Mountain View, California, February 6, 2001 VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) and WALID, Inc. today announced an agreement to distribute the WALID WorldConnect software application to users of VeriSign's Multilingual Domain Names Testbed. WALID WorldConnect software is a free system enabler that converts a non-English character domain name into the name's ASCII compatible encoding, or ACE, representation, the format used for registration and resolution of domain names in the testbed. The application is transparent to users and to Internet applications. WALID WorldConnect is a Windows based system enabler that allows Internet applications to use the newly registered multilingual .com, .net and .org domain names. It is compatible with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, and 2000 as well as commonly used browsers like Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.

VeriSign has made the WALID WorldConnect software (368KB) available for download from the VeriSign Global Registry Services Web site. Currently, a resolution client will be necessary for anyone who wishes to use the multilingual testbed names.

"It is very exciting to partner with an industry leader like VeriSign," said Cruse W. Moss, CEO of WALID, Inc. "They have helped bring the concept of multilingual domain names to the forefront. We're pleased to provide an essential component of the creation and usage of domain names for the non-English speaking community."

"We're pleased to make this technology available as a part of our testbed initiative," said Bruce Chovnick, general manager of VeriSign Global Registry Services. "The availability of the WALID WorldConnect client provides customers of the testbed with an enabling software tool to make the use of multilingual domain names a reality."

VeriSign's Multilingual Domain Names Testbed has begun its final stage. By late-March or early-April, Internet users should have the ability to use domain names registered in the testbed to access the Web sites associated with those names. For further details about the resolution stage, see "VeriSign Global Registry Services Announces Resolution Stage of Multilingual Domain Names Testbed Has Begun," January 23, 2001. The Multilingual Domain Names Testbed, which began accepting registrations on November 10, 2000, currently supports domain names that contain characters used by the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean languages and will soon expand to other languages.

Registrations in the Multilingual Domain Names Testbed may be made through any of the active ICANN-accredited registrars who have passed the multilingual certification. A list of these multilingual certified registrars can be found on the VeriSign Global Registry Services Web site

About VeriSign and its Multilingual Domain Name Testbed : VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN - news) 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 sites or through its direct sales force and reseller partners around the world. VeriSign opened its testbed for the purpose of providing operational experience with proposed standards for deploying multilingual domain names and helping to identify practical multilingual solutions. By providing a functional, end-to-end environment, the testbed is intended to provide a tool for testing theories and gaining experience that can be used to mitigate risks associated with deploying multilingual domain names on the Internet. For additional information about the testbed, please refer to the documentation posted on the VeriSign Global Registry Services Web site.

About WALID, Inc: WALID, Inc.,a privately held company headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, provides a complete patent-pending solution for registering and resolving multilingual Internet domain names. Through the registration and resolution of non-English domain names, WALID's WorldClass Solutions, including WorldConnect(tm),enables businesses, organizations, and individuals to establish a unique Internet presence to conduct global commerce and communicate in any language. WALID, Inc., 2245 S. State St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USA http://www.walid.com

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