TrustMarque eyes DTI e-commerce licence

Infobank subsidiary TrustMarque is expecting to become the first trusted third party to be licensed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for digital distribution over the internet.

TrustMarque provides cryptography and security services to resellers and software publishers engaging in e-commerce.

It launched last week after 18 months of planning by its parent company in conjunction with corporate consultancy group Ernst & Young, and an investment of about #2 million.

In April, the DTI published a set of proposals for legislation aimed at standardising the processes for secure e-commerce. TrustMarque, which has modelled its service on the DTI guidelines, believes government endorsement will encourage the channel to put aside security fears and adopt an online sales strategy.

John Williams, director of TrustMarque, said its first contract with 'a major software publisher' would be unveiled this week.

The company will provide infrastructural support to the vendor and its resellers.

Williams added: 'Studies show that online resellers can expect attempted fraud levels of between 45 and 50 per cent. We check purchasers and provide services to unlock encrypted products once the transaction has been validated.'