Certicom, a leading provider of mobile e-business security, today announced that its Digital Rights Management (DRM) and content protection security technology and services are being utilized to secure data transmission in some of the industry's most innovative wireless applications. Certicom has provided services and technology to leading applications providers, including the design of conditional access solutions for Honeywell, Inc. to deliver its Flight Information Systems Broadcast (FIS-B) Program and for XM Satellite Radio to deliver the first U.S. digital satellite radio service.
"Innovative application developers have turned to Certicom for trusted security solutions that enable them to deliver subscription services that are content-protected in a manner transparent to their customers," said Simon Blake-Wilson, Certicom Director of Business Development and Cryptographer. "Certicom's leading security solutions are specifically tailored to the constraints of the wireless environment. The solutions developed with Honeywell and XM Satellite Radio illustrate the broad potential of wireless applications beyond wireless phones and computer devices."
Certicom's technology, including its Security Builder and SSL Plus software, provides a more efficient alternative to conventional public-key cryptographic algorithms in many mobile and wireless environments, allowing for faster processing speed, reduced bandwidth usage and decreased battery requirements. These advantages make Certicom's security technology particularly well suited to mobile devices that incorporate less powerful processors, such as handheld computing devices, Internet-enabled phones and two-way pagers.
"XM Satellite Radio is transforming radio with the support and participation of its leading music and news programming partners including MTV, CNBC, CNN Headline News, CNET, Fox News, ABC News & Talk, USA Today, Bloomberg, and BBC World Service," said XM Vice President Derek de Bastos. "Certicom's strong encryption technology is a crucial element of our service as it protects the integrity of our content and ensures that only authenticated members have access to it."
In addition to the solutions developed for XM Satellite Radio and Honeywell, Certicom has also developed solutions for DataPlay and Iomega and has licensed software to innovative application developers and service providers including: Digital Island, AvantGo, Slam Dunk Networks, DigitalOwl, Globetrotter and HotLocker.
Certicom developed a customized encryption, key generation, and security management solution to enable Honeywell to deliver real-time textual and graphical weather products over a secure broadcast flight information service. The Certicom solution ensures reception of paid channels only to legitimate subscribers and is resistant to hacking and cloning attacks, while delivering content in a manner that is transparent to legitimate subscribers.
Using Certicom's leading encryption technology, Honeywell's data link weather services network transmissions, traveling from ground stations across America, are authenticated and remain secure. Unlimited access to graphical weather products will be available for a subscription fee.
Securing XM Radio's Digital Radio Service: Certicom technology and services is an integral part of XM Satellite Radio's recently launched service, which offers up to 100 channels of digital-quality sound and provides coast-to-coast coverage of music, news, sports, talk, comedy and children's programming. Certicom's industry-leading encryption ensures that radio transmissions traveling from XM's two high-powered satellites to subscribers' radios are authenticated and remain secure. Additionally, Certicom is providing security components for XM-Ready radios and for XM Radio's broadcasting center in Washington, DC. XM Radio's state-of-the-art, all-digital broadcast center generates broadcast signals that are uplinked to two of the most powerful commercial satellites ever produced, Boeing B-702s, where signals are transmitted to subscribers.