Building on the continued success of the public key infrastructure (PKI) platform, Entrust  is advancing the technology to bring it to new markets. With the introduction of Entrust Authority Security Manager 8.0, Entrust customers can implement one of the most trusted PKI security solutions available on the cost-effective Linux Red Hat platform. This release introduces Entrust to the open-source platform market and expands the potential overall installation base for the PKI solution.

"Linux is recognized as one of the most popular operating systems installed on servers globally, and provides Entrust with an active new market segment for PKI deployments," said Entrust President and CEO Bill Conner. "This is a key milestone for Entrust and the entire PKI platform. We're eager to see how the Linux community embraces and implements our PKI technology."

In a recent publication produced in partnership with the Linux Foundation, technology analyst firm IDC speculates that Linux and Linux-related software could experience a compound annual growth rate of 23.6 percent in the next five years. The report estimates that spending could grow from $12.3 billion in 2008 to more than $35.5 billion in 2013. IDC states that the unpredictable economic environment has been a catalyst for enterprises seeking more affordable software options, accelerating the growth of Linux-based adoption.(1)

In fact, Red Hat makes up almost 60 percent of all paid Linux server deployments.(2) The Linux open-source platform is also a strong player in the server market, accounting for close to a quarter of global server sales.

The Entrust Authority Security Manager 8.0 release combines both X.509 and ISO 7816 certificate types on a single platform. The solution provides Entrust's first PKI support for OpenLDAP directory and has improved database architecture.

According to a survey sponsored by Novell, IDC states that more than half of their respondents are planning to increase adoption of Linux on the server. Geographically, the Asia/Pacific region reported 73 percent of respondents expect to increase adoption of Linux in server deployments. In contrast, 67 percent of respondents in the Americas are either evaluating or have already decided to make the switch to some form of Linux.(3)

Modular and fully integrated, the Entrust Authority PKI portfolio is built on the foundation of Entrust Authority Security Manager, the certification authority (CA) responsible for issuing and managing users' digital identities. A PKI establishes and maintains a trustworthy networking environment by providing key and certificate management services that enable encryption and digital signature capabilities across applications -- all in a manner that is transparent and easy to use.

Besides being offered on Red Hat Linux, Entrust PKI is available on Windows, Sun Solaris, IBM AIX, HP-UX, and is available as a managed service offering.