SHARE
Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp

RSA and VeriSign Partner on Cloud-Based OTP Service

VeriSign announced that it is teaming up with RSA to offer RSA SecurID hardware tokens as a means of second factor authentication in conjunction with the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service. Sold both through VeriSign channel partners and direct, VIP is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that offers users managed, shared authentication to access […]

Oct 13, 2009
Channel Insider content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

VeriSign announced that it is teaming up with RSA to offer RSA SecurID hardware tokens as a means of second factor authentication in conjunction with the VeriSign Identity Protection (VIP) Authentication Service.

Sold both through VeriSign channel partners and direct, VIP is a cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution that offers users managed, shared authentication to access multiple Websites through a one-time password (OTP) device. The deal with RSA allows VeriSign to leverage the RSA SecurID Authentication Engine under the hood, offering additional form-factor flexibility to VIP customers.

“The VIP service will now work with both VeriSign (OATH-based) and RSA SecurID tokens. It’s likely that customers can mix and match token types based upon their application support and price requirements,” wrote Mark Diodati, analyst for Burton Group, in a recent analysis of the deal.

VeriSign reports that it will complete the integration necessary to transition to the new engine by December. In a quid pro quo move, RSA plans to then shift all of its authentication service customers participating in its RSA GoID program to the VIP Authentication, aiming for complete transfer by the end of second-quarter 2010. The symbiotic relationship will be augmented by a cross-sales agreement that will have VeriSign reselling RSA SecurID hardware tokens through its sales channels and RSA reselling VIP Authentication Service through its channels.

As Diodati explains, VeriSign and RSA have long sparred over the OTP market.

“The press release implies that the relationship between RSA and VeriSign has been co-operative and amicable. Don’t be fooled,” he wrote.  “In early 2005, VeriSign was the primary driver for the OATH industry group, expressly created to take on RSA’s ‘cash cow’—its SecurID OTP business. Since that time, VeriSign aggressively pursued RSA’s SecurID customers and competes against RSA in the consumer authentication space.”

In spite of past rivalries between the companies and a strategic coup gained by VeriSign in now being able to consolidate the SecurID technology into the VIP platform, Mary Monahan, managing partner with Javelin Strategy & Research, sees the new partnership as a win-win for the companies.

"The alliance of two powerhouses with the integration of RSA SecurID technology into VIP will strengthen their combined market leadership and work to increase the collective clout of both VeriSign and RSA," she said. Javelin recently rated both companies as Best in Class for multichannel authentication technology.

 

Recommended for you...

Q&A: Why MSPs Need to Evolve Into Security Educators
Dell Updates PowerProtect to Boost Cyber Resilience
Jordan Smith
Sep 4, 2025
August M&A Roundup: CrowdStrike, Accenture Moves & More
Jordan Smith
Sep 4, 2025
Lyra Technology Group CEO on Scaling Local MSP Model, AI & More
Channel Insider Logo

Channel Insider combines news and technology recommendations to keep channel partners, value-added resellers, IT solution providers, MSPs, and SaaS providers informed on the changing IT landscape. These resources provide product comparisons, in-depth analysis of vendors, and interviews with subject matter experts to provide vendors with critical information for their operations.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2025 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.