Utimaco Safeware and Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH form strategic cooperation

Oberursel, 18 June 2002 – Utimaco Safeware AG and Ernst & Young IT- Security GmbH have formed a strategic cooperation which offers major customers professional solutions and advisory in the field of information security. Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH, a subsidiary of the global audit and advisory company Ernst & Young, offers extensive advisory and services for information security. Utimaco Safeware’s range of IT-security solutions includes security products for PCs, Notebooks and Personal Digital Assistants as well as products and services for trustworthy business processes like Digital Signature, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and the integration of signature components in applications.

Within this new cooperation Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH installs Utimaco Safeware’s IT security solutions in their test and training center, the eSolution Center in Frankfurt/Main, where they are intensively tested at regular intervals. Thus, Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH is able to offer verification and advisory services which are specifically tailored to the IT-security solutions of Utimaco Safeware. “Ernst & Young disposes of a global network of more than 30 eSolution Centers for establishing and testing new solutions in a secure environment. This enables us to improve continuously the capabilities of our clients and the advisory competence of our teams”, says Marcus Rubenschuh, Member of the General Management of Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH.

“This cooperation is an important step within our business strategy to expand our indirect sales channel and to approach major customers. The synergistic potential enables Utimaco Safeware together with Ernst & Young to participate in public invitations and to acquire major projects. We are pleased to have gained such an experienced and famous advisory company as partner,” underlines Dr. Norbert Pohlmann, Member of the Management Board of Utimaco Safeware AG, the importance of the cooperation.

“More and more, our customers ask for concepts to protect their electronic business processes and assets. Therefore, we were looking for a competent and trustworthy partner”, says Rubenschuh. “With their product portfolio Utimaco Safeware covers a lot of particular German customer demands. I am sure that both companies will be able to realize important profits in the IT-security market with this cooperation”.

In addition to the participation in public invitations Utimaco Safeware and Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH are planning joint customer events for autumn 2002. These activities will initially take place within the German core market with further activities planned on an international level.

The e-government initiative “BundOnline 2005” of the German Federal Government demonstrates the profitability of the e-security market: In the course of this initiative the Federal Government is set to invest 1,65 billion Euro until 2005 in order to make its 355 online services available opening up the potential for online payment or data security through digital signature. Moreover, the IT market research company IDC forecasts a sales growth in the PKI market of 281 million Dollar in 1999 to 3 billion Dollar in 2004. Thereby, the services in this segment are supposed to grow faster than the sales with products. PKI services will increase from 93 million in 1999 to 1,8 billion Dollar in 2004, whereas sales from PKI software will increase from 188 million Dollar in 1999 to 1,2 billion Dollar in 2004 verdient, so the IDC experts.

Utimaco Safeware AG is one of the leading European manufacturers of professional IT security solutions. The security technology and solutions developed by Utimaco Safeware protect the electronic data of companies and government bodies against unauthorized access and guarantees that business processes and administrative procedures in the electronic world are binding and confidential.

Ernst & Young Germany is an independent member in the world-wide network of Ernst & Young International, which is represented as one of the three large Public Audit Firms of the world by 84.000 employees in over 130 countries worldwide. The clients of Ernst & Young International consists of enterprises of each industry, size and legal form. Ernst & Young IT- Security GmbH is a 100% subsidiary company of Ernst & Young Germany, which deals exclusively with the analysis, conception and maintenance of safe IT environments. The knowledge of more than 2,000 Security specialists of Ernst & Young International can be accessed at any time. Being a subsidiary company, Ernst & Young IT-Security GmbH is committed to the legal regulations of Public Audit Firms. This includes among other aspects, the obligation to secrecy and client protection.

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