Visa Approves Highest Technology Rating for a Gemplus Java Card

Business Wire, Sept 26, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 26, 2000

Gemplus, the world's leading provider of smart card-based solutions, has obtained technology level three approval from Visa International for its GemXpresso 211 - V2 card. This is the first smart card that supports Java Card(TM) 2.1 and Open Platform 2.0 to achieve the highest security rating possible.

GemXpresso 211 - V2, a smart card platform based on Philips Semiconductors P8WE5032, is the second Gemplus Open Platform card approved by Visa. The multi-application GemXpresso 211 - V2 Open Platform card is capable of supporting Visa-approved applications, such as Visa Smart Debit/Credit (VSDC), and Visa Cash, as well as Member proprietary applications.

This approval strengthens Gemplus' leading role and superiority in the field of Java Card security. In January 2000, the GemXpresso 211 V1' received the first French Common Criteria certification for a Java Card and Visa Open Platform card. In May 2000, this became the first Open Platform V2.0 card approved by Visa International.

James Lee, senior vice president, Emerging Technologies, Visa International, said: "Gemplus is making significant strides in developing products that meet Visa's stringent approval criteria. As the demand for multi-application Open Platform smart cards continues to grow, Gemplus is currently well placed to lead the market in providing chip products to card issuers worldwide."

Sami Baghdadi, Gemplus Senior Vice President for Banking commented: "Gemplus has definitely stepped forward in the improvement of the security of Open platforms smart cards, demonstrating with this level 3 rating the excellence of our products in the JavaCard world. GemXpresso cards represent now a powerful value proposition to Visa member banks, offering convenience and highest security."

About Gemplus

Gemplus S.A. (www.gemplus.com) is the world's leading provider of plastic and smart card-based solutions (by units sold, source: Dataquest 1998). Gemplus sells magnetic stripe cards, memory and microprocessor-based smart cards, smart contactless cards, electronic tags and smart objects. The company designs and markets software, development tools and readers. Gemplus also provides consulting, training and personalization services to deliver the industry's most comprehensive and flexible card-based solutions to its developers, distributors, partners, and customers.

With sales of over $US 817 million in 1999, Gemplus employs almost 6,000 people in 16 manufacturing facilities, 7 R&D centers and 41 sales and marketing offices located in more than 30 countries around the world. Founded in 1988, Gemplus has successfully implemented portable and secure smart card-based solutions to simplify applications such as public and wireless communications, financial transactions, loyalty, transportation, education, healthcare, identity, physical access control, pay TV, electronic commerce, Internet security, logical access control and information technology.

About Visa

As the "World's Best Way to Pay," Visa is the world's leading payment brand and the largest payment system worldwide with more volume than all other major payment cards combined. Visa plays a pivotal role in advancing new payment products and technologies to benefit its 21,000 member financial institutions and their cardholders. Visa has more than 80 smart card programs in 35 countries and on the Internet, with 23 million Visa chip cards, including eight million Visa Cash cards. Visa is pioneering SET Secure Electronic Transaction(TM) programs to enable and advance Internet commerce. There are over one billion Visa, Visa Electron, Visa Cash, Interlink and PLUS cards in the market. Visa-branded cards generate US$1.6 trillion in annual volume and are accepted at over 19 million worldwide locations, including at more than 627,000 ATMs in the Visa Global www.visa.com.