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Thales, Atmel, Gemplus and Philips announce the launch of a consortium around the ISIA project
The ISIA program aims to integrate new technologies into smart card accepting devices and promote the usage of smart card
Plaisir, October 16th, 2001 – The ISIA (Inter-sector Secure Interoperable Appliance) program focuses smart card terminal technologies such as Bluetooth wireless communication, fingerprint recognition, touchscreens and virtual machines. The interoperability between these technologies will be a key issue, as will shared application features.
The first project (ISIA-1), covers the specifications of the technical modules of a new architecture and has been launched by the partners of the consortium. Each partner is a major player in the fields of IC design, interface circuits, smart cards and terminals.
Under the direction of Thales e-Transactions, the consortium includes Gemplus, Atmel France, Philips France and Thales Communications. It should be noted that no joint-venture company is planned and that other companies may join later, bringing additional expertise. This initiative will enhance each partner’s position and bring new opportunities for the development of smart cards and related transaction devices. It will provide standardized and interoperable solutions while ensuring high-level security.
Jean-Claude Hue, President and CEO of Thales e-Transactions, declares : “Solutions produced by Thales e-Transactions are more user-friendly and offer new services, with enhanced level of security. Thales e-Transactions is proud to lead the ISIA program with key partners in the world of smart cards and ICs”. François Magne, Technical Director of Thales Communications, adds: «our competence center provides support to Thales units by its expertise on integrated platforms both for communication and security applications toward electronic transactions usage. ISIA project allows to continue further developments in synergy with our consortium partners».
For Daniel Bois, Senior Vice President R/D of Gemplus : “This project will ensure that future card terminals are equipped with the most advanced components”.
Pour Christian De Prost, Directeur des Programmes d’Atmel Europe: « Through a close cooperation with research laboratories and industrials, members of the ISIA program, Atmel-Grenoble and Atmel-Nantes development team will design new chips to perfectly fit the high level security requirements expected by card originated innovative electronic transaction applications».
Henri-Alain Rault, Site Manager of Philips Semiconducteurs Sophia Antipolis and Crolles, declares: “The ISIA project illustrates the high potential of the Bluetooth wireless technology, in terms of services to the user and in terms of interoperability. The area of electronic payment now joins an extensive range of existing applications (such as mobile phones, PDAs, access points, consumer electronics..). Philips is proud to share its state of the art technology and its vision of a wireless future with first rank partners”.
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About Gemplus
GEMPLUS: the world's number one provider of solutions empowered by Smart Cards (Gartner Dataquest 2001, Frost & Sullivan 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 7200 people in 37 countries throughout the world.
Gemplus: Your Passport to the Digital Age www.gemplus.com
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About Thales
The Thales Group is a world-leading company in the field of professional electronics for Aeronautics, Defence and Information Technologies & Services. -Thales e-Transactions Within the IT&S Business area, Thales e-Transactions offers innovative systems, products and services in the area of Electronic Funds Transfer and Automated Fare Collection. The company’s expertise in the field of electronic transactions is world-renowned, especially for smart card and contactless card based applications intended for use in the retail, banking, healthcare and transportation industries. -Thales Communications Designer, prime contractor and integrator of systems and provider of value-added services, Thales Communications is the global architect of information and communication systems that fulfill the operational requirements of air forces, armies, and navies. Present in 14 countries, Thales Communications employs 9000 persons over the world.
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About Atmel
Founded in 1984, Atmel Corporation is headquartered in San Jose, California with manufacturing facilities in North America and Europe. Atmel designs, manufactures and markets worldwide, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory and RF semiconductors. Atmel is also a leading provider of system-level integration semiconductor solutions using CMOS, BiCMOS, bipolar SiGe, and high-voltage BCDMOS process technologies.
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About Philips France- division Semiconducteurs
Philips Semiconductors is the number 3 worldwide supplier of telecommunication integrated circuits. Philips Semiconductors Sophia Antipolis, specializes in the design and marketing of advanced electronic solutions for the Telecom market, from product specifications and development to applications and high volume customer support. Our Sophia-Antipolis innovation center concentrates its resources on providing system solutions in the following key areas: - Cellular technology (GSM, 2G and 3G) for handsets and base stations, - Bluetooth baseband and RF CMOS technology, - Communication Platform Development.
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Contacts
Gemplus Corporate, Marielle Bricman
tel: 33 4 42 36 55 96
email: Marielle.bricman@gemplus.com
Thales, Thierry Collin
tel: 33 (0)1 30 81 25 61
email: Thierry.collin@thales-e-transactions.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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