PRESS RELEASE

Increasing Globalisation Prompts Expansion of Online Trust Alliance
AOTA Changes Name, Adds International Chapters and Expands Board to Combat Internet Fraud, Abuse & Cybercrime

SEATTLE, WA – March 31, 2009 – The Authentication and Online Trust Alliance (AOTA), an organization of the world’s leading brands and public institutions striving to improve online trust, today announced the change of its name to the Online Trust Alliance (OTA) to better reflect its expanding mission. The organization also announced the addition of international chapters in Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe as well as new board members Manish Goel, CEO of BoxSentry, and Charles Stiles, vice president of worldwide business development at Goodmail Systems. The new chapters and board members will be actively involved at OTA’s upcoming Online Trust Town Hall Meeting and the Email Authentication Roundtable in San Francisco on April 23, 2009.  

“Publishers Clearing House is extremely happy that OTA has taken the initiative in broadening its scope and is playing a leading role in the creation of a trusted global online ecosystem,” said Andrew Goldberg, President and CEO of OTA member company Publishers Clearing House. “Fraud, abuse and cybercrime are a growing problem within the industry.  Any erosion of consumer trust will impact all online businesses. As a multi-channel marketer with a large online presence, we welcome the opportunity to work with OTA in this endeavor.”  

OTA’s renaming and expansion is an evolution for an organization founded in 2005. The actions reflect a broader movement to lead an increasingly global online ecosystem with the overall mission to enhance trust, confidence and the protection of businesses and consumers. With international chapters spanning the globe, OTA will not only be able to cater to a constantly globalising economy, but also hone in on each region’s cultural, economic and regulatory issues.  

“As CEO of a company based in Singapore with clients across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Europe, we’re seeing the globe shrinking from a business perspective. However, despite this globalisation, business must always cater to regional customs and regulations, and comply with local laws in order to build and maintain online trust and integrity,” said new OTA board member and BoxSentry CEO Manish Goel. “OTA’s new international focus will provide members with unrivaled regional insight and reach, and provide regional members a larger voice in global online trust initiatives.”  

“By expanding the board, we now have representatives that span most industries and institutions essential to take online trust to the next level,” said new OTA board member and Goodmail Systems vice president of worldwide business development Charles Stiles. “With this expansion, collaboration between industries, businesses, and advocacy and standards organizations will be seamless, ultimately making the Web a much safer and secure place – no longer the wild west of business.”    

OTA will release a list of recommended best practices for online behavior and email authentication at the 2009 Online Trust Town Hall Meeting and Email Authentication Roundtable at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco on Thursday, April 23 – coinciding with the ad:tech and RSA conferences. The roundtable will be a workshop to discuss email authentication adoption at the corporate domain level, by ISPs and by domain hosts. The town hall meeting will highlight safe, secure and strategic ways companies can conduct business online while enhancing consumer trust. Speakers participating have recently been expanded and are now from or formerly with Facebook, Bank of America, Microsoft, Publishers Clearing House, the White House, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Center for Democracy & Technology and the Interactive Advertising Bureau.

To register for the forum, and for further information on the agenda and speakers visit https://otalliance.org/InternetTownHall.html        

About The Online Trust Alliance (AOTA) https://www.aotalliance.org/
The mission of OTA is to create a trusted global online ecosystem and foster the elimination of email and Internet fraud, abuse and cybercrime; thereby enhancing trust, confidence and the protection of businesses and consumers.  Through its member companies and organization affiliates, OTA represents over one million businesses and 500 million users worldwide with regional chapters in Asia Pacific, Canada and Europe. OTA is a 501c6 IRS-approved non-profit, governed by a Board and Steering Committee including Bank of America, BoxSentry, Datran Media, Epsilon, Goodmail Systems, Iconix, Internet Identity, IronPort (a division of Cisco Systems), MarkMonitor, Message Systems, Microsoft Corporation, MX Logic, Return Path, Symantec Corporation and VeriSign.