Press Release

GlobalSign Secures Applications Deployed on Adobe AIR

GlobalSign Code Signing Certificates Enhance Confidence & Assurances for New Runtime Applications

London, UK – 15 September, 2008 – GlobalSign Ltd (www.globalsign.co.uk), a specialist in digital certificate security, today announced that applications developed for Adobe AIR can be digitally signed and secured by GlobalSign Code Signing Certificates.  Code Signing Certificates for Adobe AIR allow developers to deploy the virtual equivalent of “shrink-wrap” to their applications, resulting in tamperproof applications and greatly enhanced assurances of application authenticity.

Adobe AIR enables developers to deliver branded, rich Internet applications (RIAs) on the desktop that provide a closer connection to your customer.  The benefits of applications on Adobe AIR can include boosting the productivity and functionality of a Web application, extending the reach of web services, and an enhanced customer experience. Since RIAs deployed on Adobe AIR provide deeper integration to the desktop than browser browser-based applications, assurances that the application and its developer are legitimate become essential to end-users, which is where GlobalSign Code Signing Certificates play a critical role.

Developers of AIR applications are vetted by GlobalSign and then issued with a Code Signing Certificate that makes the application tamperproof and also binds the developer’s identity to the digitally signed AIR application. Adobe AIR only allows users to run applications that have been digitally signed, and the digital signature also allows users to identify which developer signed the application and when, providing assurances that the application is legitimate.  End users are more likely to install applications from developers they trust.

“Adobe strongly recommends that developers digitally sign their AIR applications using Code Signing Certificates from a trusted Certification Authority to provide assurances to end users that the application really is from the expected developer,” said Luis Polanco, senior product manager for Adobe AIR at Adobe. “We are pleased that GlobalSign has extended its Code Signing support to include Adobe AIR.”

GlobalSign and Adobe have a history of working together for digital certificate security solutions.  In 2007, GlobalSign was selected by Adobe as one of a limited number of Internet security companies authorized to provide products and services utilizing Adobe’s Certified Document Services (CDS) platform. 

“All data needs to be authenticated and secured, protecting it from the common threats of tampering and fraud, and applications are no different,” said Lila Kee, Director of Business Development, GlobalSign Inc.  “GlobalSign has been working with Adobe since 2007 to enable organizations to deploy Certified Document Services and we are pleased to be able to now offer developers the means to sign their exciting  AIR applications.”

Code Signing Certificates for applications deployed on Adobe AIR are available to purchase starting from $229 (175€) for unlimited signings for a one or two year period.  For further information please visit www.globalsign.com/developer.  For further details on Adobe AIR please visit http://www.adobe.com/products/air/.

About GlobalSign
Established in 1996 and as a WebTrust accredited public certificate authority, GlobalSign offers publicly trusted SSL, including SSL Certificates, EV SSL, managed SSL services, S/MIME and Code Signing Certificates for use on all platforms including mobile devices. Its Trusted Root solution uses the widely embedded GlobalSign Root CA certificates to provide immediate PKI trust for Microsoft CA and enterprise CAs, eliminating the costs of using untrusted Root Certificates. Its partnership with Adobe to provide Certified Document Services (CDS) enables secure digitally signed PDF documents, certified transcripts and e-invoices.  These core Digital Certificate solutions allow its thousands of authenticated customers to conduct secure online transactions, data transfer, distribution of tamper-proof code, and protection of online identities for secure email and access control.  The company has a history of innovation within the online security industry and has offices in the US, UK, Belgium, Japan, and China. 

GMO Internet Group
GMO Internet Group, headquartered in Japan, is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services worldwide. The group holds top domestic market share in domain registration, web hosting, and payment processing and provides a host of other Internet services including global online security services, e-commerce solutions, and Internet advertising to both businesses and individuals. At the centre of the group is GMO Internet, Inc. a company listed on the prestigious first section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE: 9449). Please visit www.gmo.jp/en for further details.

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