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Hardware security vendor and cryptographic acceleration specialist nCipher Plc has put together a series of new partnerships and products in a bid to ease the problems of deploying security to XML applications and web services.

The difficulties of managing and protecting authentication and authorization processes using cryptography and digital signatures is seen as a barrier to widespread adoption of XML applications and web services.

Cambridge, UK-based nCipher has announced XML-ready versions of its nShield and nForce cryptographic key management products, and said it will be working with a trio of XML security partners to identify "key points of risk in delivering web services."

Partnership deals have been signed with the Salt Lake City, Utah-based secure appliances vendor Forum Systems Inc, the Belmont, California-based firewall vendor Reactivity, and Westbridge Technology Inc, a supplier of an XML Message Server system based in Mountain View, California.

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