VeriSign / R4 Global Solutions

VeriSign Inc., a provider of network and Internet security products, said late Wednesday it acquired R4 Global Solutions for $15 million in cash.

San Francisco-based R4 Global Solutions is a provider of supply chain and radio frequency identification technology, which allows an object or person to be identified at a distance using radio frequency.

The company said the acquisition closed today, and the deal is expected to be neutral to VeriSign's earnings per share for 2005.

VeriSign shares rose 83 cents, or 2.9 percent, to close at $29.95 on the Nasdaq, and then rose another 2 cents to $29.97 in after-hours activity.

(AP)