First-of-its-Kind Report Will Outline Key Trends, Statistics and Consumer Behaviors

Digital infrastructure provider VeriSign (NASDAQ: VRSN) today announced the first North America Mobile Messaging Index, a quarterly report that will provide key statistics detailing the growth and user trends pertaining to all categories of mobile messaging in North America.

As the leading provider of inter-carrier mobile messages in North America, VeriSign’s data reveals messaging statistics garnered through VeriSign's global infrastructure. VeriSign enabled more than 43 billion mobile messages in 2006, and manages an estimated 60 percent of all inter-carrier mobile messages sent and received in North America.

Based upon trends VeriSign has already witnessed this quarter, the report is expected to show that the overall volume of messages is increasing more than two-fold year over year, as a broader base of the population embraces the convenience of messaging.

“As a company, we are presently seeing nearly 200 million mobile messages cross our infrastructure each day, up from only 75 million this time a year ago,” said Jeff Treuhaft, VeriSign senior vice president, digital content and messaging services. “We are excited to share the information we have as a way to help the ecosystem and our customers – the leading wireless carriers, enterprises and media brands across the globe – always provide a very reliable, seamless and secure channel over which their subscribers can communicate and interact.”

Among the early statistics to be included in the quarterly report will be the following:

o With a record 256 million-plus mobile messages sent on Valentine’s Day 2007 via the VeriSign network alone, VeriSign helped its carrier customers generate more than $10 million in revenue on February 14;
o On an average day, VeriSign presently enables approximately 190 million mobile messages, up from a daily average of 118 million in 2006, when VeriSign handled 43 billion messages for the year;
o Based on the current daily average, which trends suggest will top 200 million by year’s end, VeriSign will handle in excess of 65 billion messages this year.

The first Mobile Messaging Index will include key overarching industry metrics such as the total number of messages per quarter, month and day; application-to-person totals; peer-to-peer messaging totals; multimedia message service (MMS) totals; revenues enabled; and peak traffic times (specific days, hours of the day, etc.). VeriSign will share corresponding year-over-year growth rates for each of these statistics as well.

The first issue of the mobile index will be made available next month. For more information on VeriSign’s mobile messaging services, please visit http://www.verisign.com/products-services/communications-services/digita...

VeriSign will be demonstrating mobile marketing, mobile banking and security technologies onsite at CTIA. Please visit the VeriSign booth (Hall C, Booth No. 4763) for additional information.

Source: VeriSign