 Setec provides a Java™-based solution for the Finnish EID card
Vantaa, 30 June 2005, Setec, Northern Europe’s leading developer and
manufacturer of visual and electronic card products, and a Gemplus company,
announces today that it is to supply the Finnish Ministry of Interior and the
Finnish Population Register Centre with Java™-based electronic identity (EID)
cards. Each new card, based on Java™ technology, will be developed and
manufactured by Setec. The new solution enables the use of versatile services
with the same card in the future.
Since September 2004, all Finnish ID cards, manufactured by Setec and issued
by the Finnish Police Authorities have been embedded with a microchip which
stores the on-board certificates used for electronic identification. This new
card, available from June 2005, is based on a Java Card™ operating system and a
more powerful 64K Java-based smart card developed by Setec. The card is
compliant with the relevant international standards.
The use of Java makes it possible to upload new applications on the chip in
the future. Such a card can offer a versatile range of benefits to its users.
For example, an EID card with a “city card” application can offer library
services, travelling services, swimming hall services and subsidised meals.
“Integrating Java into the Finnish EID card provides a technological basis to
deliver improved public services to all citizens. This project, in cooperation
with the Finnish authorities, has resulted in a unique smart card solution and
we are delighted to have been a part of this process,” states Mr Jukka
Yliuntinen, Senior Vice President of Setec’s Government & Business unit.
“The new Finnish EID card, based on Java™, leading-edge technology and a more
powerful chip, represents a real multi-application solution of the future. Its
value is all the greater since the card’s functionalities can be extended as
time goes by, incorporating, for example, various city card applications, or
creating entirely new kinds of services in the microchip on the card,” says Mr
Tapio Aaltonen, Director of the Certificate Authority, the Finnish
Population Register Centre.
The EID card is voluntary in Finland, is issued by the Finnish police
authorities and is valid for five years. As with the previous version, this new
EID card can also be used as an official travel document instead of passport in
several European countries, and it can also be combined with the Sickness
Insurance Card.
For further information, please contact:
Mr Jukka Yliuntinen, Senior Vice President,
Government & Corporate business unit, Setec,
Tel. +358 9 8941 4419, Mobile +358 40 5620428
Mr Tapio Aaltonen, Director of the Certificate Authority,
the Finnish Population Register Centre
Tel. +358 9 2291 6625,
tapio.aaltonen@vrk.intermin.fi
About Setec
Setec develops, manufactures and delivers products that require extreme
security, such as biometric and visual passports, electronic and visual ID
cards, EMV cards and SIM cards for various countries. What is common in all
these smart card products is their microchip, which improves the security of
authentication, whether dealing with people face-to-face or online. Setec’s
major customers are public authorities, banks, and telecom operators. The
company has operations in Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Poland and Thailand. At the
end of 2004, the Group’s net sales totalled EUR 58.5 million and it employed 353
people.
Setec is a Gemplus company. www.setec.com
©2005 Gemplus. All rights reserved. Gemplus, the Gemplus
logo, and SafesITe 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.
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 activities, 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 forward-looking
statements contained in this 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 responsibility for the
accuracy and completeness of such forward-looking statements. The
forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of this
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after this date to conform such statements to actual results or to reflect the
occurrence of anticipated results.
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