Certicom Joins ZigBee Alliance Global Ecosystem

    Certicom Helps Energy and Utility Companies More Effectively Address
    Environmental and Conservation Issues

    MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 20 /CNW/ - Certicom Corp. (TSX: CIC) today announced
it has joined the ZigBee Alliance, a global ecosystem of more than 250
companies dedicated to ensuring reliable, cost-effective, low-power,
wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global
standard. As a Participant member, Certicom will take part in ZigBee Alliance
working groups and member meetings and have early access to ZigBee Alliance
specifications.
    With energy costs continuing to rise, utilities are deploying smart
metering systems to get the most efficient use out of existing power
generation infrastructure. Metering companies are turning to ZigBee to enable
low-cost mass market deployment. ZigBee members, including Certicom, developed
the ZigBee Smart Energy public application profile to meet the requirements of
wireless smart metering applications such as demand response, load control and
other energy efficiency programs.
    Certicom's newly released Device Authentication Service for ZigBee Smart
Energy enables secure, low-cost, low-bandwidth networking, based on Elliptic
Curve Cryptography (ECC). ECC is the strongest, most trusted form of
encryption for resource-constrained applications such as ZigBee Smart Energy
devices. With this new offering, Certicom can now provide secure wireless data
communications and authentication for smart metering devices (see news
release:
http://www.certicom.com/index.php/2008-press-releases/34-2008-press-release/65
3-certicom-device-authentication-zigbee-smart-energy).
    "Securely managing a network of smart metering devices is a complex
process, and ZigBee meets that challenge and assures utility companies, meter
manufacturers and end customers that only trusted devices have access to the
utility network," said Bob Heile, Chairman of the ZigBee Alliance. "We proudly
welcome Certicom as a valued member of our global ecosystem and we look
forward to drawing upon the company's knowledge and leadership in security as
ZigBee continues providing secure networks."
    "As utility companies worldwide continue to embrace the application of
smart meters, it is very important to ensure that the information being
transferred along the network - as well as the network itself - are both
properly secured from unauthorized intrusion or manipulation," said Jim
Alfred, director of product management for Certicom. "We look forward to
playing an active role in the ZigBee Alliance by helping metering companies
develop and deploy the most secure wireless devices."

    ZigBee: Wireless Control that Simply Works

    The ZigBee Alliance is currently more than 260 Alliance Members strong
and has a presence in 28 countries spanning six continents. ZigBee is the only
standards-based technology designed to address the unique needs of low-cost,
low-power, wireless sensor networks for energy management and efficiency, home
and commercial building automation, plus embedded network applications in the
industrial and consumer markets. Companies who want to have input on
developing the ZigBee specification and create ZigBee products can join the
Alliance by visiting www.zigbee.org/en/join. The ZigBee Specification is
available for free download from the ZigBee website.

    About Certicom

    Certicom protects the value of content, applications and devices with
government-approved security. Adopted by the National Security Agency (NSA)
for government communications, Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) provides the
most security per bit of any known public-key scheme. As the global leader in
ECC, Certicom security offerings are currently licensed to more than 300
customers including General Dynamics, Motorola, Oracle, Research In Motion and
Unisys. Founded in 1985, Certicom's corporate offices are in Mississauga,
Ontario, Canada with worldwide sales and marketing headquarters in Reston,
Virginia and offices in the U.S., Canada, Europe and China. Visit
www.certicom.com.

    Certicom, Certicom Security Architecture, Certicom Trust Infrastructure,
Certicom CodeSign, Certicom KeyInject, Security Builder, Security Builder API,
Security Builder BSP, Security Builder Crypto, Security Builder ETS, Security
Builder GSE, Security Builder IPSec, Security Builder NSE, Security Builder
PKI and Security Builder SSL are trademarks or registered trademarks of
Certicom Corp. All other companies and products listed herein are trademarks
or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information subject to
change.

    Except for historical information contained herein, this news release
contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties.
Forward-looking information includes information concerning the Company's
future financial performance, business strategy, plans, goals and objectives.
When used in such documents, the words "plans", "expects", "budget",
"scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", "will",
"believes" or variations of such words and phrases often, but not always,
identify forward looking statements. Factors which could cause actual results
or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other
things: the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic
initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected
benefits; the ability of the Company to develop, promote and protect its
proprietary technology security breaches or defects in the Company's products;
competitive conditions in the businesses in which the Company participates;
changes in consumer spending; the outcome of legal proceedings as they arise;
general economic conditions and normal business uncertainty; consolidation in
the Company's industry and by its customers; customer preferences towards
product offerings; the risk that customers may cancel their contracts with the
Company; reliance on a limited number of customers; demand for ECC-based
technology; performance of the Company's management team and the Company's
ability to attract and retain skilled employees; operating the Company's
business profitably; fluctuations in revenue and foreign currency exchange
rates; interest rate fluctuations and other changes in borrowing costs; the
ability to develop and maintain strategic relationships; and other factors
identified under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual
information form dated July 26, 2007 and filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

    %SEDAR: 00003865E

For further information: For Certicom: John Conrad, Merritt Group Inc.,
(703) 390-1538, conrad@merrittgrp.com