Gemplus USIM Cards Chosen by 3 Italia for the First Commercial Launch of Mobile TV

GemXplore Generations Cards Lead the Mobile TV Market for Security and Flexibility

LUXEMBOURG – 2 May, 2006 - Gemplus International S.A. (Euronext: LU0121706294 – GEM and NASDAQ: GEMP), a world leading provider of secure card-based solutions, today announced that it has been selected as the exclusive USIM partner of 3 Italia, the leading Italian Mobile Media Company, for its world first Mobile TV service. Based on DVB-H technology, the service will be launched on 3 Italia’s network prior to the FIFA World Cup in June 2006.

GemXplore Generations cards provide high security for TV content delivered to mobile phones and therefore protect 3 Italia’s Mobile TV revenue streams. The cards host the end-user’s access rights and protect the access to the encrypted TV content, thus securing the actual service. 3 Italia can also easily upgrade the security and functionality levels of the CAS (Conditional Access System) applet located on the user’s USIM card once it is deployed in the field. The conditional access solution is provided by Gemplus’s partner Nagravision, the leading independent provider of open conditional access and integrated solutions for digital TV operators and content providers.

"We strongly believe in DVB-H and for this reason we have selected technologically advanced partners that believe, as we do, in this business and offer the highest levels of reliability," said Dina Ravera, Chief Operating Officer of 3 Italia.

GemXplore Generations cards will enable 3 Italia to dynamically manage each user profile, thus creating a highly flexible Mobile TV service. This will strengthen their one-to-one relationship with their customers and improve their direct marketing campaigns.

“The arrival of multimedia technologies in the mobile space, combined with the launch of 3G networks, force mobile network operators to constantly offer more innovative services to their end-users,” said Philippe Vallée, Chief Technology Officer, Gemplus. “In this context, SIM cards play a key role in establishing mobile operators’ brand across all communication channels while enabling the management and control of these new services”.

About Gemplus
Gemplus International S.A. (Euronext: LU0121706294 - GEM and NASDAQ: GEMP) is a world leading player in the secure card industry in both revenue and total shipments (source: Gartner-Dataquest 2005, Frost & Sullivan, Datamonitor). It has sold over 5.5 billion smart cards.

Gemplus delivers a wide range of portable, personalized solutions in areas including Identity, Mobile Telecommunications, Public Telephony, Banking, Retail, Transport, Healthcare, WiFi, Pay-TV, e-government, and access control.

Gemplus' revenue in 2005 was 939 million Euros.

www.gemplus.com

About 3 Italia
3 Italia – It is the Mobile Media Company controlled by the Hutchison Whampoa Group shareholder of 95,4%. Its other shareholders are NHS Investments S.A ( San Paolo IMI), RCS Media Group, Gemina and 3G Mobile Investments (Franco Bernabé Group). 3 Italia won a UMTS license in Italy in October 2000, commenced offering of its services in 2003 and is now the leader of the UMTS market in Italy, with 5,5 million clients at the end of 2005, thanks to a wide offer of multimedia, video communication and internet services, besides entertainment, music, information, cinema, sport and TV on the move.

For more information:
Barbara Maigret
Gemplus
Tel: + 33 4 42 36 51 92
Email: barbara.maigret@gemplus.com 

Jenny Taylor
Edelman
PR Agency
Tel: +44 (0)20 7344 1253
Email: Jenny.taylor@edelman.com 

©2006 Gemplus. All rights reserved. Gemplus, the Gemplus logo, 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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