Datamatics, WISeKey to launch PKI-enabled portal

Rashida Bakait

MUMBAI: World Internet Secure Key (WISeKey SA), the world’s only

geo-politically recognized scaleable Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Global

Common ROOT service, and Datamatics have forged an alliance to develop third

generation PKI utilities and software based on WISeKey’s Common ROOT.

Promoted by World Trade Center and ITU, WISeKey will pave the way for mass

usage of digital certifications and PKI-enabled applications for secure

e-business transactions across various types of industries. WISeKey is a

provider of Root Certification services to certification authorities for

worldwide global trade. The portal will be WISeKey’s attempt to spearhead an

electronic super corridor to facilitate global trade through secure

e-transactions.

Datamatics, the only Asian company, is a key member of an international

consortium of over 175 organizations, which includes companies like HP, MCI,

Oracle, KPMG, Baltimore, Rainbow, and Valicert, to promote the deployment of PKI

in 188 countries. Datamatics is developing the core security engine of the world’s

first, fully PKI-enabled portal — TrustEportal.

The portal is the result of such a cooperation. The portal package offers the

first ever public key infrastructure (PKI) solution that will bridge the gap

between traditional, insecure portal technology and PKI enabled portal security.

The project would take off in the next two months. Datamatics will invest an

estimated Rs 5 crore in the project. Revealing the details of the project,

managing director, Rohit Kanodia said that this PKI enabled portal will ensure a

secure global e-commerce portal for WISeKey.

He, however, conceded that there were certain issues that need to be

addressed, such as varying cyber laws, infrastructure facilities and the ratio

of Internet users in different countries. Commenting on the Indian scenario,

Kanodia said the cyber laws might pose some problems, as they were still in

various stages of implementation. Datamatics was also in talks with few other

Indian entities on the project.

Kanodia said the alliance would facilitate global electronic transactions,

empower individuals and enterprises and ensure secure e-commerce solutions. Some

of the vertical markets that would benefit include banking and finance,

healthcare, insurance and transport. This would also have an impact on the

process of e-governance and e-voting in various countries where this is being

implemented.

The revenue expected from the potential market is around $10 million. Though

the product costs around Rs 20-30 lakh, the final cost will depend on the

requirements of the customer/client, said Kanodia. The alliance would also

enable developers in securing Web-centric applications.

The TrustEportal combined with WISeCert certificate authority (CA) and

WISeKey’s comprehensive line of security tool kits would lower the cost of

client authentication and for securing electronic signatures.