Press Release : WISeKey Increases its Semiconductor Manufacturing Capabilities to Support Exploding Demand

 
   WISeKey Increases its Semiconductor Manufacturing Capabilities to 
Support Exploding Demand 
 
   WISeKey's VaultIC Secure Elements and secure microcontrollers protect 
large volumes of IoT devices and consumer products. The current global 
pandemic situation has resulted in an exploding demand for these 
products that WISeKey is responding to by significantly investing in its 
supply chain transformation. 
 
   Geneva, Switzerland -- April 12, 2021: WISeKey International Holding 
Ltd. ("WISeKey") (SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading global 
cybersecurity and IoT company today announced it is significantly 
investing in its supply chain transformation to better and faster serve 
its customers. The Company is simultaneously impacted by the current 
semiconductor shortage situation and a tremendously growing order 
backlog. 
 
   While most industries are dramatically impacted by the current 
semiconductor shortage, market analysts predict the same situation will 
continue into 2022. According to experts, this shortage is the 
combination of several factors. The global consumer demand dropped 
during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the semiconductor 
industry had to significantly reduce its manufacturing capacity to 
mitigate consequences on profitability; however, the worldwide lockdown 
had an unforecastable positive effect on the high-tech products market: 
tons of new laptops, monitors, smartphones, routers, modems and gaming 
consoles have created a surge in chips across industries that low 
inventory and limited production capacities haven't been able to resorb. 
 
 
   Billions of WISeKey's secure chips are embedded in high-tech products 
and goods to protect data, communication and firmware against 
cyberattacks. This includes routers, modems, energy smart meters, drones 
and medical devices, to mention a few. As a fabless company, WISeKey 
trust a network of subcontractors and partners to provide its most 
prestigious customers with the best leadtimes and service. While the 
Company's book-to-bill ratio is exploding, it has to challenge its 
existing supply chain and find short and long term solutions to maintain 
and even continue to raise the bar on service quality. These solutions 
involve continuous negotiations with current suppliers and investments 
to diversify sourcing, including relocating some of the processes to 
minimize transportation and environmental effects. 
 
   "WISeKey has been selected by global companies as their digital trust 
partner," said Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey. "Our VaultIC 
and other secure chips are massively used in many sensitive applications 
that require not only a unique technology expertise but also a perfect 
supply chain. We are again demonstrating reactivity and agility to 
provide our customers with the best business continuity in spite of the 
current chaotic semiconductor crisis." 
 
   To learn more about WISeKey's cybersecurity propositions, visit 
https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=y8eso2gYqGfkTaYmWw6nlT091MZkI92TQehnjU_CW7jvC40tsfK0VFCG5D1dYq1CjeNAup_yI7PoVstGuOLQJg== 
WISeKey.com. 
 
   About WISeKey 
 
   WISeKey (NASDAQ: WKEY; SIX Swiss Exchange: WIHN) is a leading global 
cybersecurity company currently deploying large scale digital identity 
ecosystems for people and objects using Blockchain, AI and IoT 
respecting the Human as the Fulcrum of the Internet. WISeKey 
microprocessors secure the pervasive computing shaping today's Internet 
of Everything. WISeKey IoT has an install base of over 1.5 billion 
microchips in virtually all IoT sectors (connected cars, smart cities, 
drones, agricultural sensors, anti-counterfeiting, smart lighting, 
servers, computers, mobile phones, crypto tokens etc.).  WISeKey is 
uniquely positioned to be at the edge of IoT as our semiconductors 
produce a huge amount of Big Data that, when analyzed with Artificial 
Intelligence (AI), can help industrial applications to predict the 
failure of their equipment before it happens. 
 
   Our technology is Trusted by the OISTE/WISeKey's Swiss based 
cryptographic Root of Trust ("RoT") provides secure authentication and 
identification, in both physical and virtual environments, for the 
Internet of Things, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence. The WISeKey 
RoT serves as a common trust anchor to ensure the integrity of online 
transactions among objects and between objects and people. For more 
information, visit www.wisekey.com. 
 
   Press and investor contacts: 
 
 
 
 
WISeKey International Holding Ltd  WISeKey Investor Relations (US) 
 Company Contact: Carlos Moreira    Contact: Lena Cati 
 Chairman & CEO                     The Equity Group Inc. 
 Tel: [phone]               Tel: [phone] 
 [e-mail]                   [e-mail] 
---------------------------------  ------------------------------- 
 
   Disclaimer: 
 
   This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain 
forward-looking statements concerning WISeKey International Holding Ltd 
and its business. Such statements involve certain known and unknown 
risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause the actual 
results, financial condition, performance or achievements of WISeKey 
International Holding Ltd to be materially different from any future 
results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such 
forward-looking statements. WISeKey International Holding Ltd is 
providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to 
update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of 
new information, future events or otherwise. 
 
   This press release does not constitute an offer to sell, or a 
solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities, and it does not 
constitute an offering prospectus within the meaning of article 652a or 
article 1156 of the Swiss Code of Obligations or a listing prospectus 
within the meaning of the listing rules of the SIX Swiss Exchange. 
Investors must rely on their own evaluation of WISeKey and its 
securities, including the merits and risks involved. Nothing contained 
herein is, or shall be relied on as, a promise or representation as to 
the future performance of WISeKey. 
 
 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 12, 2021 01:00 ET (05:00 GMT)