ADVISORY/ Major Financial Institutions Announce New Company to Provide Businesses Globally With a Single Electronic Identity.

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Paves the way for widespread implementation of

international business-to-business e-commerce 

-0-

WHO: Executives from eight global financial institutions - ABN, AMRO
     Bank N.V., Bank of America, Bankers Trust, Barclays Bank, Chase
     Manhattan, Citibank, Deutsche Bank and Hypo Vereinsbank - and
     CertCo, an electronic commerce security leader.

WHAT: Audio conference calls announcing they intend to form a new
     global, for profit company, to enable the widespread adoption of
     trusted business-to-business electronic commerce.

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 21, 1998


  REGION               TODAY             PHONE NUMBER
                     WEDNESDAY
                     OCTOBER 21

European media       2:45 p.m.        [phone] - European access
                    (London time)     [phone] - U.S.

Eastern and Midwest  11:30 a.m. EDT   [phone] - U.S.
U.S. media                            [phone] - European access

Western U.S. media   11:00 a.m. PDT   [phone] - U.S.
                                      [phone] - European access

WHERE: Calls based in New York, N.Y., USA.

WHY: The new global trust enterprise will become the first business
     solution that addresses one of the real barriers to worldwide
     e-commerce adoption: uncertainty about a trading partner's
     identity. With this effort, the financial services industry is
     extending its well-established role as facilitator to global
     trade into the digital economy.