Etisalat, Oberthur Technologies and MasterCard Celebrate the GSMA Award for Best Mobile Money Innovation at the 2012 MWC, Barcelona, Spain

PRESS RELEASE

Feb. 29, 2012, 11:20 a.m. EST

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb 29, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The successful launch of Etisalat's mobile money and NFC solutions across multiple affiliates in Asia, Africa and the Middle East reinforces its position as a true global player in the mobile payments arena and supports its global ambition to be an innovation and market leader.

The decade long partnership with Oberthur Technologies, unequivocally the global leader in NFC ecosystems spanning 5 continents, has received global recognition for its role in converging mobile, banking and transport sectors.

The partnership is supported by MasterCard offering the latest evolution in mobile payments, the MasterCard PayPass(TM) platform, permitting Etisalat customers access to over 341,000 MasterCard PayPass-enabled merchant locations globally.

Essa Al Haddad Group Chief Commercial officer, Etisalat Group, stated "Etisalat is committed to harnessing the power of mobile connectivity through innovation to develop products that change people's lives for the better and help to accelerate social and economic development. In the case of Etisalat Mobile Baby it can also save lives and narrow the gender gap. Our focus on mHealth and mCommerce solutions has had an immediate impact in emerging markets where access to healthcare and banking services are limited. These accolades are further endorsement of our focus on delivering innovative technologies that have a transformative effect on people, communities and economies."

Thierry Siminger, Managing Director -- RMEA at Oberthur Technologies, noted that "in order to meet the demand for convergence in mobile and payment industry sectors, our NFC technologies are bridging the gap, allowing our partners to offer consumers an integrated seamless experience in an easy and secure way. We are very proud to be awarded along with Etisalat by GSMA. This award adds to our worldwide momentum of excellence in the field of NFC".

Michael Miebach, president, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide, said, "We are proud of this milestone win with Etisalat and Oberthur Technologies, which we believe will positively impact the lives of unbanked and banked consumers across the Middle East and Africa. MasterCard has led the transformation of mobile phones into secure mobile payment devices, providing consumers with quick, secure and convenient payment options. We look forward to working with all players in the mobile payments ecosystem to deliver world class solutions in both developed and emerging markets."

About Estisalat Strong commitment to excellence and innovation has seen Etisalat become one of the world's fastest-growing telecom groups, rapidly expanding across Asia and Africa. Its UAE operations, strategically located at the crossroads of East and West, enables Etisalat to be the major hub in the Middle East for Internet, voice, broadcast, roaming and corporate data services. Etisalat has been recognised as 'Best Operator' 10 times since 2006 and 'Best Wholesale Provider' four times in the last three years. Servicing over 167 million customers in 17 countries Etisalat continues to reach out to new customers and markets.

About MasterCard MasterCard MA +0.13% , www.mastercard.com , is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world's fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard's products and solutions make everyday commerce activities -- such as shopping, travelling, running a business and managing finances -- easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the conversation on The Heart of Commerce Blog and subscribe for the latest news.

About Oberthur Technologies Oberthur Technologies is a world leader in the field of secure technologies: systems development, solutions and services for smart cards (payment cards, SIM cards, access cards, NFC...) and for secure identity documents, traditional and electronic (identity card, passport, health care card). Created in 1984, Oberthur Technologies employs 5,700 employees. With 50 sales offices across 5 continents, Oberthur Technologies' international network serves clients in 140 countries. For more information: www.oberthur.com

SOURCE: Oberthur Technologies

Orange to Offer Visa Mobile Prepaid Accounts to Orange Money Customers in Africa and the Middle East

February 29, 2012 02:00 AM Eastern Time 

• Orange Money customers will have access to a Visa prepaid account
• The service enables Orange, in partnership with financial institutions, to offer Visa prepaid account services on mobile phones to unbanked and under-banked consumers

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--France Telecom-Orange (NYSE: FTE) and Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) today announced that Orange Money customers will soon have access to Visa prepaid account features inside their Orange Money accounts – a significant step in bringing Visa-quality payments to consumers in developing markets.

“We already provide secure and convenient payment capability to 3.5 million unbanked or financially under-served African citizens”

Orange Money is the mobile phone-based payment service designed by Orange to meet the needs of customers in Africa and the Middle East. It offers Orange subscribers applications such as person to person transfers, bill payments, and agent-based cash-in and cash-out services for loading or withdrawing funds. Launched in cooperation with local bank partners, the service was first introduced in 2008 and is presently available in eight countries across Africa and the Middle East. Orange plans to introduce Visa payment capability to Orange Money subscribers in select markets by the end of 2012.

“We already provide secure and convenient payment capability to 3.5 million unbanked or financially under-served African citizens,” said Jean- Paul Cottet, Orange’s Executive Director for Marketing and Innovation. "By combining the convenience of Orange Money with the reach of Visa's global payment network, we can offer new payment capability to Orange Money customers in their home country and abroad.”

Visa Mobile Prepaid, a new Visa product introduced in October 2011, enhances the security, scale and interoperability of mobile money programs, such as Orange Money, by enabling account holders to make person-to-person payments, retail and e-commerce purchases at merchants where Visa is accepted, or withdraw funds at Visa ATMs.

“Mobile technology has become one of the most important enablers of financial inclusion and its ubiquity is allowing mobile network operators, financial institutions, and Visa to connect financially under-served consumers to each other and the global economy,” said John Partridge, President, Visa Inc. “The convergence of mobile and financial services networks helps to remove service barriers, accelerates the pace of change and is transforming the lives of consumers in developing countries.”

Visa Payments with Orange Money: How does it work?

By integrating Visa Mobile Prepaid accounts into Orange Money accounts, Orange is connecting existing mobile money subscribers to VisaNet, Visa’s global payment network that is today utilized by 2.2 billion account holders, 30 million merchants and provides access to 1.9 million ATMs globally.

Working together on a multi-national basis, Orange and Visa will provide Orange subsidiaries and their local financial institution partners with the ability to offer all the features of Visa Mobile Prepaid accounts to their customers, including:

• Visa Payment Functionality – From retail and e-commerce transactions, to access to Visa-enabled ATMs, Visa Mobile Prepaid will add new payment functionality to a customer's existing Orange Money account. Consumers may also have the option of receiving a Visa prepaid companion card.
• Transaction Authorization, Clearing and Settlement Services – Visa will offer a full suite of payment processing and account management services supported by the world’s largest payments network, VisaNet.
• Visa-quality Payment Security – Visa Mobile Prepaid combines Visa’s advanced risk processing technology with the security and authentication features of mobile devices, offering consumers in developing countries peace of mind when making purchases. In addition, Visa’s fraud monitoring capabilities can help mitigate and prevent fraud.

Developing countries in Africa and the Middle East are among the first target markets for Orange and Visa to deploy cross-over prepaid products and services, helping to drive economic growth and financial inclusion by migrating cash spend to electronic payments.

About Orange

France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with 172,000 employees worldwide, including 105,000 employees in France, and sales of 45.3 billion euros in 2011. Present in 35 countries, the Group had a customer base of 226 million customers at 31 December 2011, including 147 million customers under the Orange brand, the Group's single brand for internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates. At 31 December 2011, the Group had 167 million mobile customers and 14 million broadband internet (ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide. Orange is one of the main European operators for mobile and broadband internet services and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.

France Telecom (NYSE: FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information (on the internet and on your mobile): www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.orange-innovation.tv. Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.

U.S. Department of Justice Stats Indicate Rise in Credit and Debit Card Theft as More RFID-Enabled Credit Cards Are Issued

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cases of credit card theft have increased 31 percent over the last three years, and the number of households victimized by more than one type of identity theft has increased 37 percent in the same period, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released the Bureau’s findings in fulfillment of a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Identity Stronghold.

“I’ll be working with local law enforcement agencies throughout 2012 to provide them with information and training on RFID security, electronic pickpocketing and how to educate citizens of this growing threat.”

The national survey shows that approximately 4 million — nearly half — of all victimized households suffered the unauthorized use or attempted use of a credit card account in 2007, the last year for which the DOJ has data.

In its request for data through 2011, Identity Stronghold learned that the DOJ could provide statistics only between the years 2005 and 2007, “the most recent data,” according to the DOJ’s official Freedom of Information Act response. However, the increase in credit and debit card theft correlates with the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) chipped credit and debit cards in 2005 and the subsequent increased rate of issuance. We predict any new data collected by the DOJ will reflect that the rate of credit card theft has increased at the same rate as the issuance of these new cards.

“The DOJ is behind the power-curve of keeping current data on credit card-related identity theft and financial crimes. Couple this with credit card companies misleading cardholders about the security of their personal identification, and it’s the ‘Wild West’ out there,” said Identity Stronghold CEO and founder Walt Augustinowicz.

By 2016, a projected one billion RFID-enabled credit and debit cards susceptible to electronic pickpocketing will be issued to cardholders, creating a target-rich environment for identity thieves setting their sights on consumer's back pockets.

Credit card companies have responded to widespread public concern over electronic pickpocketing, including a 2011 consumer advisory issued by Nevada’s Attorney General, by downplaying the risks, but patent documents filed by Visa in 2006 both acknowledge and detail the extent to which RFID-enabled cards are vulnerable to electronic pickpocketing.

“I understand why credit card companies downplay the risks their products pose to cardholders and the boon they present to electronic pickpockets,” said Augustinowicz, “but I’m baffled by the idea that federal law enforcement agencies can take a more than 30-percent spike in credit card information thefts as their cue to stop collecting data and making current statistics available.”

Recently, Augustinowicz trained police officers and state officials on electronic pickpocketing and other RFID-elated crimes in Ohio, with a focus on smartphone capabilities.

“Meanwhile, new smartphone technology allows electronic pickpockets to scan and steal your credit card information simply by getting their phone close to your purse or wallet,” added Augustinowicz. “I’ll be working with local law enforcement agencies throughout 2012 to provide them with information and training on RFID security, electronic pickpocketing and how to educate citizens of this growing threat.”

Visa and Intel Form Strategic Alliance to Advance Mobile Commerce

Multi-device, multi-year agreement to develop mobile commerce solutions for smartphones and tablets; Intel Smartphone Reference Device certified for use with Visa payWave

Mobile World Congress 2012

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Visa Inc. (NYSE:V) and Intel Corporation today announced a strategic agreement to develop mobile commerce solutions tailored to consumers in developed and developing countries. During a press conference at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the companies outlined plans to collaborate to ensure consumers enjoy a consistent, streamlined, secure mobile commerce experience across Intel® Atom™-based smartphones and tablets.

“This is another example of how Visa is making mobile payments broadly available across devices and operating systems and is ensuring that mobile commerce applications are aligned with existing technology and security standards established by the global payments industry.”

“Visa’s agreement with Intel paves the way for financial institutions around the globe to offer their account holders mobile payments and financial services using innovative mobile devices and technologies designed by Intel,” said John Partridge, President, Visa Inc. during the press conference. “This is another example of how Visa is making mobile payments broadly available across devices and operating systems and is ensuring that mobile commerce applications are aligned with existing technology and security standards established by the global payments industry.”

The initial phase of the agreement between Visa and Intel includes:

• Visa has certified Intel’s Smartphone Reference Device powered by the Intel® Atom™ processor Z2460 for use with Visa payWave, Visa’s mobile payment technology that enables consumers to make fast and secure payments at retail locations by simply waving their mobile phone in front of a payment terminal. This will enable turn-key implementation for OEMs delivering NFC-enabled smartphones.
• The Intel Smartphone Reference Device will host the Visa payWave payment application and features NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, the short range communications standard that enables mobile phones to securely transmit payment information to a payment terminal.
• When used in combination with a Visa-compliant UICC, smartphones based on the Intel Smartphone Reference Device handset can be enabled to connect to Visa Inc.’s mobile provisioning service providing financial institutions and mobile operators the means to securely download Visa payment account information and the Visa payWave application “over the air” to a secure chip on an NFC-equipped smartphone. The connection to Visa’s mobile provisioning service can be enabled by a Trusted Services Management platform, such as Giesecke & Devrient’s (G&D) platform.

“Intel’s strategy is to enable more secure and compelling user experiences across a range of Intel-based mobile devices. Our alliance with Visa builds on this strategy and brings worldwide mobile payment and commerce solutions to Intel-based devices,” said Mike Bell, Intel Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Mobile and Communications Group. “Our work with Visa also extends to our customers designing products based on Intel’s Smartphone Reference Device.”

The agreement combines Visa’s expertise in payment processing, account holder authentication and global network reach, with Intel’s expertise and leadership in developing innovative technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices.

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, from February 27^th to March 1st, the companies will showcase Visa mobile services on the new Intel mobile device, including V.me by Visa, Visa’s new digital wallet service featuring the Visa payWave application; Movida, Visa’s new payment service in India; and Visa Mobile Prepaid, Visa’s new mobile-based product tailored to consumers in developing countries. Product demonstrations will be on display at Visa’s booth in Hall 1, stand 1B19, and Intel’s booth in Hall 8, stand B192.

About Visa Inc.:

Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency. Underpinning digital currency is one of the world’s most advanced processing networks—VisaNet—that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank, and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: Pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

About Intel:

Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world’s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com andblogs.intel.com.

MasterCard Sets Sights on the Next Billion Consumers as It Unleashes the Future of Mobile Payments

February 29, 2012 03:00 AM Eastern Time 

The Vision is Mobile and is Delivered Through Partnerships and Innovation

Mobile World Congress 2012

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MasterCard has continued its mobile payment leadership and outlined its vision on how to reach the next billion consumers through mobile innovation and partnerships.

At a press conference at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona led by its global head of mobile Mung Ki Woo, MasterCard and leading mobile partners Comviva, Intel, iZettle, Santander and Turkcell unveiled a vision for the future of mobile payments. Together, they outlined their shared vision that the future of reaching the next billion consumers through the mobile channel is fueled by collaboration and innovation in a collective effort by all the players in the ecosystem including technology providers, mobile network operators and financial institutions. MasterCard also used the world’s largest mobile event to celebrate a number of new mobile partnerships and initiatives from around the globe, including:

• The unveiling of Wanda, a joint venture between Telefónica and MasterCard – a new corporate and consumer brand designed to provide mobile payment solutions to over 87 million Movistar customers in its Latin American markets. These mobile payment services will be linked to a mobile wallet or prepaid account that will allow for money transfers, mobile airtime reload, bill payment and retail purchases, among other services. The mobile wallet and prepaid accounts will be available anytime, anywhere in the world.
• A partnership with BOKU, Inc.that will enhance the shopping experience for consumers, allowing them to make payments, receive discounts and targeted offers, and monitor spending – all via their mobile phones anywhere MasterCard is accepted. Offered through a mobile subscriber’s mobile network operator (MNO), BOKU Accounts with MasterCard Prepaid gives consumers a convenient way to pay while on the go.
• The new MasterCard Mobile Money Partnership Program, launched with its initial partners Comviva, Sybase 365 and Utiba,designed to help more than 2.5 billion financially-underserved consumers worldwide gain access to formal financial services through their mobile phones.

And today we are excited to celebrate our latest industry honor received from the GSMA:

• Etisalat, MasterCard and Oberthur Technologies won the Best Mobile Money Innovation Award at the 17^th Annual Global Mobile Awards announced during Mobile World Congress. This is a significant achievement in recognition of our collective work to launch Near Field Communication (NFC) technology powered payments in the United Arab Emirates.

Concluding the press gathering, Mung Ki Wu noted, “Mobile World Congress 2012 provided MasterCard with a unique opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with some of the leading players in the mobile industry and outline our shared vision for the future. Mobile presents a significant opportunity to bring commerce and banking into the hands of consumers around the world. Through an innovative approach to mobile commerce, MasterCard and its partners are helping unlock the full potential of mobile commerce and bring billions of consumers into a world beyond cash”.

About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a global payments and technology company. It operates the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the conversation on The Heart of Commerce Blog and subscribe for the latest news.

Gemalto and Sony Establish Global Agreement for FeliCa / Near Field Communication Technology

Mobile World Congress 2012

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in Digital Security, and Sony Corporation have established an agreement to provide FeliCa / Near Field Communication (NFC) solutions globally. Under the agreement, Gemalto will incorporate FeliCa software technology into its UpTeq NFC SIM product lineup starting in 2012, offering mobile operators and service providers a more comprehensive range of mobile NFC services globally. The addition of FeliCa makes Gemalto’sUpTeq NFC SIM the secure element that can embed the world’s broadest set of applications, and with the highest level of privacy.

“Gemalto’s UpTeq NFC SIM is set to trigger the mass deployment of mobile NFC services now, while providing operators the flexibility to expand their offer in the longer term.”

Gemalto will expand its UICC solutions with FeliCa technology to complement its existing NFC applications portfolio. UpTeq NFC SIM enables mobile operators to securely install additional applications from new service providers over time, even after issuance to end users. Equipping handsets today with NFC will smooth the adoption of the burgeoning Mobile Financial Services markets in Asia and around the world.

FeliCa is a contactless technology that is widely deployed in Asia for public transportation, access management, event ticketing, customer loyalty programs and micropayments. As of March 2011, there were over 516 million units of FeliCa IC Chips worldwide, incorporated in 346 million cards and 170 million mobile phones.

NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology to exchange data among various devices with various usages. This technology includes international standard ISO/IEC 14443 Type A/B as well as Type F technology compliant with ISO/IEC 18092 - NFC-IP1.

“In a robust industry landscape where various contactless solutions are quickly converging, we believe that Gemalto is well positioned to deliver FeliCa technology – they are involved in more than 45 NFC projects globally, well ahead of their peers,” commented Izumi Kawanishi, Senior General Manager of the FeliCa Business Division, at Sony Corporation. “Through this agreement, we aim to collaborate closely with Gemalto to develop globally compliant solutions for the growing NFC market.”

“With FeliCa’s proven commercial adoption particularly in the Asian markets, we strongly believe that our agreement with Sony will enable Gemalto to build the foundation for significant expansion for both companies at a global scale,” added Tan Teck-Lee, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer and Asia President of Gemalto. “Gemalto’s UpTeq NFC SIM is set to trigger the mass deployment of mobile NFC services now, while providing operators the flexibility to expand their offer in the longer term.”

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2010 annual revenues of €1.9 billion and over 10,000 employees operating out of 87 offices and 13 Research & Development centers in 45 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure. Gemalto delivers on the growing demands for personal mobile services, identity protection, payment security, authenticated online services, cloud computing access, modern transportation, e-healthcare and e-government services. Gemalto does this by providing secure software, a wide range of secure personal devices, and managed services to wireless operators, banks, enterprises and government agencies.

Gemalto is the world leader for electronic passports and identity cards, two-factor authentication devices for online protection, smart credit/debit and contactless payment cards, as well as subscriber identification modules (SIM) and universal integrated circuit cards (UICC) in mobile phones. Also, in the emerging machine-to-machine applications Gemalto is a leading supplier of wireless modules and machine identification modules (MIM). To operate these solutions and remotely manage the software and confidential data contained in the secure devices Gemalto also provides server platforms, consulting, training, and managed services to help its customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the Company is poised to thrive over the coming years.
For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

About Sony Corporation

Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $87 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2011.
Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net/
FeliCa Web Site: http://www.sony.net/Products/felica/

Gemalto Launches Highly Reliable, Next Gen-Ready Wireless Connectivity Solution for M2M, NFC and 4G LTE Services

End-to-end solution enables 100% coverage of operators’ subscriber base and provides a highly reliable environment for mission critical applications

Mobile World Congress 2012

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announces the launch of the Advanced Connectivity offer, an end-to-end solution allowing 100% success rate for the download and activation of mission critical applications including M2M, NFC and streaming multimedia content over LTE networks. Advanced Connectivity combines Gemalto’s Advanced Over-the-Air (OTA) platform and Advanced Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC) fitted with automatic updating¹. The carrier grade efficiency of the Gemalto OTA platform has already been field-proven through a number of high-profile commercial LTE deployments, notably with NTT Docomo in Japan, as well as Metro PCS and Verizon Wireless in the U.S.

“Now is the right time for upgrading to the next generation solutions that will put any operator a step ahead in offering subscribers the many fantastic new services and applications from day one, ensuring immediate service uptake.”

With LTE rollouts well underway and billions of connected devices forecast to be deployed in the near future, the wireless ecosystem is changing and this creates tremendous opportunities for mobile network operators to serve or act as service providers. In order to better meet the high level of service delivery required for these growth opportunities, mobile operators demand a more secure infrastructure, the ability to instantly reach 100% of their subscriber base and a highly reliable mission critical environment.

More importantly, mobile operators can now take advantage of subscribers’ natural renewal rhythm by anticipating the massive rollout of 4G and NFC services, and reduce their total cost of deployment with an early migration strategy to Gemalto’s Advanced UICC, ahead of time. Advanced Connectivity is fully compatible with existing networks and can hence be implemented as part of or ahead of an LTE roll-out.

“4G LTE networks change the playing field for the delivery of mobile service and implementing Advanced Connectivity prepares our customers for delivering on the new consumer demands in a timely manner,” commented Jean-François Schreiber, Senior Vice President of Mobile Solutions and Services at Gemalto. “Now is the right time for upgrading to the next generation solutions that will put any operator a step ahead in offering subscribers the many fantastic new services and applications from day one, ensuring immediate service uptake.”

¹The solution allows for automatic UICC update to enable 100% success rate and an always up-to-date UICC

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2010 annual revenues of €1.9 billion and over 10,000 employees operating out of 87 offices and 13 Research & Development centers in 45 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure. Gemalto delivers on the growing demands for personal mobile services, identity protection, payment security, authenticated online services, cloud computing access, modern transportation, e-healthcare and e-government services. Gemalto does this by providing secure software, a wide range of secure personal devices, and managed services to wireless operators, banks, enterprises and government agencies.

Gemalto is the world leader for electronic passports and identity cards, two-factor authentication devices for online protection, smart credit/debit and contactless payment cards, as well as subscriber identification modules (SIM) and universal integrated circuit cards (UICC) in mobile phones. Also, in the emerging machine-to-machine applications Gemalto is a leading supplier of wireless modules and machine identification modules (MIM). To operate these solutions and remotely manage the software and confidential data contained in the secure devices Gemalto also provides server platforms, consulting, training, and managed services to help its customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the Company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

Oberthur Technologies to Acquire MoreMagic, a Leading Mobile Money Solution Provider

NANTERRE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oberthur Technologies, a leading provider of security and identification solutions and services based on smart card technologies, entered into exclusive negotiations to acquire MoreMagic Solutions, a leading mobile financial services solutions provider, based in Waltham, MA.

“The acquisition of MoreMagic is fully in line with our growth strategy notably in our Solutions business and more specifically in the NFC eco-system. The complementarities between our respective technological bricks and Oberthur Technologies’ TSM expertise will perfectly fit the needs of our clients, in both mature and developing countries.”

On February 28^th, 2012, Oberthur Technologies entered into an exclusive agreement with MoreMagic supported by its major shareholders including Battery Ventures and Vision Capital.

Today, the mobile phone increasingly represents a cost-effective solution to increase access to commerce and financial services both in the developed world and in the emerging markets. Mobile Money services offer secure and convenient means for banked and unbanked people to pay, send and receive money, everywhere at any time. The arrival of NFC technology will foster even more these services.

Over the last years, Oberthur Technologies has actively engaged in both NFC and Mobile Money solutions, and recently won a key reference in Czech Republic in technological partnership with MoreMagic.

Combined, the technological capabilities of Oberthur Technologies and MoreMagic will create a comprehensive mobile money services suite including secured end-to-end payment and money transfer services helping mobile operators and financial institutions to offer innovative financial services in mobility such as proximity, remote payment and mobile banking.

Xavier Drilhon, CEO of Oberthur Technologies: “The acquisition of MoreMagic is fully in line with our growth strategy notably in our Solutions business and more specifically in the NFC eco-system. The complementarities between our respective technological bricks and Oberthur Technologies’ TSM expertise will perfectly fit the needs of our clients, in both mature and developing countries.”

Pankaj Gulati, CEO of MoreMagic: “For MoreMagic, its employees and customers this is a great opportunity to create and utilize end-to-end, secure, turn-key solutions and cloud based services in the mobile financial services space. Oberthur Technologies’ global footprint and their leadership and commitment to the mobile payments space are very important for us. This new step in our collaboration is the natural evolution of an already successful partnership.”

This acquisition remains subject to the consultation of employees work council and other customary approvals, including from relevant antitrust authorities.

Rutberg & Company acted as exclusive financial advisor to MoreMagic on this transaction.

About Oberthur Technologies

Oberthur Technologies is a world leader in the field of secure technologies: systems development, solutions and services for smart cards (payment cards, SIM cards, access cards, NFC…) and for secure identity documents, traditional and electronic (identity card, passport, health care card). Created in 1984, Oberthur Technologies employs 5,700 employees. With 50 sales offices across 5 continents, Oberthur Technologies’ international network serves clients in 140 countries.

For more information: www.oberthur.com

About MoreMagic Solutions

With deployments in more than 30 countries worldwide, MoreMagic Solutions offers mobile payment solutions to mobile operators, financial institutions, content providers, and distributors, enabling consumers to purchase goods and services on demand using a mobile phone, POS, or web. MoreMagic’s high-throughput payments engine (m:Broker^TM) and the portfolio of pre-packaged mobile commerce applications in MagicSuite^TM, enable revenue-generating services, including mobile recharge, domestic and international mobile money transfer, mobile banking and mobile payments. MagicHub^TM, MoreMagic’s global value exchange which is connected to a worldwide distributor network, brings mobile operator branded services to out-of-country customers, enabling communications with relatives back home, and increased usage on mobile networks worldwide.

For more information: www.moremagic.com

Mobile World Congress 2012 - Day Three

Latest show news Google: “There will be an Android in every pocket” Operators call for sub-$50 smartphones in emerging markets Operators agree mobile content must pay its way Samsung aims to become top three LTE network vendor Intel gets deeper inside mobile   _____________________________________________ Google: “There will be an Android in every pocket” Google’s Eric Schmidt yesterday called for the technology community to build-out connectivity to the estimated 5 billion of the world’s population who had “never done a Google search” – while at the same time announcing plans to bring the firm’s Chrome and Android units closer together. In his third visit to Congress in as many years, Google’s executive chairman warned that a new digital divide will emerge if the opportunities and freedoms offered by the Internet were not extended to all. He claimed a new technological “middle class” is emerging that will play a decisive role in changing society. READ MORE » _____________________________________________ Operators call for sub-$50 smartphones in emerging markets The CEOs of Bharti Airtel, VimpelCom and Telefónica Latin America have called for the industry to drive down the cost of smartphones to trigger the greater use of mobile data.  Speaking during yesterday’s keynote session, Sunil Mittal, chairman and MD of Bharti Airtel, said that the cost of smartphones must start to fall and come much closer to the price of feature phones seen today in India.  “The difficulty we have moving forward to the next business model is the lack of a cheap smartphone,” said Mittal. “A US$50 device would dramatically alter the landscape.” READ MORE » Operators agree mobile content must pay its way Mobile operator execs said the industry needs to change user perceptions and the way mobile content is paid for after giving too much away in the past. “We have to come to terms with the reality that we may have spoiled consumers by giving things away too fast. And that’s not an easy thing to come back from,” said Telefonica Latin America chairman and CEO Santiago Fernández Valbuena in Tuesday’s keynote. Bharti Airtel chairman and MD Sunil Mittal noted that this practice has led to operators being viewed as the “bad gatekeepers” when services don’t meet expectations. READ MORE » _____________________________________________ Samsung aims to become top three LTE network vendor Samsung has set out its long-term goal for LTE, saying its target is to be one of the top three global infrastructure vendors in this market in 2013. By 2015 the South Korean vendor is targeting a top three spot within the entire mobile infrastructure market, now that it has finally added GSM to its product mix. READ MORE » _____________________________________________ Intel gets deeper inside mobile    Paul Otellini, chief executive of Intel, the world’s largest semiconductor company, chose Mobile World Congress to announce a string of new partnerships for the Medfield platform, aimed at the mobile device market. In addition to Orange, which unveiled Europe’s first Intel-powered smartphone on Monday using the Atom Z2460 chip, Otellini announced deals with Visa and ZTE in a press conference held Monday evening. Lava International, a young handset company targeting the fast-growing Indian market, is also to use Intel Atom processors for its first move into smartphones.  READ MORE »

TSYS Announces .10 cent First-Quarter 2012 Dividend

Image via CrunchBase

February 28, 2012 04:00 PM Eastern Time 

COLUMBUS, Ga.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TSYS (NYSE: TSS) today announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share on TSYS common stock, payable April 2, 2012, to TSYS shareholders of record as of the close of business on March 22, 2012.

About TSYS

TSYS (NYSE: TSS) is reshaping a new era in digital commerce, connecting consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses and governments. Through unmatched customer service and industry insight, TSYS creates a better experience for buyers and sellers, supporting cross-border payments in more than 80 countries. Offering merchant payment-acceptance solutions as well as services in credit, debit, prepaid, mobile, chip, healthcare, installments, money transfer and more, TSYS makes it possible for those in the global marketplace to conduct safe and secure electronic transactions with trust and convenience.

TSYS’ headquarters are located in Columbus, Georgia, with local offices spread across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. TSYS provides services to more than half of the top 20 international banks. For more information, please visit us at www.tsys.com.