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Gemplus Implements Share Repurchase Program As Approved by Annual General Meeting



LUXEMBOURG -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sept. 11, 2001. Gemplus International S.A. (Nasdaq:GEMP)(Euronext: Sicovam 5768), the world's leading provider of solutions empowered by smart cards, announced today that it plans to start repurchasing up to 10 million shares of its outstanding common stock, under the repurchase program approved by shareholders during the company's Annual General Meeting on April 18, 2001. The repurchased shares are intended for use under the company's employee stock option program.

This repurchase, which will take place over the next 9 months, represents only a portion of the total number of shares authorized under the program. The company generally plans to use existing cash to finance the repurchases. The company had cash and cash equivalents of 430 million Euros at June 30, 2001. The company will consider several methods for the purchase of the shares including direct or open market purchase transactions, option or other forward transactions and other potential methods, in accordance with the terms of the repurchase program and applicable regulations. The repurchase plan does not obligate Gemplus to repurchase any specific number of shares and may be suspended at any time.

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 7800 people in 37 countries throughout the world.

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SOME OF THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS RELEASE CONSTITUTE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE STATEMENTS RELATE TO FUTURE EVENTS OR OUR FUTURE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND INVOLVE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN RISKS, UNCERTAINTIES, AND OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY CAUSE OUR OR OUR INDUSTRY'S ACTUAL RESULTS, LEVELS OF ACTIVITY, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS TO BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT FROM ANY FUTURE RESULTS, LEVELS OF ACTIVITY, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. ACTUAL EVENTS OR RESULTS MAY DIFFER MATERIALLY. ALTHOUGH WE BELIEVE THAT THE EXPECTATIONS REFLECTED IN THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS ARE REASONABLE, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE FUTURE RESULTS, LEVELS OF ACTIVITY, PERFORMANCE OR ACHIEVEMENTS. FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE ESTIMATED BY THE FOWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: TRENDS IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION AND MOBILE COMMERCE MARKETS ; OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP NEW TECHNOLOGY, AND THE EFFECTS OF COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED AND EXPECTED INTENSE COMPETITION GENERALLY IN OUR MAIN MARKETS ; PROFITABILITY OF OUR EXPANSION STRATEGY; CHALLENGES TO OR LOSS OF OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS ; OUR ABILITY TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN STRATEGIC RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR MAJOR BUSINESSES ; OUR ABILITY TO DEVELOP AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW SOFTWARE AND SERVICES ; AND THE EFFECT OF FUTURE ACQUISITIONS AND INVESTMENTS ON OUR SHARE PRICE. MOREOVER, NEITHER WE NOR ANY OTHER PERSON ASSUMES RESPONSABILITY FOR THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS RELEASE SPEAK ONLY AS OF THIS RELEASE. WE ARE UNDER NO DUTY TO UPDATE ANY OF THE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AFTER THIS DATE TO CONFORM SUCH STATEMENTS TO ACTUAL RESULTS OR TO REFLECT THE OCCURRENCE OF ANTICIPATED RESULTS.

Note to Editors: Gemplus, the Gemplus logo and Your Passport to the Digital Age 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.

Press contact
Michael Look, 650/654-2940 michael.look@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.