Entrust, a leading global provider of Internet security solutions and services, has been awarded a US$17.6 million contract by BCE Nexxia to deliver enhanced Internet security as part of the Government of Canada`s "Secure Channel" project.
Secure Channel will help transform the way Canadians access and use government services by providing secure access to key government services and information anytime and from nearly anywhere. Entrust is distributed locally by AST Security Management, a business unit of the AST Group.
The US$17.6 million contract for software and services was awarded to Entrust after a consortium of technology leaders, led by BCE Nexxia, was awarded a contract by the Government of Canada to establish Secure Channel.
Through its partner relationship with BCE Nexxia, Entrust will deliver enhanced Internet security capabilities including identification, entitlements, verification, privacy and security management required to enable citizens to securely conduct online activities such as filing tax returns, renewing passports and checking employment records.
It is expected that the software and services revenue from this contract will be recognised equally over four quarters, beginning in the second quarter of 2001 and extending through the first quarter of 2002.
The agreement between Entrust and BCE Nexxia facilitates additional support services revenue for Entrust, as well as the ability to expand the software coverage to enable enhanced Internet security for wireless devices such as personal digital assistants.
"As the BCE family of companies and other technology leaders such as Entrust bring together complementary skills and expertise, the consortium is well-equipped to take the first step in realizing a major e-government initiative that will change the way Government of Canada services are delivered to all Canadians," said Randy Reynolds, president of BCE Nexxia.
"This contract represents another example of BCE bringing together and leading a consortium that will go beyond the traditional supplier-customer relationship and form a private-public sector collaboration with Government of Canada."
"As jurisdictions look to move transactions online, constituent trust will increasingly be tied to governments` ability to provide a secure environment," said John Goggin, vice president, META Group`s Electronic Government Strategies. "We will see an increasing number of jurisdictions following Canada`s lead in providing constituents with secure access to government service."
"The Government of Canada is a world-leader in delivering enhanced Internet security for online government services. As governments move higher value transactions online, Entrust`s industry-leading enhanced Internet security capabilities will help to create the secure and trusted environment required," said Bill Conner, Entrust president and chief executive officer.
"The contract is the largest in Entrust`s history and reflects how we are collaborating with service providers to deliver solutions tailored to the government, financial and Global 1000 enterprise market sectors we announced in early June."
BCE Nexxia, priming a consortium of technology leaders including BCE Emergis and CGI and others, has been awarded a US$37.6 million (C$57 million) contract to build and manage a state-of-the-art e-government infrastructure for the Government of Canada. The solution, called the "Secure Channel", represents a major step in the Government of Canada`s plan to become a world leader in electronic service delivery. The Secure Channel is designed to allow Canadian citizens and businesses to access a wide range of different government services electronically. Key components of the solution include the IP network, security, authentication, directory services, service broker, and portal interfaces.
According to BCE Nexxia, Entrust was chosen for its industry leadership, its strong relationship with other consortium members, and its proven ability to deploy large-scale government security projects. Entrust`s services and solutions also meet the Government of Canada`s standards and specifications for enhanced Internet security. The contract builds on Entrust`s track record delivering enhanced Internet security to governments in Canada, including a major deployment of strong authentication, entitlements and verification capabilities for the government of Ontario during the first quarter of 2001.
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In just three years the AST Group has established itself as one of the leading information and communication technology companies on the JSE Securities Exchange.
Its consistent creation of value for shareholders, clients and employees has resulted in a steady increase in monthly revenue to the R100 million-plus mark. AST is now the fourth largest South African IT company by market capitalisation, and is one of the top three in terms of physical infrastructure (mainframes, servers, desktops, and networks under management) and geographical footprint with over 62 physical locations.
Counting almost 90% of the top 100 JSE-listed companies among their clients, the AST Group services mostly large corporate and government clients, but they are increasingly offering their services to rapidly evolving small and medium enterprises.
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