Press Release : WISeKey Partners with The Government of Seychelles to Explore the Potential of Introducing Trusted Digital Identity Services for Citizens of the Republic of Seychelles, Businesses, Digital Nomads and Visitors

 
   WISeKey Partners with The Government of Seychelles to Explore the 
Potential of Introducing Trusted Digital Identity Services for Citizens 
of the Republic of Seychelles, Businesses, Digital Nomads and Visitors 
 
   Victoria (Seychelles), Geneva (Switzerland) -- March 16, 2021 -- WISeKey 
International Holding ("WISeKey", SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading 
cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
company, today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding 
(MoU) with the Government of Seychelles, represented by the Department 
of Information Communications Technology (DICT), to initiate a pilot 
project for the development of an innovative Digital Identity platform 
for Seychelles. The Digital Identity platform is expected to be 
integrated with different national initiatives especially the 
eGovernment and potentially eTourism and eHealth. 
 
   In 2014, WISeKey was initially selected by the Government of Seychelles 
as a partner to supply technology and expertise on Public Key 
Infrastructures (PKI), Digital Signatures and its usage in electronic 
transactions. PKI and all the derived applications for authentication, 
digital signatures and encryption are indisputably the most secure 
technologies to ensure the protection of personal identities and 
documents. WISeKey is a key player in the PKI arena, and offers a unique 
combination of know-how and geo-political neutrality. WISeKey can ensure 
the independency of its trust services, allowing its customers to issue 
digital identities that are recognized worldwide. 
 
   Over the last decade, The Government of Seychelles has developed several 
initiatives for digital inclusion and the adoption of new technologies 
in electronic identity. The Government of Seychelles has been praised 
internationally for all these efforts; in 2012 the Government of 
Seychelles won the topmost award in Africa in Information Communications 
Technology (ICT) under a program called United Nation (UN) E-Government 
Survey Ranking & Award 2012. Since then, Seychelles has been considered 
as a benchmark in the region. Currently the Government of Seychelles is 
seeking to implement new solutions for the citizens of Seychelles and 
local services, to facilitate access to Digital Identity and new 
eGovernment services through the use of smartphones and mobile 
applications. 
 
   The pilot project will be based on WISeKey's WISeID platform for Digital 
Identity and online security. WISeID is a trusted identity service that 
enables access to the web and mobile applications with strong 
authentication techniques. WISeID supports online Know Your Customer 
(KYC) onboarding, One Time Password (OTP) and digital certificate login, 
and an innovative "hands-free" secure login based on QR-Codes which 
users can read using WIShelter SafePass mobile application without even 
having to type any password. 
 
   Additional security services include digital signature services for 
documents. WISeID implements standards such as OpenID Connect and 
OAUTH2, that can be easily integrated by customers to enhance the 
security of their cloud applications. WISeID can also be combined with 
Microsoft Active Directory, facilitating integration with corporate 
applications. WISeID is based on the WISeKey/OISTE Root of Trust and 
integrates innovative blockchain technologies to distribute the identity 
attributes and build federated ecosystems. 
 
   The pilot project seeks to benefit the emerging ecosystem of Digital 
Nomads selecting Seychelles as their workplace. Digital nomads are 
people whose job allows them to work from home or any part of the world. 
These people are usually freelancers, who offer services to clients. So, 
just as long as they have Wi-Fi, digital identities and a laptop, they 
are able to work anywhere, anytime. 
 
   Mr. Benjamin Choppy, the Principal Secretary of DICT said, "The 
Government of Seychelles is driving key projects for eGovernment that 
will benefit both our citizens and the local business community. We have 
entrusted WISeKey in leading the pilot project of what may be the next 
generation of Digital Identity." 
 
   "WISeKey has a clear commitment in the development of eGovernment 
services and the universalization of the electronic identity to secure 
the digital life of people using the internet. We are proud to have the 
Government of Seychelles as one of our key partners in this area," said 
Mr. Carlos Moreira, Founder and CEO of WISeKey. 
 
   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. 
 
   About Seychelles 
 
   With a population of about 98,500, Seychelles is a group of 115 granite 
and coral islands 4 and 10 degrees south of the equator and lie between 
480km and 1,600km from the east coast of mainland Africa in the western 
Indian Ocean. Seychelles, is one of the world's very few places whereby 
its natural beauty is still pristine and untouched by mankind. With 
Tourism as the pillar of its economy, Seychelles welcomes more than 300 
thousand visitors yearly. 
 
   In May 2012, Seychelles' first submarine cable; the Seychelles East 
Africa System; landed in Seychelles spearheading the country's ICT 
developments. As at 30(th) September 2020, Seychelles' penetration per 
100 for Mobile Cellular and Internet Access services were 186.42 and 
116.28 respectively. 
 
   About DICT 
 
   DICT is a government entity within the Office of the President with its 
main functions being: 
 
 
   -- Providing information systems which will support decision-making in 
      government and delivery of government services in terms of efficiency and 
      effectiveness; and 
 
   -- Developing and enforcing frameworks (legal, regulatory, policy and 
      otherwise) that will enable pervasive and affordable access to electronic 
      means of communication nationally. 
 
 
   In its endeavor to assist the Government in the computerisation process 
of Government Departments for the delivery of online E-Services, DICT 
has developed a central Government E-Service Portal, accessible on the 
internet, whereby E-Services offered by Government are made available. 
DICT continue to drive projects for Seychelles' eGovernment with modern 
and efficient e-services. 
 
   Press and investor contacts: 
 
 
 
 
WISeKey International Holding Ltd                         WISeKey Investor Relations (US) 
 Company Contact: Mr. Carlos Moreira                       Contact: Lena Cati 
 Chairman & CEO                                            The Equity Group Inc. 
 Tel: [phone]                                      Tel: [phone] 
 E-mail: [e-mail]                                  E-mail: [e-mail] 
--------------------------------------------------------  ------------------------------- 
 
  Department of Information Communications 
  Technology 
  Contact: Mr. Benjamin Choppy 
  Principal Secretary 
  Tel: [phone] 
  E-mail: mailto:[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

March 16, 2021 13:00 ET (17:00 GMT)