Positive start to 2018: Utimaco on the road to international growth

Utimaco on the road to worldwide growth

• Customer and partner agreements with Bank-Verlag, EIUS, Redington, Esysco, ISARA and CEGA Security
• New number 2 on the Hardware Security Module market: Market consolidation accelerates growth

Aachen, February 15th, 2018 – Utimaco, a leading manufacturer of Hardware Security Module (HSM) technology, had a strong start to the New Year. The security specialist has recently been able to conclude numerous partner contracts, win customer projects and expand its global footprint.

Together with the German IT service provider Bank-Verlag, Utimaco is developing a signature activation module (SAM) for banks. Bank customers can generate online signatures using the module, which is based on a Utimaco HSM. Hans-Peter Kraus, Head of Product Management Security & Trusted Services at Bank-Verlag, explains the benefits: “The remote signature process speeds up and simplifies processes such as signing contracts, opening an account or issuing insurance policies without the media discontinuity that was necessary up until now.”

EIUS, a Slovenian provider of trust services for electronic documents, has chosen the Utimaco Se Gen2-Series to replace the existing security solution in all EIUS applications based on the JCA/JCE Cryptographic Framework. Utimaco HSMs are user-friendly and easy to use, as Pavel Reberc, Managing Director at EIUS, affirms: “Replacing the provider did not require any changes to the code base. Because of this, the security of EIUS applications was significantly increased without any development effort.”

Development of new distribution partnerships

Utimaco also gained another strong distribution partner: The value-added distributor Redington Value and Utimaco will cooperate in the Middle East and Africa region. “We are excited to partner with Utimaco. It enables us to offer our customers high-performance hardware security solutions that protect them now and in the future”, says Ramkumar Balakrishnan, President of Redington Value. He adds, “Utimaco has been an industry leader in Europe for more than 20 years and we feel confident in bringing their expertise to our customers in the Middle East and Africa region.” According to Malte Pollmann, CEO of Utimaco, “The partnership paves the way into new markets for Utimaco and brings us closer to local partners and customers in this region.”

On the Polish market, Utimaco is extending its relationship with its long-time partner Esysco Sp. z o.o. within the scope of a distribution partnership. This cooperation enables the acquisition of new partners and also enables the local market to be optimally served. This is achieved by means of thorough analysis of needs as well as targeted training and after-sales support.
According to Bartosz Witkowski, CEO at Esysco: “Together with Utimaco, we are strengthening our position in the field of encryption and security. Alongside the Polish market, the distribution partnership allows us to open up further markets in Eastern Europe. In the future, we plan to build a software development team for the Utimaco CryptoServer SDK in order to address the individual needs of our financial, automotive and enterprise customers even more effectively.”

The distribution partnership with Value Added Distributor CEGA Security promises new growth opportunities in Mexico and on the Latin American market. As electronic invoicing and digital signatures are becoming the main business drivers leading to the wider adoption of HSMs, the partnership is entering a new and exciting phase. As Xaviero Cervera, CEO of CEGA Security, notes: “We are proud to be offering Utimaco HSMs to our customers across Latin America. In SaaS integration projects, especially for electronic invoicing systems, our experience indicates that the efficiency of the Utimaco HSM simulator significantly influences the decision to integrate our solutions into an IT security infrastructure.” Malte Pollmann, CEO of Utimaco, adds: “We look forward to new ventures and business opportunities in both the digital taxation and signature services domain as part of our growing relationship with CEGA Security. ”

First concrete developments in the field of post-quantum security

In the US, Utimaco has successfully completed a series of tests on quantum-safe algorithms with ISARA Corporation, the leading provider of security solutions for the quantum computing age. “We are excited to work with Utimaco on quantum-safe HSM solutions as it allows the IoT industry to ensure their product’s roots of trust remain secure and over-the-air updates authentic”, explains Michael K. Brown, CTO of ISARA Corp.

As part of a research project on quantum-safe algorithms, Microsoft is working with the Utimaco SecurityServer. With the help of the Utimaco SDK, a user can create his own, customized firmware to add features such as new cryptographic algorithms to the HSM. Microsoft tested the compatibility of its Picnic algorithm with the Utimaco HSM in the context of a PKI scenario. For more information, visit the Microsoft GitHub (pages 46-50) and the Utimaco Post-Quantum Cryptography and Crypto Agility website.
Malte Pollmann, CEO of Utimaco, has a positive outlook on the New Year: “As the new number two on the HSM market, we are in a strong position. We offer our partners and customers sustainable solutions that meet their current requirements and we are well prepared for future developments such as post-quantum cryptography. Especially with regard to the current market consolidation, we receive numerous inquiries from all sectors. Obviously, many of those responsible are starting to consider a second supplier or even a change of provider.”