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Gemplus® Teams with Industry Leader to Build and Promote Smart Card Infrastructure
Gemplus GemCore smart card technology to power new Compaq® Presario® PCs for consumer market
Luxembourg, 2 July, 2001 –– Gemplus (NASDAQ:GEMP), the world’s leading provider of smart card-enabled solutions, today announced its agreement with Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) to immediately deliver to US consumers computer keyboards with integrated Gemplus-powered smart card readers. This collaboration among industry leaders is a momentous step for the smart card industry, delivering the consumer-friendly infrastructure necessary for mainstream smart card adoption.
In order for smart cards to live up to their promising potential, smart card readers must be easy for consumers to access and use. The lack of reader infrastructure traditionally has been a major barrier for mass adoption of smart cards worldwide.
“There is growing momentum behind the use of smart cards for a range of financial and identity applications, both within corporations and involving consumers on the Internet. The integration of smart card readers into market-leading desktop computers is an important step to broad deployment, and creates the supporting hardware infrastructure for secure applications and services,” said Phil Schacter, VP & Director of Network Strategy Services at The Burton Group. “This collaboration between industry leaders, Gemplus and Compaq, provides a quality affordable solution for consumers that want to buy on the Internet using the new generation of smart credit cards.”
« The alliance between Compaq and Gemplus finally pushes the smart card market forward creating vast opportunities » Adds Anoop Ubhey Smart Card Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan « This is a move that the industry has been waiting for a long time. Introducing smart card readers in PCs has been talked about for a long time but nothing has happened, but this alliance between the best in their respective markets will generate great opportunities in new application such as network security (network access). »
In a move to improve the security and convenience of online shopping for its customers, Compaq is introducing in the United States, its Smart Credit Card Internet Keyboards with select models of its newest 5000 and 7000 Series Presario desktops. Integrating Gemplus’ GemCore® reader interface, Compaq is the first PC manufacturer to be recognized by Visa® U.S.A. as “smart Visa Ready,” a designation given to smart card components, devices and services that have met a set of criteria to ensure consistent performance and utility.
“Compaq is delighted to work with Gemplus in delivering the most innovative online shopping solution in the industry,” said Brett Faulk, Director of Consumer Desktop Product Marketing at Compaq Computer Corporation. “Bringing to the table an industry-standard quality product, as well as leading technical experience and know-how, Gemplus helped Compaq to quickly and easily get this program off the ground and begin the infrastructure building process.”
“We are proud to have made this first step with Compaq to facilitate the mass adoption of smart cards” comments Jean Jacques Foglino – PC OEM Marketing Director Gemplus. “ We expect to see other manufacturers following the trend in the near future”
The new Compaq keyboard allows consumers to simply insert a smart card into the card slot on the keyboard and enjoy online benefits such as:
Increased security while purchasing goods and services online
Convenience through the smart card’s ability to store relevant user data such as name, address, bill to, ship to, and credit card information for ease of online checkout
Added value with a robust set of applications such as e-wallets, e-couponing, and affinity point tracking/ redemption methodologies.
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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About GemCore
The GemCore solution enables companies to develop in a flash best-of-breed and low-cost universal smart card interfaces for high-volume use in a wide range of electronic devices that include keyboards, computers, set-top-boxes, personal digital assistants, internet appliances, point-of-sales terminals and vending machines. GemCore customers benefit from Gemplus' world-renowned technical proficiency in smart card integration as well as in computing and banking certification processes. Main certifications already obtained by GemCore based devices include EMV (Europay, MasterCard, Visa), Smart Visa Ready and Microsoft'WHQL (Windows Hardware Quality Labs). ©2001 Gemplus S.A. All rights reserved. Gemplus and GemCore are registered trademarks and service marks of Gemplus S.A. Gemplus logo and Your Passport to the Digital Age are trademarks and service marks of Gemplus S.A. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
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About Gemplus
GEMPLUS: the world's number one provider of solutions empowered by Smart Cards (Gartner Dataquest 2001). Gemplus helps its clients offer an exceptional range of portable, personalized solutions that bring security and convenience to people's lives. These include mobile internet access, inter-operable banking facilities, e-commerce and a wealth of other applications. Gemplus is the only completely dedicated, truly global player in the Smart Card industry, with the largest R&D team, unrivalled experience, and an outstanding track record of technological innovation. Gemplus trades its shares on Euronext Paris S.A. First Market and on the Nasdaq Stock Market® as GEMP in the form of ADSs. Its revenue in 2000 was 1.205 Billion Euros. It employs more than 7000 people throughout the world. Gemplus: Your Passport to the Digital Age™, www.gemplus.com
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Contacts
Gemplus Corporate, Marielle Bricman
tel: 33 4 42 36 55 96
email: Marielle.bricman@gemplus.com
©2001 Gemplus All rights reserved. Gemplus,
the Gemplus logo and GemSense are trademarks and service marks of Gemplus
S.A. and are registered in certain countries. All other trademarks and
service marks, whether registered or not in specific countries, are the
property of their respective owners.
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