Satyam Infoway announces partnership with Verisign Inc. USA. to provide Digital Certificate and Public Key Infrastructure - PKI - services to India

Business Wire, May 30, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

CHENNAI, India--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2000

Satyam Infoway, (Nasdaq:SIFY) India's leading Internet and eCommerce solutions provider, today announced a partnership with VeriSign (Nasdaq:VRSN), the leading provider of Internet trust services, to provide managed digital certificate-based authentication services for India. Satyam Infoway would be the Principal Affiliate of VeriSign in India. With this agreement, Satyam Infoway becomes a member of VeriSign's Global Affiliate Network: a group of prominent international service providers which utilize common technology, operating practices and infrastructure to deliver interoperable trust services over the Internet. They form the VeriSign Trust Network (VTN) -- the world's largest network of globally-interoperable digital certificates.

Digital certificates and PKI can be used to secure a wide range of business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) applications over the Internet. Digital certificates are electronic credentials that identify parties online, enabling encrypted communications and legally binding, valid digital signatures for online transactions in eCommerce, financial service, supply-chain management, virtual private networks (VPN), as well as wireless and mobile commerce environments.

"With the passing of the landmark IT bill by the Indian parliament, India has joined a select group of countries worldwide that provide a framework for conducting business and transactions electronically," said R Ramaraj, Managing Director & CEO, Satyam Infoway. "Satyam Infoway, as VeriSign's Principal Affiliate, will enable businesses and individuals in India to obtain and implement digital certificates and PKI based solutions and integrate the same into their web servers, email systems, intranets and other applications. Working with VeriSign gives us the ability to offer the Indian market secure PKI solutions that will be globally compatible and interoperable."

"Satyam Infoway, the leading integrated Internet and eCommerce player in India, is a strong addition to our network of Global Affiliates, which includes some of the world's predominant telecommunications companies and eCommerce service providers," said Richard Yanowitch, Executive Vice President of Worldwide Marketing for VeriSign. "We believe that Satyam Infoway's local leadership, well-respected brand and eCommerce application expertise coupled with VeriSign's scalable technology platform will give enterprises and individuals in India access to secure eCommerce solutions."

Satyam Infoway will combine VeriSign's global Internet expertise with its own eCommerce services to serve customers in India, adhering to the Indian legal and financial systems. As a member of the VeriSign Global Affiliate Network, Satyam Infoway will offer VeriSign's Internet trust services, including:

-- VeriSign OnSite SM - a managed Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
   service for enterprises, government agencies, and e-communities.

-- VeriSign Go Secure! - rapid deployment services that secure
   applications such as Microsoft Exchange, SAP and VPNs for eCommerce.

-- Digital Certificate Services for Web sites and Individuals -
   certificates to secure transactions and communications.

VeriSign Affiliates

There are now more than 23 VeriSign international Affiliates delivering co-branded digital certificate services under common trust principles. These include: in Europe, British Telecommunications (U.K.), Certplus (France), Comparex Holdings (Germany), KPN Telecom (the Netherlands), Roccade Megaplex (the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg), Adacom (Greece and the Balkans), INTERSAT SA (Greece), Telia (Nordic and Baltic countries) and a service center affiliate in Ireland; in Asia, Satyam Infoway (India), VeriSign (Japan), HiTrust (Taiwan) and CrossCert (Korea); in Australia, eSign; in Africa, SACA (South Africa); in the Americas, AT&T (U.S.), VPN Tech (Canada), CIBC (Canada), Certisign (Brazil) and Certisur (Argentina); and in the Middle East, ArabTrust.

VeriSign's International Affiliates deliver co-branded digital certificate services under common trust principles across the world. They include: British Telecommunications (U.K.), Certplus (France), KPN Telecom (the Netherlands), Telia (Nordic and Baltic countries), VeriSign (Japan), HiTrust (Taiwan), CrossCert (Korea), eSign (Australia), SACA (SouthAfrica), AT&T (U.S), CIBC (Canada), Certisign (Brazil), and ArabTrust (Middle East).

About Satyam Infoway Ltd

Satyam Infoway (Nasdaq:SIFY) is the largest private national provider of Internet access and Internet services to consumers and businesses in India. As of March 31, 2000, Satyam Infoway has more than 151,000 consumer Internet subscribers. The Company's network presently serves 43 cities throughout India. The products of Satyam Infoway include consumer Internet access services, on-line portal and content offerings and corporate network and technology services. Satyam Infoway's portal. www.satyamonline.com, is India's leading portal with services in areas such as travel, finance, health and shopping in addition to e-mail, chat and search. Over 450 corporations use Satyam Infoway's business-to-business products and services. UUNet Technologies, Sterling Commerce and Open Market are some of Satyam Infoway's strategic partners.