In 2006 the phonecard celebrated its 20th birthday. 500 phonecards million have been sold around the world, as well as over 3 billion conventional cards.
However, with users tending to migrate towards mobile services, this business is subject to increasingly intense competition and is leaving many fixed line operators with fewer subscribers. Nevertheless, they continue to support the use of phone booths, offering diverse payment methods and innovative services often supported by the chip phone card.
Gemalto is the clear leader in this sub-segment,
and our objective remains the provision of innovative solutions at competitive
prices.
While our core business is the sale of phone cards, we also sell modules adapted
to specific market demands. Our technical teams’ know-how in terms of security
and smart card technology allows us to offer complete security solutions for
different card generations, including Security Authentication Modules and Key
Management System updates.
Our “options” typify our innovative approach to card enhancement, and are
designed to increase sales of cards. During 2006, we created an airtime lottery
software solution for Telmex in Mexico, giving winners the benefit of extra
communication time. The amount they win is displayed on the phone screen. At the
same time, Maroc Telecom selected a solution that enabled their customers to use
their phone cards from home.