http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/print_story.asp?story=31856391
Lycos Finance QUALCOMM Offers Free Access to Encryption Software 27 Feb 2003, 07:31am ET - - - - - /FROM PR NEWSWIRE LOS ANGELES 213-626-5500/ [STK] QCOM [IN] CPR STW HTS MLM TLS CSE HRD [SU] PDT TO BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY EDITORS: QUALCOMM Offers Free Access to Encryption Software SAN DIEGO, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In an initiative designed to benefit the telecommunications industry and the general public, QUALCOMM Incorporated ( NASDAQ:QCOM ), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, today announced that it will allow free use of its SOBER and Turing encryption algorithms for any purpose. In the past, QUALCOMM provided the encryption software only to its licensed manufacturers or for non-commercial use. Turing and the SOBER family are high-speed, highly secure stream ciphers and are thought to be immune to any practical cryptanalytic attacks. Stream ciphers can be much more efficient for encryption than the more common block ciphers, such as the Advanced Encryption Standard. Stream ciphers can mean lower cost of hardware implementation or, at times, the choice to use a software implementation instead of building any specialized hardware. "Encryption technology protects our wireless networks and enables operators to ensure all cell phone calls are secure, however the value of the technology is limited unless it is used," said Greg Rose, vice president of technology for QUALCOMM. "By making the encryption software and complementary patents available, QUALCOMM has opened up a key piece of security technology to the industry and other interested individuals." QUALCOMM was recently granted a new patent, U.S. Patent 6,510,228, that covers the SOBER cipher and its descendants, including its new encryption algorithm Turing. The new algorithm, the Turing cipher, is named after Alan Turing (1912-54), a respected mathematician and cryptographer who contributed greatly to England's code breaking efforts during World War II, as well as the foundations of computer science. The Turing cipher is significantly faster than the recently adopted Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm (Rijndael), and can offer advanced protection for CDMA networks, the Internet and electronic commerce. The SOBER family of encryption algorithms was first released in 1997 and can be used for a variety of CDMA applications, as well as other uses, such as high-speed routers. Source code for the ciphers is available from QUALCOMM Australia's Web site at www.qualcomm.com.au . QUALCOMM Incorporated ( www.qualcomm.com ) is a leader in developing and delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services based on the Company's CDMA digital technology. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., QUALCOMM is included in the S&P 500 Index and traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market(R) under the ticker symbol QCOM. Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the Company's ability to successfully design and have manufactured significant quantities of CDMA components on a timely and profitable basis, the extent and speed to which CDMA is deployed, change in economic conditions of the various markets the Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2002, and most recent Form 10-Q. QUALCOMM is a registered trademark of QUALCOMM Incorporated. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. For further information, please contact: Christine Trimble, Corporate Public Relations, +1-858-651-3628, or fax, +1-858-651-5873, [EMAIL PROTECTED], or Julie Cunningham, Investor Relations, +1-858-658-4224, or fax, +1-858-651-9303, [EMAIL PROTECTED], both of QUALCOMM Incorporated. SOURCE QUALCOMM Incorporated -0- 02/27/2003 /CONTACT: Christine Trimble, Corporate Public Relations, +1-858-651-3628, or fax, +1-858-651-5873, [EMAIL PROTECTED], or Julie Cunningham, Investor Relations, +1-858-658-4224, or fax, +1-858-651-9303, [EMAIL PROTECTED], both of QUALCOMM Incorporated/ /Web site: http://www.qualcomm.com.au / /Web site: http://www.qualcomm.com / -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]