Great Success of WISeKey's Swiss Anti-Counterfeiting Solution at the Geneva Time Exhibition

GENEVA, January 20, 2011 - From now on, watches will be protected by a SmartCard and a digital
certificate provided by WISeKey, proving their identity and origin.

This innovative solution presented today at the Geneva Time Exhibition by
WISeKey represents another decisive step in the fight against the sale of
fakes.

It consists of offering WISeAuthentic in the form of a SaaS, allowing
manufacturers with limited means and resources to still protect themselves
and their clients through a premium solution based on an electronic
certificate of guarantee that contains not only the identity code of the
watch, but also permits privileged access to a reserved space on the internet
site of the watch manufacturer.

Sales points and clients can use the SmartCard to instantly check the
watch authenticity online.

This is the first time that this technology is used as a fraud protection
tool. This patented method is based on a digital identity protected by a
cryptographic SmartCard that is linked to a watch. WISeKey provides a secured
platform for the buyer, accessible via the site of the watchmaker in an area
reserved for the identification of the watches. If the information contained
in the SmartCard is not valid, access to this area is simply refused.

In the past, the "paper" certificate was secure enough to prevent copies
or modifications. To this end, every watch presented with such a certificate
containing the same serial number was certified as authentic.

Today, the paper certificate has become vulnerable, and color copies have
evolved to a level that makes them hard to distinguish from the original. The
majority of the security technologies added to paper become accessible after
a few years. WISeKey has therefore come up with a digital approach, based on
a digital certificate forged within a cryptographic chip that cannot be
reproduced or modified. These issued certificates carry the digital seal of
the authentication authority and cannot be manipulated by unauthorized third
parties.

One of the main advantages of the solution is its capacity to allow
online verification. Once the online validation has been done, the
authenticity of the watch accompanied by its SmartCard is guaranteed. The
system also allows checks to ensure that the object has not been declared
stolen or lost. Depending on the type of online application, the proof of
authenticity can be presented later to a third party.

On the same platform, the watch brand also receives real-time information
on geo-localized sales via the electronic guarantee activation, avoiding the
risk of fraud and at the same time controlling the potential gray market.
Finally, the brand can also offer their clients new value-added services
based on the assurance that they are owners of an authentic watch.

Thanks to PKI technologies, WISeKey proposes the development of a social
network which limits access exclusively to members of the brand's community.

The necessary elements for validation of the watch are simple and
standard, allowing frequent verifications throughout the lifecycle of the
watch, especially during auctions, for inheritance reasons or towards the
authorities.

    More:

    www.wiseauthentic.com/

    Contact:
    Olivia Ward
    oward@wisekey.com
    +41-(0)22-594-30-00

Contact: Olivia Ward, oward at wisekey.com , +41-(0)22-594-30-00