover all levels of the OEM supply chain, as well as
to include numerous programs and initiatives aimed at improving its members'
productivity and quality. More information about AIAG and the ANX can be found
at http://www.aiag.org.
VeriSign, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc. is the leading provider of digital certificate solutions
for intranets, extranets and Internet commerce. VeriSign E-Commerce Solutions
are available through VeriSign regional account representatives or through
VeriSign resellers. For more information visit VeriSign's web-site at
http://www.verisign.com.
NOTE: VeriSign is a registered trademark exclusively licensed to
VeriSign, Inc. Digital ID and Digital ID Center are service marks of VeriSign,
Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
ANX(R) and Automotive Network eXchange(R) are registered in the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office as service marks by the Automotive Industry Action
Group (AIAG), Southfield, Michigan.
SOURCE Verisign Inc.