GMO GlobalSign today launched TLS Connect, a Certificate Lifecycle Management (CLM) tool designed specifically for SMBs. TLS Connect automates public trust TLS certificate deployment and renewal, allowing SMBs to strengthen security, maintain regulatory compliance and reduce business risk.

The introduction of TLS Connect comes on the heels of the first in a series of TLS certificate lifespan reductions. On March 15, their lifespan dropped from 398 to 200 days. Another drop down to 100 days occurs March 15, 2027. By March 15, 2029, the lifespan of TLS certificates will be shortened to 47 days. “There is a huge business risk in not knowing what certificates you have in your network. If you miss even one certificate renewal, that could bring websites and critical applications to a halt,” said Julie Gaunt, Senior Product Manager, GMO GlobalSign.

Enterprise-style CLM scaled down for small businesses

Given the industry’s sweeping changes, automated tools are no longer a ‘nice to have’, no matter what the size is of the organization. SMBs must ensure their TLS certificates are deployed, renewed, and replaced reliably to avoid service outages and remain compliant with evolving industry requirements. TLS Connect delivers these benefits as a CLM tool created for SMBs.

With built-in certificate discovery, an intuitive interface and streamlined functionality, TLS Connect makes certificate automation and management accessible without the administrative and financial overhead typically associated with traditional CLM tools, making it well suited for smaller environments and constrained IT budgets, while still delivering the automation required to operate at scale.

TLS Connect is deployed on premises within a customer network, enabling centralized management and configuration of TLS certificates across multiple endpoints. TLS certificates can be obtained via GMO GlobalSign’s ATLAS platform or the GlobalSign Certificate Center (GCC).

The key features and benefits of TLS Connect include:

• A certificate discovery/certificate scanner.
• Integration with the ACME protocol.
• Integration with GlobalSign’s Atlas platform for new customers and the GlobalSign Certificate Center (GCC) for existing customers.
• Integration with a variety of network devices and servers.
• Dashboard/reporting.
• Ability to meet regulatory compliance guidelines with confidence.

“With the TLS certificate landscape growing ever more complex, companies of all sizes may feel a loss of control. The critical difference is that most midsize and large enterprises have CLM tools in place to manage their certificates, while SMBs do not,” said Aditya Anand, Head of Business Unit for TLS & CLM CA Division, GMO GlobalSign. “TLS Connect will remove the sting of transitioning to shortened certificate lifespans. Customers will get a powerful CLM solution designed just for SMBs at a price point they can afford, giving them the confidence they need to run their business without fear of a certificate expiring.”

ABI Research Senior Analyst Aisling Dawson added, “Full enterprise CLM often proves too costly for SMBs while settling for no operational CLM at all exposes organizations to certificate outages, potential downtime, and brand and reputational damage. TLS Connect occupies a quickly growing gap in the CLM marketspace between organizations that require full enterprise CLM and those relying on manual tracking processes. As the countdown to 47 days ticks on, updating operational efficiency when it comes to CLM is key to staying on track with shortening certificate lifespans and preparing for the migration to quantum-ready systems.”