nCipher announces its Membership in the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Program
Woburn, MA – March 31 , 2003 – nCipher plc (LSE:NCH), a leading provider of cryptographic IT security solutions, today announced it is a new member in the Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Program. nCipher’s industry-leading nShield and nForce hardware security modules, have achieved Microsoft Gold Certification for use with Windows 2000. This certification shows that these nCipher products have passed the rigorous testing procedures designed to prove that products work seamlessly with Microsoft Windows 2000. nShield and nForce are also currently undergoing testing to become Gold Certified for Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Server 2003 (.Net).
Windows 2000 drives a huge number of network servers worldwide. Many of these servers support a wide-range of e-commerce and Web services which require sophisticated security technologies to protect against a host of internal and external threats. Cryptography is the cornerstone that secures these network server infrastructures – from PKI to SSL VPNs, Digital Rights Management and Web services – and the security of the whole infrastructure depends on the safe storage and management of the cryptographic keys. nCipher’s hardware security modules are validated to FIPS 140-2 – one of the most stringent standards in the IT security industry – and provide a tamper-resistant environment for protecting and managing the cryptographic keys used to secure Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 (.NET) technologies.
“How well an organisation safeguards information can be a competitive asset or a liability. Microsoft builds security into its products and the addition of hardware security from nCipher gives our customers the opportunity to take this security to the next level” said Allison Watson, vice president of the Partner Programs Group at Microsoft. “With commitment to the Microsoft Windows and .NET platforms, nCipher has clearly demonstrated that its hardware security products are robust and credible. Microsoft is pleased to have nCipher as a Gold Certified Partner.”
“nCipher’s hardware security modules protect and manage the cryptographic keys upon which the security of an enterprise depends” says Richard Moulds, vice president of marketing at nCipher “The benefits of the Gold Certified Partner status will provide our customers with enhanced security solutions that will help them maximize the investment they have made in Microsoft products.”
The Microsoft Gold Certified Partner Program provides a way for customers to identify companies that have proven their commitment and expertise in one or more specialized areas when delivering Microsoft technologies. Microsoft Certified Partners need to meet a higher set of criteria for each category, including enhanced certification and a portfolio of real-world customer references, and are thus identified as the most skilled partners in specific solution areas.
About nCipher
nCipher is redefining cryptographic security to protect points of risk across the enterprise – from network appliances to Web servers, to custom software applications and back-end databases. nCipher provides hardware and software solutions that enable organizations to implement best practice security by addressing the challenges of cryptographic key management and performance. Many of the world’s leading organizations – from Microsoft and Barclays Bank to PricewaterhouseCoopers and the U.S. Navy – rely on nCipher to deliver a sound e-security infrastructure. nCipher’s products are particularly well suited to organizations with high volumes of security-sensitive transactions, such as banking and financial institutions, government departments, e-retailers and online service providers.
nCipher is listed on the London Stock Exchange as a TechMARK 100 company (LSE:NCH) with offices in Cambridge, UK; Boston, New York, Paris, Hamburg, Singapore and Tokyo. For more information on nCipher, visit www.ncipher.com