Schlumberger Shipments Of Java Card Development Kit Demonstrate Rapidly Growing Market

Business Wire, Sept 25, 1997

MONTROUGE, France/MOORESTOWN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Sept. 25, 1997--

Citibank, others explore benefits of Cyberflex(TM),

the first smart card with the Java Card API

Within weeks of releasing the first development environment for Java(TM)-compatible smart cards, Schlumberger Electronic Transactions today announced that market demand has exceeded expectations. Hundreds of the Cyberflex(TM) Development Kits have been sold to software developers around the world, confirming the prospect that Java will become the standard for smart card programming.

Fulfilling orders in all of today's key smart card markets including banking, telecommunications, health care and information technology, company officials cite the kit's widespread acceptance among developers as part of a growing trend to embrace inherent benefits of Java technology. Attractions for these users include the flexibility that an interoperable Java platform offers for product differentiation, combined with speedier and lower cost development. Java Card applications can be written and evaluated in a matter of days versus the several months required with standard technology.

As evidenced by Citibank, one of the first companies to develop a Java Card application with Cyberflex, industry support is strong. "Java Card provides an open, robust, multi-functional operating environment for smart cards," notes Henry A. Lichstein, Vice President for Horizon Planning at Citibank. "Java Card will be a strategic delivery vehicle for Citibank, and offer important value to our customers. We have been pleased to participate in Schlumberger's pioneering Cyberflex development program, and are using cards to demonstrate easy Java Card application loading and use."

"Sun is pleased to see the continuing proliferation of Java Card products and salutes Schlumberger's pioneering efforts," said Jon Kannegaard, vice president of software products at Sun Microsystems' JavaSoft division. "Java Card is widely acknowledged as the leading standard for interoperable multi-function smart cards. We hope that the arrival of products supporting the Java Card standard will help to dramatically accelerate the penetration of smart cards into the market."

"The smart card industry is moving rapidly toward a multiple application environment," notes Jacques Cosnefroy, Vice President and General Manager of Schlumberger's Smart Cards division. "The Cyberflex card, with its Java virtual machine, supports this trend by providing a cost-effective interoperable platform which turns smart cards into conventional computers, allowing them to run any Java Card-compliant application, and adapt to meet the needs of card users."

The benefits of the interpreted Java language are obvious for virtually all current smart card markets, where secure multiple application cards mean opportunities for differentiating products and services. For example, co-branding among multiple businesses, such banks, retailers, and telecom operators will be possible with Java cards. Plus, Cyberflex applications can be added or removed from the cards after they are manufactured, bringing much lower costs for support and new product roll-out.

Schlumberger's Cyberflex Development Kit includes two Cyberflex cards, a smart card reader/writer peripheral, and a CD-ROM containing a suite of software tools for a PC.

Information on Cyberflex, and ordering details, can be found at: http://www.cyberflex.austin.et.slb.com/ -0-

About Schlumberger

The Schlumberger Electronic Transactions division of Schlumberger, Ltd. (NYSE:SLB), supplies cards, terminals, and management systems across the entire range of magnetic and chip card applications around the world. The company offers its customers The Smart Village(R), a flexible portfolio of smart card-based solutions for businesses and communities of all sizes, including the telecom, banking, retail, network security, mass transit, parking, and healthcare sectors.

Present in over 100 countries, Schlumberger has development and production facilities in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. For more information, contact the Schlumberger web site at: http://www.slb.com/et/.> (TM)Java is a trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. (TM)Cyberflex is a trademark of Schlumberger.

CONTACT: For further information:

North America:

Press: Environics Communications

Deb Montner, Steve Acken 203-325-8772, ext. 14/12

e-mail: dmontner@environics-usa.com

sacken@environics-usa.com

or

Business: Schlumberger Smart Cards

Tom Lebsack, 512-331-3243

e-mail: lebsack@austin.et.slb.com