TNO will provide validator node services to the world’s first distributed ledger purpose-built for identity

Salt Lake City, UT, Feb. 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Sovrin Foundation announced the addition of the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), an independent research organization, as a founding steward. In that role, TNO will dedicate hardware, security and network capacity to assist in the operation of the Sovrin identity network, which uses distributed ledger technology to provide the Internet with a long-missing identity layer. Volunteer stewards are mandated by the Sovrin Foundation’s constitutional Trust Framework, which seeks to achieve independence through diffuse trust in order to prevent any single organization from exerting undue influence over the network.

Sovrin is a global public utility built to provide users -- including individuals, organizations and connected devices -- with self-sovereign identity. Sovrin is the only identity solution with a purpose-built distributed ledger at its core.

“We’re very excited to have TNO as a steward,” said Dr. Phil Windley, chairman of the Sovrin Foundation. “TNO boasts a distinguished nine-decade history as an independent entity promoting scientific innovation in a part of the world with a rich and long history of ground-breaking discovery. Independence and innovation are also two of the guiding principles of the Sovrin Foundation.”

TNO’s position as a leader in scientific innovation makes it a logical addition to the Sovrin network.

“Establishing trusted online interactions is vital to many of the sectors we are working in, such as e-government, financial services and healthcare,” said Pieter Verhagen, business development manager of TNO’s Information and Communication Technology research unit. “The Sovrin technology is key to facilitating this trust and we are eager to be an early participant in its development and progress. Sovrin provides a world leading blockchain-based identity infrastructure, that is expected to be used in many Dutch self-sovereign identity experiments and pilots TNO is involved in.”

As a steward, TNO is one of several organizations spanning a diverse cross-section of the global business and non-profit landscape whose responsibility it is to ensure the Sovrin network is available, public, and secure. TNO is also one of three Dutch stewards, alongside digital identity and data protection firms Tykn and Qiy Foundation.

The aim of the Sovrin network is to enhance trusting transactions by providing every entity operating on the Internet with true self-sovereign identity’ which refers to a digital identity that is permanent, secure, portable, private and completely trustworthy. The advent of distributed ledger and smartphone technologies make the prospect of self-sovereign digital identity a true possibility for the first time in history.

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About the Sovrin Foundation
The international, non-profit Sovrin Foundation is governed by a constitutional Trust Framework that ensures its independence from government or industry influence and codifies its dedication to providing self-sovereign digital identity for all. The Sovrin network is operated by independent stewards and uses the power of a hybrid distributed ledger as a fast, private and secure framework for providing every person, organization, and connected device a permanent identity with which to transact online and operate securely in everyday life. Learn more about the Trust Framework underlying the Sovrin network here.

About TNO
The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) is an independent research organization. We connect people and knowledge to create innovations that boost the sustainable competitive strength of industry and well-being of society. This is our mission and it is what drives us, the over 3,000 professionals at TNO, in our work every day. We work in collaboration with partners and focus on nine transitions that we have identified together with our stakeholders.

TNO’s Information & Communication Technology (ICT) unit aims to assist its clients, partners and other TNO units through complex digital transformations by leveraging its know-how in ICT, policy and business models. In concrete terms, we work in three main areas: data-driven innovations, robust networks, and integrated computer systems. We operate in domains such as ICT, telecoms, defense and security, high-tech industry, the energy sector, mobility and logistics. TNO is active in the field of blockchain and digital identity, and is one of the founding members of the Dutch Blockchain Coalition.

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fb643813-e6c7-48dd-9ee7-a52ea15f23a1

Judd Bagley
Sovrin.org
385.237.0162
judd.bagley@sovrin.org

Caroline Ubachs
TNO
+31 88 866 0888
caroline.ubachs@tno.nl

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