Eracom Technologies Turns Twenty Five

Eracom, founded in 1979 in Australia, opened its first overseas office in 1984. Today, the company serves customers in over 60 countries, supporting them through its eleven international sales offices in four continents. Based on its competence in cryptography, Eracom offers products that enable transaction security and privacy of information. Transaction security is achieved through the use of hardware security modules, which are essential security components of retail payment networks, interbank clearing and settlement applications, card issuing schemes, online banking applications, digital signatures, public key infrastructures and time stamping applications. Privacy of information is achieved through advanced encryption software that enables high levels of security while maintaining the manageability of thousands of users. Many of the worlds leading banks, credit/debit card schemes and other financial institutions rely on Eracoms products. Governments in four continents protect their confidential information through Eracoms encryption software. Technology companies around the world draw on Eracoms offering to secure their products and meet the security requirements of their customers. Throughout its history, Eracom has pioneered hardware security modules, software for drive and file encryption and numerous other cryptography-based products. In many cases, Eracoms accomplishments have set standards in the industry and are now widely adopted. In 1979, Eracom pioneered the concept of Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) by developing a secure microprocessor. This has laid the basis for providing security to the emerging retail EFT networks in Australia and throughout the world. In 1985, Eracom introduced an encryption card for IBMs XT, leading the world in this technology. This enabled commercially viable security solutions for desktops, workstations and distributed server architectures. Being a breakthrough back then, adapter-based HSMs are a standard form factor today. In 1987, Eracom pioneered full disk-encryption technology, thereby laying the foundation for todays privacy-of-information products. Eracom also launched the first network capable Hardware Security Module. This enabled customers to share a single HSM, securely accessing it from a variety of servers. In 1991, Eracom shipped its first Secure Application Modules (SAMs) along with its Hardware Security Modules. This concept allows developers to write their own applications and execute them within the secure boundaries of the HSM. Thirteen years later, this concept continues to be cutting edge and has only recently been adopted by some of our competitors. In 1997, Eracom pushed PKI initiatives by implementing the now widely used PKCS#11 API on its Hardware Security Modules. The comprehensiveness of Eracoms PCKS#11 implementation continues to be cutting edge. In 1998, Eracom pioneered hardware security to strengthen Javas JCA and JCE. In 2003, Eracom combined its PKCS#11 API with its EFT API, thereby catering for the continuing convergence of traditional EFT markets and younger markets such as online banking and smart cards. Looking forward, Eracom will continue to be dedicated to innovation in the field of IT security. The innovative power of Eracom will benefit the important standard setting bodies, such as the PKCS#11 working group, ANSI and various ISO committees.