Updated: Verisign's Pruning To Start; May Divest Off Mobile Messaging and Content Delivery Services

Updated: This has been officially announced: Among the divisions it will divest: communications, billing and commerce. it will now focus on its Web site-naming and Internet security services. More details in release, but still unclear: if the mobile messaging and broadband content-delivery units will also be divested.

Original post: This has been rumored for a while: Verisign is set to announce during an analyst meeting today that it plans to divest itself of as many as 10 of its 15 business units as part of a corporate overhaul, reports WSJ. Among the units that will be most affected is the communications service unit, which includes its carrier billing services, communications consulting and other services. The company may end up focusing on only three major businesses, including its core Internet name registry and e-commerce security units, the story says.

Also, on a slightly longer term (next six months), and more relevant to digital media: it is weighing whether to keep its mobile messaging and broadband content-delivery units, where executives are worried about costs to remain competitive. That may also affect its Moreover content intelligence unit that ti bought two years ago. Also, it ows 49 percent of mobile content firm Jamba, which I would assume News Corp. (NYSE: NWS) which owns the rest, may buy out completely.

The company is in talks with private-equity firms and mobile operators that could buy some of the units. The company said it expects to shut down some of the businesses if buyers aren’t found.

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