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[LOGO CANADA NEWSWIRE]
Give your message. We'll give you the world.
News release via Canada NewsWire, Toronto 416-863-9350
[CERTICOM LOGO]
Attention Business/Technology Editors:
Communities.com Licenses Certicom's ECC Technology to Secure
Innovative Virtual Communities Website
Trusted Encryption Technology Utilized to Provide
Proof of Users' Identity
HAYWARD, CA, May 16 /CNW/ - Certicom (Nasdaq: CERT and TSE: CIC), a
leading provider of m-commerce security, and Communities.com, developer of the
first real-time, interactive rich media network, today announced that
Communities.com is using Certicom security technology to authenticate the
identity and member privileges of users of Communities.com virtual services.
Communities.com is utilizing Certicom's high-powered elliptic curve cryptography
(ECC) to help protect its users from potential online identity theft while
ensuring high-speed access to a large variety of interactive Internet services.
"Communities.com is enabling a new generation of entertainment
online through its graphical interactive Palace software. A critical aspect of
online interaction and safe communities is insuring the identity of each member
who logs on to a community," said Douglas Crockford, CTO of Communities.com. "We
chose Certicom's technology because it met our need for strong security combined
with the high performance necessary to support the quickly escalating volume of
Communities.com users."
Communities.com is building the first real-time, interactive rich
media network by packaging content, audience, advertising and e-commerce.
Visitors to Communities.com can access immersive destinations with like-minded
people on existing Palace Sites or co-branded partners' sites. Certicom was
Communities.com's partner of choice to provide the security technology needed to
authenticate the identity of each of its users in real-time.
"Identity theft is one of the key security concerns for today's
Internet user," said Rick Dalmazzi, Certicom president & CEO. "Certicom's
powerful encryption technology is being utilized by companies like
Communities.com to maintain the viability of the Internet as a critical medium
for delivering entertainment, commerce, services as well as mission-critical
content for businesses."
About Communities.com
Communities.com is building the first real-time, interactive rich
media network by packaging content, audience, advertising and e-commerce. The
company partners with content providers to create an enhanced sense of place
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and permanence that uniquely enriches the community experience.
Communities.com furnishes content partners with its easy-to-use, easy-to-
implement tools, including The Palace rich media interactive communications
software and OnLive! multi-voice communications technology, to create and grow
the Internet's most-compelling communities. Communities.com's content partners
include Redherring.com, MXG Media, Garbage, ZDTV, Artisan Entertainment's The
Blair Witch Project, Comedy Central, the SciFi Channel, Flirt.com and TCI.net.
Recent Palace-powered celebrity sessions include live interactive events
centered around The Sundance Film Festival, Nsync's album release with
Sweet16.com, and Jim Breyer's Q&A with Redherring.com. The Palace Web site was
recognized by PC Magazine as one of the Top 100 Web Sites in 1999.
Located in Cupertino, Calif., Communities.com is privately held with
investments from individuals and companies that include Michael Crichton, Helix
Investments, Creative Labs, Softbank Investment Partners and agincourt partners
LLC.
About Certicom
Certicom is an encryption technology company specializing in
security solutions for mobile computing and wireless data markets, including m-
commerce. Major computing and communications companies, such as Palm Inc.,
BellSouth Wireless Data, Motorola, Pitney Bowes, and QUALCOMM incorporate
Certicom's technology into electronic commerce software, wireless messaging
applications, and smart cards. Certicom is a leading source for a complete range
of OEM security products and services, including cryptographic toolkits, custom
implementations, and security integration services and consulting. Certicom's
worldwide sales and marketing operations are based in Hayward, California, with
cryptographic research and product development in Toronto, Canada. For more
information, visit Certicom's Web site at http://www.certicom.com.
Except for historical information contained herein, this press
release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Factors that might cause a
difference include, but are not limited to, those relating to the acceptance of
mobile and wireless devices and the continued growth of e-commerce and
m-commerce (mobile e-commerce), the increase of the demand for mutual
authentication in m- commerce transactions, the acceptance of Elliptic Curve
Cryptography (ECC) technology as an industry standard, the market acceptance of
our principle
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products and sales of our customer's products, the impact of competitive
products and technologies, the possibility of our products infringing patents
and other intellectual property of third parties, and costs of product
development. Certicom will not update these forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information
about potential factors that could affect Certicom's financial results is
included in the documents Certicom files from time to time with the Securities
and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities including
Certicom's Registration Statement on Form F-10.
05/16/2000
For further information: for Certicom - Lorraine Kauffman, Public
Relations, Certicom Corp., (510) 780-5417, lkauffman(at)certicom.com; for
Communities.com - Kellie Krug, Communities.com, (408) 342-9500,
Kellie(at)communities.com; Jessica Johannes, Lutchansky Communications for
Certicom, (408) 938-9050 x 15, jessica(at)lcomm.com
(CIC. CERT)
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