Schlumberger and Baltimore Technologies Collaborate to Enable Secure Services for Mobile Commerce

New Solutions Will Enable Network Operators to Offer Secure M-Commerce Services Using Digital Signatures

Schlumberger Test & Transactions, a division of Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) and Baltimore Technologies (Nasdaq:BALT; London:BLM) today announced that they intend to develop and deliver solutions aimed at enabling wireless handset subscribers to digitally sign transactions using a mobile phone. The solutions will be based on Baltimore UniCERT(TM), the award winning Certificate Management System, Baltimore Telepathy(TM) and Simera e-motion(TM), Schlumberger's Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)(TM) 1.2 compliant Subscriber Identity Module/Wireless Identity Module (SIM/WIM) card.

The collaboration between Baltimore and Schlumberger involves a number of initiatives in order to develop end-to-end solutions aimed at enabling network operators to offer secure mobile commerce services to their subscribers. The cooperation will involve integration between the Schlumberger regional data processing hubs and Baltimore UniCERT(TM) to enable the bulk issuance of SIM/WIM smart cards containing digital certificates. Digital signatures (the electronic equivalent of a physical signature) will enable true end-to-end security between user and vendor in a trusted and secure environment. In addition, digital signatures will also automatically provide non-repudiation and proof of transaction details for m-commerce.

"The combination of Schlumberger's extensive experience in SIM cards and smart card-based Public Key Infrastructures (PKI) security solutions coupled with Baltimore's expertise in developing and deploying e-security public key infrastructures, should bring to mobile networks the level of trust required to trigger the anticipated explosive growth of mobile commerce," said Eric Tholome, product line manager for Mobile Communications at Schlumberger Test & Transactions.

Baltimore Telepathy(TM) is the leading wireless e-security solution offering a complete infrastructure to enable secure m-commerce. Simera e-motion(TM) is the first WAP 1.2 compliant WIM smart card available in the market. It combines the strengths of Schlumberger's award winning Java(TM)-based Simera(TM) SIM card with the WIM, a tamper-resistant security module defined by the WAP Forum to secure transactions carried out using WAP. The WIM stores the user's public and private key pairs and enables the user to digitally sign transactions from their phone.

"Mobile commerce is driving the next generation killer applications and the announcement of Baltimore and Schlumberger collaboration is a significant development. As a result, by the end of the year, it would be possible for operators, banks and merchants to roll-out PKI and SIM/WIM-based infrastructures enabling complete transactions in a full and trusted environment which will boost the next generation of m-commerce services," said John Fallon, director of Wireless at Baltimore Technologies. "The announcement will be broadly welcomed by content providers such as banks, retailers and brokerages, as well as mobile operators who are actively developing new services to meet the massive market demand for secure mobile commerce."


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