The Information Technology 100
82
VeriSign
VeriSign became known for essentially running the Internet's address books, managing the directories for domains such as .com. But it has been steadily branching out into other Net-infrastructure technologies, providing services for security and e-commerce payments. That has paid off handsomely: First-quarter profits jumped more than fivefold, to $49 million, on a 75% rise in sales, to $401 million.
One standout new business: Its Jamba unit, which sells ringtones, games, and other content for mobile phones. Since VeriSign's acquisition of the German company last year, it has become responsible for more than a third of VeriSign's sales. The mobile-content business got another boost in April, with VeriSign's $270 million acquisition of LightSurf, which lets mobile-phone users more easily exchange photos and video.
Company Info
| STOCK INFO | VRSN |
| Revenues* | $1.3 BILLION
|
| Revenue Growth | 32.0%
|
| Return on Equity | 12.9%
|
| Total Return | 77.6%
|
| Profits* | $226.3 MILLION
|
| Industry | INTERNET COMPANIES
|
| CORPORATE WEB SITE
|
All figures are for the most recent available 12 months.
* Latest available data for the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, Jan. 31, Feb. 29, Mar. 31, or Apr. 30. For companies that do not report quarterly, the most recent annual data were used.
Data provided by Standard & Poor's Compustat, BusinessWeek
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Company Snapshot
VeriSign Inc. provides intelligent infrastructure services that enable people and businesses to find, connect, secure, and transact across Internet, telecommunications, and converged networks. The company operates through two segments, the Internet Services Group and the Communications Services Group. The Internet Services Group segment consists of the Security Services business and the Naming and Directory Services business. The Security Services business provides products and services that enable enterprises and service providers to establish and deliver Internet-based services to customers. The Naming and Directory Services business acts as the registry of domain names in the .com and .net generic top-level domains, and certain country code top-level domains. The Communications Services Group segment offers network connectivity and interoperability services, intelligent data base services, mobile content and application services, and billing and payment services to telecommunications carriers and other users. VeriSign markets its products and services through its direct sales force, telesales operations, member organizations in its global affiliate network, value-added resellers, service providers, and its Web sites. VeriSign’s operations are located in the United States, Canada, Latin America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, Japan, and Asia Pacific. The company was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif.
No. of Employees
3,206
Data provided by 
Stratton D. Sclavos
Bio
Stratton Sclavos has been President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of VeriSign Inc. since July 1995. In December 2001, Mr. Sclavos was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of Verisign. From July 1993 to June 1995, Mr. Sclavos served as Vice President, Worldwide Marketing and Sales of Taligent Inc., a software development company that was a joint venture among Apple Computer, IBM, and Hewlett-Packard. From May 1992 to September 1993, Mr. Sclavos was Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Business Development of GO Corp., a pen-based computer company. Prior to that time, from 1988 until 1993, he served in various sales and marketing capacities for MIPS Computer Systems Inc. and Megatest Corp. Mr. Sclavos has been a Director of VeriSign Inc. since July 1995, Salesforce.com Inc. since February 2000, Intuit Inc. since August 2001, and is a Member of Corporate and Nominating Committees. He has been a Director of Juniper Networks Inc. since May 2000. He serves as a Director of two private technology-based companies. He served as a Director of Network Solutions Inc. since 1997, Keynote Systems Inc. from April 1999 to December 29, 2003. and Marimba Inc. since February 1999 and was a Member of Audit Committee. Mr. Sclavos holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of California, Davis.
AGE: 43
Titles
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors
Total Compensation*
$ 6 MILLION
Total Value of Options**
$ 61 MILLION
Degrees Held
University of California - Davis (BS)
* Latest available fiscal year
** The sum of the net value of options exercised and held in the latest available fiscal year
Key Executives
Stratton D. Sclavos, Dana L. Evan, Quentin P. Gallivan, Vernon L. Irvin, Robert J. Korzeniewski, Judy Lin, Aristotle Balogh, Mark McLaughlin, James M. Ulam
Board Members
Stratton D. Sclavos, Scott G. Kriens, Len J. Lauer, Roger H. Moore, Edward A. Mueller, William A. Roper, Jr., D. James Bidzos, William L. Chenevich, Gregory L. Reyes
