IPSCA or other SSL certificate authorities

We've used IPSCA certificates at Texas Wesleyan for about seven years. They
work well most of the time, but their root CA certificate is not included in
some operating systems, specifically those in some hand-held computers. This
can create some support calls from those users, who will need to download the
root CA cert from IPSCA. Also, I've noticed that the screening of applicants
for certificates is more thorough with VeriSign and Thawte. I don't agree
that anything you get for nothing is worth nothing. We've saved thousands of
dollars using IPSCA certs. -G.

---------- Original Message -----------
From: "E.H. Uwe Beltz" <ubeltz@gmail.com>
To: teknoids@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
Sent: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 11:52:00 -0500
Subject: [teknoids] IPSCA or other SSL certificate authorities

> Are you using the IPSCA (or other similar SSL Certificate authority)
> as opposed to Verisgn? If so, I would appreciate your confirmation
> (on in the alternative - why to avoid using these other services) as
> support for an argument to switch to these certificates as opposed
> to the rather expensive Verisign Certificates.
>
> I understand the main argument to be that anything you get for free -
> is worth just that - and Versign is supposedly a more sound/stable
organization.
> However - it seems that IPSCA has been around quite some time and
> is very reliable.
>
> Are there any technical reasons to avoid IPSCA - or is it only the
> price you pay argument?
>
> Any information you can provide would be most appreciated.
>

I haven't had any problems with our ipsCA certs, I've even switched all our
old Thawte certs to them to save a ton of money. It's been a few years
since I bought one, but I think we were paying about $149/yr with Thawte
certs even with the discounted PKI pricing.

-Mike

From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
[mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of E.H. Uwe Beltz
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 12:52 PM
To: teknoids@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
Subject: [teknoids] IPSCA or other SSL certificate authorities

Are you using the IPSCA (or other similar SSL Certificate authority) as
opposed to Verisgn?

If so, I would appreciate your confirmation (on in the alternative - why to
avoid using these other services) as support for an argument to switch to
these certificates as opposed to the rather expensive Verisign Certificates.

I understand the main argument to be that anything you get for free - is
worth just that - and Versign is supposedly a more sound/stable
organization.

However - it seems that IPSCA has been around quite some time and is very
reliable.

Are there any technical reasons to avoid IPSCA - or is it only the price you
pay argument?

Any information you can provide would be most appreciated.

The IPSCA free SSL works fine for New England School of Law.

From: teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu [mailto:teknoids-bounces@ruckus.law.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of E.H. Uwe Beltz
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2009 12:52 PM
To: teknoids@ruckus.law.cornell.edu
Subject: [teknoids] IPSCA or other SSL certificate authorities

Are you using the IPSCA (or other similar SSL Certificate authority) as opposed to Verisgn?
If so, I would appreciate your confirmation (on in the alternative - why to avoid using these other services) as support for an argument to switch to these certificates as opposed to the rather expensive Verisign Certificates.

I understand the main argument to be that anything you get for free - is worth just that - and Versign is supposedly a more sound/stable organization.
However - it seems that IPSCA has been around quite some time and is very reliable.

Are there any technical reasons to avoid IPSCA - or is it only the price you pay argument?

Any information you can provide would be most appreciated.

--
E.H. Uwe "Ed" Beltz, JD, MSLS
Associate Director for Law Library and Computing
Texas Tech University Law Library
1802 Hartford Ave
Lubbock, TX 79409
phone: 806-742-3990 extension 286
uwe.beltz@ttu.edu