MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, July 16, 2001 – VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: VRSN), the world's leading provider of Internet trust services, today announced a partnership with Bantu, Inc., the leader in secure, business-grade instant messaging (IM) and presence technology.  The companies are partnering to integrate VeriSign’s market-leading Certificate Services and Secure Messaging technology with Bantu’s IM & Presence Platform, to create the first certificate-based IM solution for enterprises, communications providers and governments.  The combination of technologies will ensure business IM users with one of the highest standards of user authentication and encryption security available in the market today.

“Together, our digital certificate technology and Bantu’s Web-based IM and presence technology create a new standard for secure instant messaging,” said Mahi de Silva, VeriSign’s Vice President, Applied Trust Services.  “In response to customer demand for secure instant messaging, we found Bantu’s technology platform and architecture was a natural fit for our Secure Messaging infrastructure. VeriSign is pleased to partner with Bantu, the leading secure and business-focused IM solution on the market.”

Bantu’s IM and presence technology will integrate VeriSign’s digital certificate technology. The combined solution results in a highly secure and private communication channel between parties. Digital certificates are considered a critical element for the most secure means for transacting business over the Internet today as they provide a way to authenticate identities over the Internet and enable secure, encrypted browser-to-server and user-to-user communications.

 With this Secure Messaging solution, corporations will be assured of market-leading user authentication protection; in addition, the content of their instant messages will remain private from unauthorized third parties. Millions of people already realize these benefits by using VeriSign PKI technology in their e-business activities. This joint solution enables these VeriSign customers to leverage their existing PKI infrastructure with Bantu’s IM.

“The enterprise market for IM is experiencing explosive growth, and ironclad security is a top priority for organizations seeking business-grade collaboration tools,” said Bantu’s President and CEO Larry Schlang.  According to IDC, corporate IM users are expected to rocket to 181 million in 2004 from 6 million in 1999.  “Partnering with the most recognized name in Internet trust services extends Bantu’s position as the leader in IM security. It enables us to offer additional levels of security, satisfying customers’ diverse security requirements.”

About VeriSign: VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ NM: VRSN) is the leading provider of trusted infrastructure services to Web sites, enterprises, electronic commerce service providers and individuals. The company's domain name, digital certificate and payment services provide the critical Web identity, authentication and transaction infrastructure that online businesses require to conduct secure e-commerce and communications. VeriSign's services are available through its Web site (www.verisign.com) or through its direct sales force and reseller partners around the world.

About Bantu, Inc.: \ban’too\ 1 : Ancient root language of the African people;  2 : Leading provider of secure, business-grade instant messaging and presence technology for the commercial market.  Bantu is based in Washington, D.C.  Its customers and partners include Citrix, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), Corechange, Johns Hopkins University, SAIC, Sprint, and SRA/Assentor.  (www.bantu.com)