First Data Launches New e-Business Authentication Solution
01 January, 2003
category: Contactless, Education, Financial
Payments Leader Forms First aSuretee LLC to Offer the Industry’s First Low Cost, No Hassle Method for Secure Electronic Authentication
CardTech/SecurTech ID, Washington DC, Nov. 18, 2002 – First Data Corp., a global leader in electronic commerce and payment services, today announced the formation of First aSuretee LLC to meet today’s complex electronic authentication requirements. First aSuretee was formed to provide the industry’s first, simple, secure and scaleable method for authentication that taps the power of digital signatures without the complexities, cost or limitations associated with other security solutions. aSureteeSM technologies enable companies to implement an Account-Based Digital Signature (ABDSSM) Solution, a breakthrough authentication system that provides a cost-effective replacement for the handwritten signature in the digital world.
"Concepts for aSuretee technologies were first conceived to solve the financial industry's challenging requirements for a secure electronic payment solution that was efficient and scalable," said Gene Kathol, vice president of research and development for First Data Corp. and managing director of First aSuretee LLC. "The result was First Data's development of the ABDS Solution which enables businesses to tap the power of e-signatures in a way that is affordable and easy to implement."
<br /> <br /> The ABDS Solution enables companies to use digital signatures as a means of
authenticating electronic users to their existing accounts. This offers the market a more
flexible and economical solution than traditional authentication methods such as password
schemes, secure tokens or certificate-based Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems. By
using aSuretee technologies to bind electronic users to transactions, businesses can
enable audit of transactions effectively and mitigate fraud.
Compared with other means of authentication, the ABDS Solution features higher degrees of
security and customer privacy, easier deployment and system management, has minimal
additional infrastructure costs, and flexibility to scale to an unlimited number of users.
“First Data is incorporating aSuretee technologies in a variety of customer service solutions
such as viewing your statement on-line, ordering gift cards, and administration of payroll and
commercial card services,” said Todd Nuzum, distributed technologies development
manager for First Data Resources. “This guarantees that each of these transactions has
been digitally signed by the actual cardholder.”
<br /> <br /> First aSuretee offers a complete suite of products and services that support the ABDS
authentication model. The aSureteeSM Chip, its premier security token, meets a wide range
of business and security requirements and is available for use in mobile phones, smart
cards, USB dongles, computer networks and other environments where digital signatures
can be used. PRiMRSM Integrity Services is the industry's only information assurance
database that maintains a risk profile and critical manufacturing details about each aSuretee
Chip throughout its lifespan.
As another offering to its customers, First aSuretee is providing Open Source contributions to
enable “quick-to-market” ABDS Solutions using aSuretee technologies. These can be found
at http://ecdsainterface.sourceforge.net/. First aSuretee’s Outsourced Solutions combine the
resources of First Data and best-in-class technology integrators to help companies build
ABDS Solutions into their business operations.
<br /> <br /> "We are very proud of our relationship with the First aSuretee team and First Data Corp. We
look at First aSuretee's offerings as cornerstone technologies for the portal, content
management, business intelligence solutions we deliver to our financial clients," said
Michael Versace, national director of Financial Services, Niteo Partners, an NEC Company."
First aSuretee is working with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) technology)
technology companies and solutions integrators to bring cutting-edge products and unique
ABDS Solutions to market. For more information about aSuretee products and the ABDS
Solution, please visit the First aSuretee website at www.asuretee.com.
About First aSuretee
First aSuretee LLC, a First Data Corp. company, offers products and services that provide
simple and flexible solutions for today’s complex electronic authentication requirements. First
aSuretee’s innovative technologies enable enterprises and government agencies to
implement an Account Based Digital Signature (ABDSSM) Solution, a revolutionary
authentication system that leverages existing business processes for authentication of users
in any network environment. Please visit www.asuretee.com for more information.
About First Data.
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), with global headquarters in Denver, helps power the global
economy. As a leader in electronic commerce and payment services, First Data serves
approximately 2.8 million merchant locations, 1,400 card issuers and millions of consumers,
making it easy, fast and secure for people and businesses to buy goods and services using
virtually any form of payment. With 28,000 employees worldwide, the company provides
credit, debit, smart card and stored-value card issuing and merchant transaction processing
services; Internet commerce solutions; Western Union® money transfers services; and
money orders; and check processing and verification services throughout the United States.
First Data also offers a variety of payment services in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada,
Japan, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, the Middle East and Germany. Its Western Union and
Orlandi Valuta money transfer agent networks include a total of approximately 135,000 Agent
locations in more than 190 countries and territories. For more information, please visit the
company’s Web site at www.firstdata.com.
Contacts
Lorraine Kauffman
for First aSuretee
510-324-3055
[email protected]
Staci Busby
First Data
303-967-7188
[email protected]