WISeKey QuoVadis continues the upgrade of its SuisseID Digital Identity Programme

ZUG, GENEVA, Switzerland – January 4, 2018 – WISeKey International Holding Ltd (WISeKey) (SIX:WIHN), a leading Swiss cybersecurity and IoT solutions company, today announced that its QuoVadis Trust Service Provider continues the further development and upgrade of its already successful and widely-used SuisseID digital identity programme.

Evolving Market for Swiss Digital Identity

Recently, digital identity has been a hot topic in the news in Switzerland as part of the country’s plans for digital transformation.  The market has announced a new program called SwissID, a private Initiative to enable a more widespread adoption of authentication capabilities. In addition, plans are afoot for a new eID law to be debated in the Federal Parliament in 2018.  Individual cantons are also discussing launching their own digital identity programs, such as Zug’s plan to create a blockchain-based identity for its citizens.

SuisseID (French spelling), launched in 2010 remains the only state-recognized digital identity in Switzerland whereas SwissID (English spelling) is a private initiative to promote widespread authentication for eCommerce applications.

QuoVadis Trustlink Schweiz AG has long established itself as a pioneer in the digital identity sector in Switzerland as a Qualified Trust Service Provider and issuer of the SuisseID since 2010.

At the heart of this Swiss strategy is the OISTE-WISeKey Cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) which has been created in Switzerland, stored inside a Swiss Mountain bunker and actively used since 1999.   OISTE-WISeKey Cryptographic RoT is currently installed in over 2.6 billion desktops, browsers, mobile devices, SSL certificates and Internet of Things’ (IoT) devices. The OISTE WISeKey Cryptographic RoT is ubiquitous and universal, and a pioneer in the identification of objects.

SuisseID – innovative eID pioneer

QuoVadis’ SuisseID was a forerunner to the recent elevated interest in eID under the EU eIDAS regulations covering eID, authentication, and signing. 

SuisseID was Switzerland’s first standardized electronic proof of identity, enabling both legally valid electronic signatures (equivalent to hand signing by law) and secure web login.  Today, SuisseID remains Switzerland’s only state-approved eID, and has been adopted in an array of applications ranging from opening bank accounts online to seeking government services.

SuisseID rapidly evolved to enable secure login and legally valid electronic signatures from a cloud service without the use of a smart card or USB token, a mode now being followed by many other qualified eID programs in Europe.

Continuing WISeKey QuoVadis innovation with PrimoSign and Blockchain

The Qualified Electronic Signature is at the heart of the value provided by SuisseID, providing legal equivalence to a traditional handwritten signature and allowing even important consents and transactions to be conducted entirely online.

Leveraging its SuisseID expertise, WISeKey QuoVadis has continued to innovate with its new PrimoSign platform which enables enterprises and service providers to efficiently integrate qualified eID and signatures into their applications, with the underlying cryptographic operations served by WISeKey QuoVadis. Through digital onboarding, with partners for video identification and other identity verification tools, WISeKey QuoVadis can even sign up users “on the fly” to enable companies and customers to quickly move from first contact to sealing contracts and transactions.

For example, WISeKey QuoVadis recently enabled a qualified electronic signature solution for modum.io AG, which offers an alternative supply-chain solution for the medicinal sector using blockchain and IoT technology.  modum.io uses WISeKey QuoVadis’ qualified electronic signature to help facilitate onboarding interested parties in a recent Initial Token Offering (ITO), allowing the token acquisition process to be completed entirely online and in compliance with the Swiss law. This success story was enabled together with the digital onboarding partner Intrum Justitia AG (Switzerland) and IDnow.

Going Forward

WISeKey QuoVadis has the accreditations, customer base, and confidence to continue the further upgrade of SuisseID.

It is notable that the new eID law to be debated in the Federal Parliament in 2018 does not affect Qualified Electronic Signatures created using SuisseID or PrimoSign.  ZertES, the Federal law for electronic signatures and Trust Service Providers remains the relevant law.

Alongside its commitment to SuisseID and PrimoSign, WISeKey QuoVadis intends to expand its recognition as an Identity Provider (“IDP”) under the eventual new eID law, which is expected may come to fruition in 2020.

#  #  #

About WISekey QuoVadis

WISeKey QuoVadis is a leading global Certification Authority (CA) providing cloud-based Trust/Link Managed PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) services, including TLS/SSL digital certificates for web security as well as eID for authentication, encryption, and digital signature.

WISeKey QuoVadis also provides electronic-signature platforms including mass signature and trusted time-stamping solutions for e-invoicing, as well as cloud-based signing platforms for individuals. QuoVadis electronic-signatures are used on more than 60 million electronic transactions annually.

WISeKey QuoVadis is an established Qualified Trust Services Provider (TSP) for eID and electronic transactions in Switzerland under ZertES and with updated eIDAS accreditations for the European Union. The company also has significant experience in public eID including the Dutch PKIoverheid and the Swiss SuisseID programmes.

QuoVadis customers include a spectrum of multinational companies, financial services entities, university systems and public sector organizations worldwide.

About WISeKey:

WISeKey (SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global cybersecurity company currently deploying via a Virtual Platform large scale digital identity ecosystems. WISeKey’s Swiss based cryptographic Root of Trust (“RoT”) and IoT Microchips provide secure authentication and identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more information, visit www.wisekey.com.

To receive WISeKey’s latest news, subscribe to our Newsletter or visit the WISeKey Investors Corner.

Press and investor contacts:

Disclaimer:
This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to the future performance of WISeKey.