Name

GMO GlobalSign

Legal name

GMOグローバルサイン株式会社

Website

https://globalsign.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. SSL Server Certificates: Issuance and renewal of SSL server certificates for website security. Provides authentication levels suited to various purposes and offers operational cost reduction plans.
2. Client Certificates / Managed PKI: Client certificates for device-based access control, two-factor authentication, and S/MIME email security. Revenue from certificate issuance and management services.
3. Document Signing / Code Signing Certificates: Digital signatures for PDF documents and software distribution. Certificates prove document signer identity and signing date, detecting tampering.
4. IoT Device Security Services: High-volume electronic certificate issuance and ID lifecycle management for IoT devices in the IoT market.
5. GMO Trust Login (SSO): Enterprise single sign-on service offered as a cloud-based IDaaS. Initial fee is free with subscription-based pricing for ongoing use.
6. eKYC Services: AI-powered online identity verification service for quick and high-security personal verification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GMO GlobalSign issues and manages digital certificates and identity services for enterprises, governments, and developers. Its core offerings include SSL/TLS server certificates, client (device/user) certificates for multi-factor authentication and S/MIME email security, document and code signing certificates, high-volume IoT device certificate lifecycle services, an AI-powered online eKYC identity verification service, and an enterprise single sign-on (SSO) cloud platform (GMO Trust Login). Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, an automated hosting-provider API (One Click SSL), and online self-service.

Product overview

GMO GlobalSign operates as a comprehensive digital identity and security services provider with a portfolio of interconnected certificate and identity management products. The core offerings center on SSL/TLS server certificates (with over 50 million cumulative issuance records), client/machine certificates for authentication and S/MIME, document and code signing certificates, and IoT device security services. These are complemented by identity verification solutions including GMO Face Authentication eKYC and the enterprise SSO platform GMO Trust Login (IDaaS). The product line spans from foundational PKI-based certificate services to cloud identity management, all unified under the company's mission of providing trusted digital IDs for people and things.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GMOトラスト・ログイン (GMO TrustLogin): Enterprise single sign-on (SSO) cloud service providing centralized ID and password management, reducing login friction and preventing password reuse.
• GMO顔認証eKYC
• Managed PKI Lite byGMO
• IoTデバイスセキュリティ (IoT Device Security)
• ワンクリックSSLサービス byGMO (One-Click SSL)

Products and services

• SSL Server Certificates (SSLサーバ証明書) SSL/TLS server certificates with over 50 million cumulative issuance records, offering multiple authentication levels (DV/OV/EV) and cost-reduction plans to enable HTTPS-secured websites and web applications. Targeted at enterprises, public-facing organizations, and developers globally.
• Managed PKI Lite byGMO (Client Certificates) Client certificates for PCs and mobile devices that enforce access control to critical systems such as Salesforce via two-factor authentication, and provide S/MIME email signing and encryption for organizational information security. Targeted at enterprises with identity and email security needs.
• Document Signing Certificates (電子署名サービス) Digital signature certificates applied to PDF documents that prove the signer's identity and the signing date, detect tampering, and enable safe distribution of important documents. Targeted at organizations that need legally verifiable electronic signatures on documents.
• Code Signing Certificates (コードサイニング証明書) Digital signature certificates for software that identify the developer, detect tampering with the code, and enable safe distribution of software to end users. Targeted at software developers and software vendors.
• IoT Device Security Service (IoTデバイスセキュリティサービス) High-speed mass issuance of electronic certificates for IoT devices and comprehensive management of IoT device ID lifecycle including registration, issuance, distribution, renewal, suspension, and transfer. Targeted at IoT device manufacturers, OEMs, and operators running large fleets of connected devices.
• GMO Face Authentication eKYC (GMO顔認証eKYC) Online quick high-security identity verification service using AI to determine in real time whether a user is a real person (not a robot or automated attack), verifying identity documents and performing facial analysis. Targeted at online service operators, fintechs, telecoms, and other businesses with KYC obligations.
• GMO Trust Login (GMOトラスト・ログイン) Enterprise single sign-on (SSO) cloud service (IDaaS) that consolidates IDs and passwords for internal business systems and cloud services, reducing login friction and preventing password reuse. Free initial setup, with subscription pricing for ongoing use, and integration with 7,800 SaaS applications. Targeted at enterprises standardizing identity and access management across cloud and on-premise systems.
• One Click SSL byGMO (API product) API service for hosting service providers that fully automates the SSL certificate lifecycle — from CSR generation and key management through to server certificate installation — in a single flow. Targeted at web hosting providers, domain registrars, and SaaS platforms that resell or embed HTTPS provisioning.
• VMC byGMO (Corporate Logo Certificate) Corporate Verified Mark Certificate (VMC) service that enables verified display of brand logos in email clients and other messaging surfaces, supporting brand authentication and anti-spoofing for outbound communications.
• Timestamp Certification Service (タイムスタンプ認定制度) Government-certified timestamp service under the Japanese Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務大臣) timestamp certification system, providing regulatory-grade trusted timestamps for electronic records and transactions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ million SSL server certificates issued globally
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• European Trust Services (eIDAS/PSD2 Compliance)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Trust services compliant with eIDAS (European Electronic Identification and Trust Services) and PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2) regulations offered primarily in Europe starting 2020.
• Cloud Signature Consortium (クラウド署名コンソーシアム)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018GMO GlobalSign joined the Cloud Signature Consortium in 2018, participating in the development of cloud-based digital signature standards and solutions for enterprise document workflows.
• Adobe Cloud Signature Partner ProgramcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2018Adobeとの契約により、Adobe Acrobat DCなどのAdobe製品でGMOのクラウド署名を利用可能にする連携サービスを提供。企業ユーザーはAdobe環境でGMOのデジタル署名サービスを使用できる。
• Ubisecure (ユビecure)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014IAM software company acquired as a group company in 2014 to strengthen identity and access management capabilities.
• Hosting Service Provider Partners (One Click SSL)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2008World's first automated SSL service allowing hosting providers to offer one-click certificate purchase through installation via API integration, handling CSR generation, key management, and certificate installation automatically.
• Certification Services Ltd. (CSL) / GMO GlobalSign Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Acquired UK-based Certification Services Ltd. (CSL) and Belgian GlobalSign NV in 2006, forming the foundation of the global GMO GlobalSign operation with European PKI expertise.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves21 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Onfido: AI-based digital identity verification (eKYC) provider, now part of Entrust. Directly comparable to GMO Face Authentication eKYC in online identity verification for customer onboarding and KYC/AML compliance.
• DocuSign: Market-leading electronic signature and agreement cloud platform. Overlaps with GMO GlobalSign's document and code signing certificate business in digital signature workflows, particularly through the Cloud Signature Consortium standard GMO supports.

Direct peers

• Sectigo: Major global certificate authority (formerly Comodo CA) offering SSL/TLS, S/MIME, code signing, and IoT device certificates. Competes head-to-head with GMO GlobalSign in the SMB and hosting-provider SSL channel and enterprise PKI segments.
• Entrust: Direct competitor in PKI, SSL certificates, and identity verification (including via the acquired Onfido eKYC business). Overlaps with GMO GlobalSign in TLS certificates, eKYC, and enterprise identity solutions across financial services and government verticals.
• DigiCert: Global leader in TLS/SSL, PKI, and digital certificate management, directly competing with GMO GlobalSign in enterprise and government CA services worldwide. Comparable product breadth across SSL, IoT, document signing, and managed PKI, but at significantly larger scale.
• Let's Encrypt (ISRG): Non-profit free automated certificate authority issuing the majority of public SSL certificates globally. While not a paid competitor, Let's Encrypt directly commoditizes the same DV SSL certificate market that drives GMO GlobalSign's core SSL business.
• Keyfactor: Certificate lifecycle automation and PKI management vendor serving enterprises with high-volume certificate needs. Competes with GMO GlobalSign in the certificate lifecycle management and PKI-as-a-service layer, particularly for IoT and enterprise use cases.
• Venafi (CyberArk): Machine identity management and certificate lifecycle automation platform. Comparable to GMO GlobalSign's Managed PKI and IoT device identity offerings, focused on enterprise certificate operations at scale, now part of CyberArk.

Broad incumbents

• Okta: Leading cloud-native identity and access management (IDaaS) platform. Overlaps with GMO Trust Login in enterprise SSO/MFA but offers a much broader workforce and customer identity portfolio (Workforce, Customer Identity, Privileged Access).
• Microsoft Entra ID: Microsoft's cloud identity and access management service (formerly Azure AD), bundled with Microsoft 365 and Azure. Represents the dominant IDaaS incumbent globally and a major indirect competitor to GMO Trust Login in enterprise SSO.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlobalSign_JP

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GMO GlobalSign