Entrust Technologies today (December 15) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Hongkong Post to provide mobile certification authority (CA) services to the people of Hong Kong. This MOU, signed through Entrust's regional distributor, Infomaster Holdings Ltd., enables Hongkong Post to provide enhanced security services to its customers via wireless devices.

"We are grateful for the continued assistance of the Investment Promotion Unit of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Canada since our first meeting in 1998, and its unfailing efforts to encourage our presence in Hong Kong, a trade, investment and business hub in Asia," said Mr John Ryan, president and CEO of Entrust Technologies.

The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Mrs Rosanna Ure, welcomed the deal, saying it was in line with Hong Kong's direction towards becoming a digital city in the 21st century.

"We are delighted Entrust Technologies, the global leader in solutions that brings trust to e-business, have taken part in this process," she said, adding that Hong Kong had one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world, currently at 71%.

Under the terms of the MOU, Hongkong Post agrees to provide a defined set of services offerings associated with being a mobile CA in Hong Kong. Hongkong Post plans to provide these services to banks, carriers and other businesses who need to issue WAP (wireless application protocol) server certificates and client-side certificates to mobile phones. Infomaster plans to provide system integration, customization, development and consultation services to organizations connecting to Hongkong Post CA.

According to Forrester Research, the value of e-business in Hong Kong is expected to increase from US$2 billion in 2000 to US$70 billion in 2004, representing a huge potential market ahead.

Mrs Ure said establishment of the Hongkong Post Certification Authority was a breakthrough in the use of public-key infrastructure technology in new online services provided by both the public and private sectors.

"We have just launched the Electronic Service Delivery (ESD) scheme, our flagship Government-to-Citizen (G2C) and Government-to-Business (G2B) online service," she added.

For the past two years, officers from the Investment Promotion Unit have been constantly updating the company on the latest IT development in Hong Kong and recommended that Entrust Technologies should consider Hong Kong as a place to expand its business in Asia.

For further information please contact Chief Information Officer Jean Chan [email protected].






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