Agreement Provides for Large Scale Deployment of Certicom's Security Technology for Handspring's Wireless Products 

HAYWARD, Calif., March 27, 2001 - Certicom (Nasdaq: CERT; TSE: CIC), a leading provider of mobile e-business security, today announced a licensing agreement which will enable Handspring (Nasdaq: HAND) to utilize Certicom's industry leading security technologies throughout its wireless product offerings. Initially, Handspring intends to integrate the technology with its Blazer web browsing software, for use with wireless handheld products such as Handspring's state-of-the-art VisorPhone. Combining Certicom's efficient security technology with Handspring's highly-acclaimed wireless products, will help bring unique service offerings and trusted mobile commerce applications to the industry. 

The agreement enables Handspring to use Certicom's high performance security technology, SSL Plus™ for Embedded Systems with Elliptic Curve Crytography (ECC), for a broad range of products and applications, beginning with the Blazer web browser and VisorPhone. Using Blazer with Certicom's security technology, users of Handspring's VisorPhone can have secure, end-to-end mobile commerce solutions for a broad range of customers, including carriers, financial institutions, and application service providers. 

"The Certicom technology offers both strong security and great performance in a small, efficient package," said Joe Sipher, vice president of product marketing for Handspring. "With Certicom security technology our customers will be able to use Handspring products to conduct secure e-commerce transactions with confidence." 

Handspring Visor is one of the most rapidly adopted computer hardware products in recent history. Handspring's VisorPhone, designed for use with Handspring's line of handheld computers, is a GSM world phone (900/1900 MHz) that leverages the robust PIM functionality and larger screen of Visor handhelds to bring Address Book dialing, enhanced caller ID, conference calling and other features to a new level of usability. With the company's Blazer web browser, optimized for rapid transport of web content to handheld devices, VisorPhone becomes a robust tool for accessing the Internet wirelessly. Certicom's encryption technology will help extend this Internet access capability to a greater range of applications where secure browsing and transactions are needed. 

"Handspring is clearly on the cutting-edge in providing today's consumer with a new age of wireless products such as the easy-to-use, versatile VisorPhone module," said Richard Depew, Certicom's executive vice president. "We are extremely pleased to provide a vital component to support Handspring's wireless products." 

About SSL Plus for Embedded Systems
By incorporating ECC, Certicom's SSL Plus for Embedded Systems enables developers to easily add SSL, the dominant security protocol on the Internet, to their embedded applications. The small size, high performance and cost advantages of ECC are a natural fit for mobile devices, e-commerce and other online applications requiring commercial-strength security. SSL Plus for Embedded Systems enables increased security for a wide range of applications on PalmOS and Windows CE handhelds, mobile phones and other wireless devices that are connected to corporate enterprise, consumer service and electronic commerce applications. 

About Certicom
Certicom is a leading provider of information security software and services, specializing in solutions for mobile e-business. The company's products and services are specifically designed to address the challenges imposed by a wireless data environment. Certicom's solutions incorporate its efficient encryption technology and are based on industry standards for information security that utilize public key cryptography. Certicom's products are currently licensed to more than 150 customers including ePocrates, Inc., Motorola, Inc., NeoPoint, Inc., Nortel Networks, Openwave Systems, Inc., Palm, Inc., Pixo, Inc., QUALCOMM, Inc., Research In Motion Ltd. and Sony International (Europe) GmbH. Certicom's headquarters and worldwide sales and marketing operations are based in the Silicon Valley in Hayward. For more information, visit Certicom's Web site at http://www.certicom.com.

Certicom and SSL Plus are trademarks and or registered trademarks of Certicom Corp. All other companies and products listed herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. 

Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Factors that might cause a difference include, but are not limited to, those relating to the acceptance of mobile and wireless devices and the continued growth of e-commerce and m-commerce (mobile e-commerce), the increase of the demand for mutual authentication in m-commerce transactions, the acceptance of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) technology as an industry standard, the market acceptance of our principle products and sales of our customer's products, the impact of competitive products and technologies, the possibility of our products infringing patents and other intellectual property of third parties, and costs of product development. Certicom will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect Certicom's financial results is included in the documents Certicom files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian securities regulatory authorities including Certicom's current Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

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