HPE backs Let's Encrypt

Let's Encrypt says it has ended its beta period and gained a new sponsor.

The free HTTPS certificate service says that not much will change, other than shedding the "beta" label.

"Since our beta began in September 2015 we've issued more than 1.7 million certificates for more than 3.8 million websites," the team said on Tuesday.

"We've gained tremendous operational experience and confidence in our systems. The beta label is simply not necessary any more."

Along with dropping its beta label, Let's Encrypt announced Tuesday that it had signed a fresh round of sponsorship deals, including one with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, which will be joining as a "silver" sponsor. Meanwhile, Cisco and Akamai renewed their "platinum" sponsor agreements and Gemalto said it would be backing Let's Encrypt as a "gold" sponsor. ®