CABLE & WIRELESS OPTUS AND AUTHENTIC8.COM DEVELOP ONLINE SECURITY SERVICE

Cable & Wireless Optus and Authentic8.com today announced an alliance to develop OPI Trust - a new smart card-based online authentication service for Optus' government and business customers.

OPI Trust will be a fully managed public key infrastructure (PKI) based authentication service. It will provide Optus customers with an easy and affordable way to authenticate the identity of the people they are dealing with online, via the internet or using Optus' Private IP network.

David Stokes-McKeon, Director E-Solutions, Cable & Wireless Optus said the service will offer unprecedented levels of secure access and authentication for customers' networks.

"Cable & Wireless Optus has an ongoing commitment to providing the best e-Network to Australian businesses of all sizes. Our alliance with Authentic8.com allows us to further strengthen our offering.

"We will continue to invest in alliances like this to ensure our customers have access to the most advanced services."

In an effort to provide reliable e-business security that is quick and cost-effective, Authentic8.com launched a unique outsourced e-business authentication service which combines smart cards and PKI.

Authentic8.com will supply authentication software as well as other components of the service, such as digital certificates and smart cards from third party partners including Baltimore, eSign and Placard.

Authentic8.com will also manage the provisioning aspects of OPI Trust on behalf of Cable & Wireless Optus, from implementation to the personalisation and supply of smart cards and provision of technical services.

Stephen Thompson, CEO of Authentic8.com said internet anonymity is one of the final barriers preventing the full exploitation of digital networks doing business.

"Implementing PKI in-house has traditionally been a lengthy and costly process. Now OPI Trust will deliver compelling benefits for companies seeking the security of PKI-based remote access.

"The service can be up and running in a fraction of the time taken to implement PKI in-house and without significant up-front investment," said Mr Thompson.

Cable & Wireless Optus expects to offer OPI Trust as part of its portfolio of Optus Private IP (OPI) services from April 2001.

The alliance forges an even closer relationship between the two companies. Cable & Wireless Optus hosts the infrastructure for Authentic8.com's outsourced IAS solution in its carrier class data centre in Rosebery, NSW.

For more information:
Christina Cestaro
eSPARK
Phone: 02 9380 9909

Melissa Favero
Cable & Wireless Optus
Phone: 02 9342 5030

Note to editor:
Optus Private IP (OPI) is a business-grade Internet Protocol network that gives customers the ability to take their business online at a rate they control.

Ideal for both large and small companies, OPI provides customers with virtual and dedicated connectivity solutions through several IP value-added services. These include: dial in from remote areas to a company's LAN; a firewall to allow secure access to the public Internet; hosting facilities and connection solutions for remote offices.

Flexible and modular in nature, customers can customise their OPI network solution by selecting the services they want, when they want, depending on their financial and business requirements. OPI addresses network issues such as security and commercial risk, and how to move from an existing closed network to one featuring open architecture and web-enabled properties.