Tokyo – July 8, 2008 – GMO Hosting & Security consolidated subsidiary and digital service provider, GlobalSign has been confirmed by the Distribution Systems Research Institute as compliant with the Distribution Industry Common Certificate Authority Certificate Policy and may issue digital certificates under distribution BMS(Business Message Standards). Distribution BMS is the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Distribution System Standardization Project standardized EDI*1. GMO Hosting & Security is a GMO Internet Group company.

*1 EDI (Electronic Data Interchange): a system used for the interchange between businesses of data such as orders, quotations, and other commercial transactions.

The capability of EDI used by distribution companies in business to business transactions is currently limited, and causes various problems. In order to resolve these, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has formulated new Internet EDI, distribution BMS. Distribution BMS resolves the following issues associated with existing EDI.

– Achieves EDI efficiency using a low-cost, high-speed Internet connection
– Standardizes data items etc. across the industry so that common EDI messages can be used for all distribution industry transactions
– Replaces delivery statements with EDI so fewer statements are issued reducing paperwork and handling costs.

GlobalSign Offers Distribution BMS Digital Certificate Service
Distribution BMS is based on Internet protocols so security and digital certification are essential. The distribution industry encompasses a wide range of businesses from major retailers to small-scale wholesalers and there has been industry demand for a provider that can offer a reliable low-priced certification service. Digital certificate service provider, GlobalSign as a Distribution Industry Common Certificate Authority, has made the decision to enter the market with a Distribution Industry Common Certificate Authority Certificate Policy compliant digital certificate for distribution BMS. We are already developing services for Distribution BMS and looking into the operations of major EDI application vendors.

Service Launch
The Distribution Business Message Standards (Distribution BMS) certificate issue service, the SSL Server Certificate for EDI (tentative name) and the Client Certificate for EDI (tentative name) are slated for release in August 2008.

Comment from: Yoshinobu Takeda, Senior Managing Director and Chief Senior Director of ACMS, Data Applications Co. Ltd. (Data Applications is a leading provider of the EDI software, ACMS in Japan)
Trusted digital certificates are essential to distribution BMS, and we welcome this service from GlobalSign.
Distribution BMS aims to optimize the complete distribution SCM. We sell ACMS Series EDI products that correspond with that aim and going forward we will work with GlobalSign to promote the usage of distribution BMS.

Data Applications Co. Ltd (DAL)
Since releasing its first UNIX product in 1992, DAL has established itself as a leading local software vendor that provides cost effective licensing of in-house developed, highly trusted software packages in the system integration and data exchange fields, and particularly in EDI. In April 2007 the company was listed on JASDAQ (Code: 3848).
The DAL ACMS (Advanced Communication Management System) Series is sold through 64 business partners throughout Japan and is already used by over 1,000 companies and 2,900 sites for mission critical systems operations. The ACMS series was developed with Java that from mainframe to PC is not platform dependent. DAL offers products that meet a wide range of system scale and connectivity needs and their line up includes ACMS B2B for easy construction of a B2B environment linked to a core system, ACMS E2X for integrating internal and external applications, and ACMS WebAgent for automating Web EDI browser operations.

Distribution System Standardization Project
In the distribution industry, ordering and other transaction details have until now been transmitted across low-speed private networks. These networks have not been able to handle images or Japanese characters and they do not meet the requirements for current standard transmission protocols. There are also inefficiencies that arise when data items and data exchange formats differ from the clients. There has been a strong call from within the industry for distribution system standardization.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry in cooperation with the Japan Chain Stores Association and the Japan Supermarkets Association, has been working on standardization of data items, etc, since 2003 to enable EDI on the Internet. In 2006, in a joint public/private collaboration including retailers and wholesalers a trial project was begun. The trials have been highly successful with participants reporting communication complete in as little as 6% of existing communication time.

*Evaluation report of 2006 joint project results (Distribution Systems Research Institute)

Distribution BMS (Distribution Business Message Standards)
Distribution BMS is the internationalization and standardization of data items and structures that enables all transactions between businesses to use common EDI messaging. It has many merits including the elimination of many of the problems associated with existing EDI communication as well as increased productivity, and easier implementation.
Under distribution BMS the Internet communication protocols are used including ebMS*2, AS2*3, and JX*4, so security measures that were not previously required have now become essential. Digital certificate usage is now imperative for access regulation, encryption, authentication, and prevention of tampering. Standards have also been developed for digital certificates and the Distribution Systems Research Institute verifies that certificates conform to the Distribution Industry Common Certificate Authority Certificate Policy.

*2 ebMS: Part of the ebXML next generation EDI international standard communication protocol jointly developed by CEFACT and OASIS. Defines XML message delivery and data packages.
*3 AS2: International standard for Internet EDI established by IEFT. Implementation has begun primarily in the United States.
*4 JX Protocol: Standards for Japan developed due to difficulties with using ebMS in banks to migrate from EOS.

Related Links (All links to Japanese language sites unless otherwise indicated)
METI Distribution Business Message Standards: http://www.dsri.jp/scmpjt/about_project/business_message.html
Data Applications Co. Ltd: http://www.dal.co.jp/

GlobalSign
GlobalSign began providing digital authentication services to Belgium ten years ago when digital authentication companies were first beginning to appear. Customers include a number of Belgian government agencies and the GlobalSign Certificate Authority operates many prestigious government projects such as eID*(BELPIC). We are recognized as the Belgian Government Certificate Authority. GlobalSign became a member of the GMO Internet Group in 2006 and is expanding sales of government-level security Japan and worldwide.
*eID: A citizen ID card. This is the first stage of the e-government project in Belgium. The ID card containing a digital certificate is distributed to all Belgian citizens over the age of 12.

Performance: (cumulative figures)
– Over 100,000 SSL Server Certificates issued
– Over1.4 million digital certificates (for web sites, IC Cards etc. including Digital IDs) issued
– Over 20 million certificates worldwide rely on the public trust provided by the GlobalSign root (including issues by subordinate CAs)
– We supply many major government agencies and major corporations

Profile
– The first certificate authority in Europe to obtain WebTrust accreditation
– CABF (CA/Browser Forum) member In Japan GlobalSign (formerly GeoTrust JAPAN) participates as a member of JCAF (Japan Certification Authority Forum)
– Anti-Phishing Working Group member

Media Inquiries
GMO Hosting and Security Inc. Corporate Planning Department
E-mailFpr@gmo-hs.com
GMO Internet Inc. Group PR Team
E-mailFpr@gmo.jp

The GMO Internet Group
The GMO Internet Group is a leading force in the Internet industry offering one of the most comprehensive ranges of Internet services in Japan. We hold top domestic market shares in domain registration, web hosting and payment processing and we provide a host of other services including e-commerce solutions and Internet advertising to individual and corporate customers. Striving to redefine the industry and foster a vibrant Internet culture, the GMO Internet Group is continuously working to inspire enthusiasm in our customers and put smiles on their faces.

GlobalSign K.K.