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Gemplus Joins Visa's Low Cost Smart Card Program



CARDTECH/SECURTECH, LAS VEGAS, 17 May 2001 – The world’s leading provider of smart cards, Gemplus, has joined Visa International’s low cost smart card program to offer Visa member banks a family of low cost multi-application smart cards.

By joining the program, Gemplus will offer Visa members an entire portfolio of low cost smart card products capable of hosting various combinations of applications. These may include loyalty, secure Internet access, and electronic purse, all of which can coexist alongside Visa’s debit/credit payment applications. The program has been developed in conjunction with Philips Semiconductors and uses the company’s highly advanced chip solutions.

James Lee, senior vice president, Emerging Technologies, at Visa International, said: “With Gemplus joining the program, we can now offer low cost products from manufacturers of over 90 per cent of the world’s smart cards. It justifies our belief that dynamic multi-application smart cards can be produced at a price which is attractive to card issuers and which significantly enhances the business case for chip. This is a significant step in opening up the banking market to smart cards and encouraging competition.”


“ We are pleased to join Visa International and their many member banks, with this timely, flexible and cost effective smart card technology solution, which compliments our GemXpresso portfolio. Further, in partnership with Visa International, we embrace the opportunity to reinforce and accelerate smart card adoption with end to end solutions.” Says Gilles Michel, President, Financial and Security Services Business Unit, Gemplus.

Visa and Gemplus have worked together in the past to provide low cost smart cards and were the first to announce the availability of a three-dollar Open Platform card, called GemXpresso Lite, last year. Visa has also just announced an expansion of its low cost program to include two new card products. Both feature public key capabilities and one also includes a dual interface allowing transactions in contactless mode.

The family of new smart cards offered under the low cost card program is based on the Java Card™ 2.1 and the Open Platform 2.0.1’ specifications. One of the key benefits of the Open Platform is its dynamic downloading capability that enables applications to be loaded or removed from a card after it has been issued and in a highly secure manner.




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About Visa International
Visa is the world’s leading payments brand and the largest payments system worldwide. Visa-branded cards generate more than US$1.7 trillion in annual volume and are accepted at over 21 million locations around the world. The Visa organization plays a pivotal role in advancing new payment products and technologies to benefit its 21,000 member financial institutions and their cardholders. Visa is a leader in Internet based payments and is pioneering the creation of u-commerce, or universal commerce - the ability to conduct commerce anytime, anywhere, over any type of device. Visa’s Internet Address is www.visa.com. Java Card is a trademark or registered trademark in the United States and other countries


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About Gemplus
GEMPLUS: the world's leading smart card solutions provider

Since its creation in 1988, Gemplus International S.A.(Euronext: Sicovam 5768 and NASDAQ:GEMP) has driven the global marketing and deployment of smart card-based applications for telecommunications, financial services and e-business security.

According to the most recent third party research, Gemplus leads the industry with 35% market share by volume in memory and micro-processor cards (Gartner Dataquest, 2000).

Gemplus is instrumental throughout the value chain - chip design, card management systems, software development, and consulting - delivering integrated custom-made solutions for the security, personalization and privacy management needs of clients and partners worldwide.

Gemplus technology has played a defining role in the development of wireless telephony since the introduction of SIM cards into the GSM standard in 1990. For more than a decade, Gemplus has pioneered applications that enable network operators around the world to answer the changing needs of their customers. Gemplus was first to market with a 3G card and supplies a product range compliant with new and emerging transmission standards - 2.5G, 3G.

In 2000, revenue was 1.205 BE, up 57% from the previous year's 767ME. Net income was 99 ME. Gemplus employs more than 7800 people in 37 countries worldwide.

Since 11 December 2000, Gemplus shares have been trading on Euronext Paris S.A. First Market and on Nasdaq in the form of ADSs.

Gemplus: www.gemplus.com


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Contacts
Gemplus, Marielle Bricman
tel: 33 4 42 36 55 96
email: marielle.bricman@gemplus.com

Gemplus Americas, Ron Schwenger
tel: 1 650-654-2917
email: ron.schwenger@gemplus.com

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT CERTAIN OF THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS RELEASE MAY CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITHIN THE MEANING OF SECTION 27A OF THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 AND SECTION 21E OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934. THESE STATEMENTS RELATE TO FUTURE EVENTS OR OUR FUTURE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES AND OTHER FACTORS INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION CUSTOMER DEMAND FOR OUR PRODUCTS, SUPPLY OF KEY COMPONENTS, DEVELOPMENTS IN THE MARKET AND ADVANCES IN TECHNOLOGY THAT MAY CAUSE OUR OR OUR INDUSTRY'S ACTUAL RESULTS, LEVELS OF ACTIVITY, OR PERFORMANCE TO MATERIALLY DIFFER FROM THOSE EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. FOR A MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THESE FACTORS, PLEASE SEE GEMPLUS’ MOST RECENT FILINGS WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. THESE STATEMENTS REFLECT MANAGEMENT’S CURRENT EXPECTATIONS REGARDING FUTURE EVENTS AND OPERATING PERFORMANCE AND SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS RELEASE. WE ARE UNDER NO DUTY TO UPDATE OR REVISE ANY OF THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AFTER THIS DATE OR TO CONFORM SUCH STATEMENTS TO ACTUAL RESULTS OR TO REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF ANTICIPATED RESULTS.


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