Bundesdruckerei sale: the last mile? [SCT e-News : 17/04/2008]G&D is far to be the only candidate. Gemalto is also interested. And more recently the names of Siemens and Bosch came up in the game.

 French and German Banks looking to to set up a SEPA card scheme competing with Visa and MasterCard [SCT e-News : 17/04/2008]They underlined the importance of a clear regulation framework to provide a good visibility on interchange fees mechanisms.

 SCT29 is Issued: Convergence drives the smart security market upward [SCT e-News : 04/03/2008]
The smartcard industry, recently rebaptized the smart security industry, has undoubtedly just entered a new cycle in its still young history.

 HCI War Finale : Future is open for NFC [SCTNews : 23/02/2008]This vote is very important for the whole industry involved in the future NFC Mobile ecosystem as it opens the last door for secured commercial roll-out.

 European Commission Prohibits MasterCard's intra-EEA Multilateral Interchange Fees [SCT-e-News : 19/12/2007]
SEPA enters a new era of uncertainty. 2008 could be a pivotal year for a paradigm shift in card payment.

 SCT28 is Issued.- Google Android- Foe or Friend of SIM? [SCT-News : 11/12/2007]
The impressive all-out offensive undertaken by Google to gain a foothold in the world of mobile phones over the past few weeks has apparently paid off. Big G does nothing by halves...



 SCT27 is Issued-. Oberthur Technologies Muscles up on Expertise [SCT-News : 12/11/2007]Oberthur Card Systems (OCS) and François-Charles Oberthur Fiduciaire (FCOF) will merge to form a “leading entity in secure technologies.

 Host Control Interface (HCI): Nokia sees Double [SCT-News : 24/10/2007]One HCI or two? Including the UICC? The new dispute raising at the ETSI SCP level about the specification of a Host Controller Interface is strongly related to the future NFC Mobile ecosystem.

 Your major rendezvous is coming soon! [CARTES & IDentification : 15/09/2007]
The 22nd edition of CARTES & IDentification, THE world-leading event in digital security smart card and identification, will take place at Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre in November 13-15 2007.

 SCT26 is Issued-. With eGo, Human Body Is a Natural ‘Touch Card‘ [SCT-News : 14/09/2007]
You own what you touch…” Is this a new take on personal property, a variation of “Possession is nine-tenths of the law”? No, it's a critical invention at the crossroads of Personal Network Area (PAN), Ultra Wide Band (UWB) & smartcards.

 SCT25 is Issued-. Machine-To-Machine: The Ball is in the MNOs' Court [SCT News : 27/07/2007]Machines are already over a billion with the capacity to transmit data about electric or gas consumption, reams of photocopier paper, miles driven, pressure or temperature. And that's only the beginning... A major opportunity for the SIM card.

 Gemalto lays off 409 employees in France to cut costs [SCT News : 07/06/2007]Olivier Piou announced during the presentation of the disappointed Q1 results “its strategic plan which combines programs to reduce costs with initiatives to accelerate profitable growth.“

 Gemalto Announces a Restructuring Project in France [Gemalto N.V. : 07/06/2007]The ending of the manufacturing activity in the Orléans facility by the second half of 2008, as well as the redeployment of the production activity towards other existing centers in France and Western Europe. 

 SCT24 is Issued-. Visa and Mastercard “Emperors“ of SEPA [SCT News : 02/06/2007]
Is the "big bang" of the SEPA originally announced actually just a small whimper? Has the opening of the European market to wider competition simply served to strengthen the Visa/Mastercard duopoly?

 Eurosmart forecast 20 billion of Smart Secure Devices by 2020 [Eurosmart : 04/05/2007]Latest release of Eurosmart “Vision paper 2020” shows that smart cards will pioneer the way for Smart Secure Devices tomorrow with 20 billion of these are forecasted in 2020.

 Eurosmart Estimates 4 billion Smartcards to be Shipped this Year [SCT News : 21/04/2007]For the first time, Eurosmart has given this year an estimation of the overall contactless card market, which represents more than 500 million units, including memory only basic security as well as secured contactless devices.

 The Next Thing: Trusted Personal Mobile [SCT News : 09/03/2007]
The "Swiss Army Knife, throw-in-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" phenomenon of the mobile telephone is reaching its full effect. Of course, this openness also increases the level of security and liability exigencies.

 NFC-SIM Interface : NXP Semiconductors retracts its S1C Proposal [SCT News : 29/01/2007]Single Wire Protocol (SWP) is becoming de facto the UICC-CLF standard interface to link the SIM card, as the secure element for contactless transactions, to the NFC front end in the next generation of handsets.

 SCT22 is Issued-. NFC Mobile Payment: Planets are in Alignment [SCT News : 07/01/2007]Contactless payment will come to the mobile phone, there can no longer be any doubt, and the entire industry must prepare itself for a veritable explosion in this market. This feeling is universal.

 GSM Association pushes for a global standard for Near Field Communications (NFC) [GSM Association : 21/11/2006]
NFC technology, integrated with the secure and well-trusted environment provided by the SIM card, has the potential to marry the ubiquity of the mobile device with a range of consumer services that have global appeal.

 DoD to Release RFP for the Biometrics Operations and Support Services [The Biometrics Task Force : 12/05/2008]The total estimated value for the BOSS-U requirement is $479 Million.

 Alphatronics Offers Lumidigm Fingerprint Sensors in Access Control Solution [Lumidigm/Alphatronics : 12/05/2008]Unique Multispectral Fingerprint Sensor Ensures Reliability in Any Environment.

 OMRON Adds Secure RFID Protocol to V750 Series UHF RFID Reader/Writer [OMRON Corporation : 09/05/2008]Additional Security Functions Will Be Available as Option in July 2008.

 Cogent Systems Completes Acquisition of Security Solutions Division of MAXIMUS [Cogent Systems : 09/05/2008]The acquisition is expected to contribute approximately $5 million in revenue to Cogent Systems for the remainder of 2008.

 Strong Growth for Biometrics in Financial Institutions Expected Globally [Frost & Sullivan : 09/05/2008]In North America and Europe, regulatory compliance drives the increasing adoption of biometrics.

 European Consumers Turn From Cash To Prepaid For Financial Control [MasterCard Europe : 09/05/2008]In Europe, spending on ‘everyday money’ prepaid cards is expected to reach nearly €14billion – 18.6% of the worldwide total - by 2010-2011.

 Monitise and Metavante Partner with Carphone Warehouse to Make Money Mobile [Metavante Corporation : 09/05/2008]Carphone Warehouse to introduce the first totally mobile prepay card.

 Entrust, Hewlett Packard Partner to Deploy Taiwanese ePassports, Authenticate Biometric Data [Entrust, Inc. : 08/05/2008]Solution allows straightforward migration to EAC ePassport technology.

 Sony Rolls Out FeliCa Technology Channel Program for System Integrators and Application Developers [Sony Electronics : 08/05/2008]Program resources include the FeliCa technology SDK, as well as FeliCa products such as cards, readers/writers.

 Zilog Partners With ARM for New 32-Bit Microcontroller Solutions [Zilog, Inc. : 08/05/2008]Company Eyes New Growth Opportunities: Extends Roadmap to Offer Broadest Range of 8-, 16-, and 32-Bit MCU-Based Embedded Solutions for Wide Array of Applications

 Banque Populaire Group and Visa Europe announce the launch of a contactless payment pilot [Visa Europe : 08/05/2008]In Besançon, Banque Populaire Group is launching the Flash card pilot project for payment with the “contactless” Visa Carte Bleue card, which implements the Visa payWave technology.

 Neurotechnology Announces MegaMatcher 2.1 SDK for Development of Large-scale AFIS [Neurotechnology : 08/05/2008]Now Includes Live Face Detection, Enhanced Standards Support and Java Compatibility.

 First Commercial Usage of GlobalPlatform Device Technology on Mobile Handsets and for DRM [GlobalPlatform : 08/05/2008]GlobalPlatform Device Technology Integral to New Mobile DRM Solution from Calton Hill.

 MasterCard Announces Alliance To Deliver Reload Service For Prepaid Cards in Europe [MasterCard Europe : 08/05/2008]The service, branded MasterCard 'rePower', will enable cardholders to reload their prepaid cards with cash at participating merchants.

 Zebra Card Printers Play a Vital Role in Preparation for Angola Elections [Zebra Technologies : 08/05/2008]Zebra P640i printers have been used to register eight million Angolan voters using biometric data, ahead of the first elections in the country for the past 16 years.

 VeriFone Celebrates More Than 15 Years in Middle East at Cards Middle East [VeriFone Holdings Inc. : 08/05/2008]VeriFone will be attending Cards Middle East, Dubai on 18-20th May 2008, as part of its continued strategy to build relationships in the Middle East

 Itau is First Brazilian Bank to Start Full Deployment of Digipass in Retail Sector [VASCO Data Security International, Inc. : 07/05/2008]Important Breakthrough for VASCO in Brazilian Retail Banking Market.

 Atos Origin and Integri partner in new European payment standard testing [Integri : 07/05/2008]Companies realize need for compliance testing to the SEPA initiative and offer combined test solution to Belgian financial institutions.

 LaserCard Corporation Wins New Optical Memory Card Program in Italy [LaserCard Corporation : 07/05/2008]Ministry of Justice Program Marks Precursor to National Government Employee ID.

 Growing Momentum for Digital Watermarking-Based Print-to-Web Solutions [Digimarc Corporation : 07/05/2008]Digimarc and Mobile Data Systems Extend Relationship with New 10-Year Agreement.

 AuthenTec Wins Summary Judgment In Atmel Patent Litigation Lawsuit [AuthenTec : 07/05/2008]Court Rules that AuthenTec Does Not Infringe.

 BIO-key Showcasing Public Safety Solutions for BlackBerry Smartphones at 2008 LEIM Conference [BIO-key International, Inc. : 07/05/2008]BIO-key to Feature New Version of PocketCop Software.

 ZigBee Enhances Guestroom Security [Ember Corporation : 07/05/2008]Ember ZigBee-enables wireless in-room security and management system from SAFLOK.

 XIRING wins contract to supply 400,000 Xi-Sign personal security solutions [XIRING : 07/05/2008]Xi-Sign 4000 is a personal solution based on “Remote Card Authentication” technology, in the shape of a pocket card reader.

 Biometric ID documents: Sagem Sécurité’s algorithms ranked first by the NIST [Sagem Sécurité : 07/05/2008]“Our algorithms have proved twice as accurate as those of our competitors, while also delivering outstanding interoperability” added Bernard Didier, Director, R&D.

 Premiere on Munich’s Anniversary: HVB and G&D Create first EC card with Pictures of Munich [Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) : 07/05/2008]The special picture cards can be ordered for a one-time fee of five euros by customers who already possess an HVB EC card.

 Polycarbonate UHF inlays for ID applications on show from KSW Microtec at CTST 2008 [KSW Microtec : 07/05/2008]Ideally suited for the production of border crossing cards, drivers' licenses, police ID and national ID cards.

 Sprint and Google Expand Relationship to Enable Richer Mobile Internet Experience [Sprint : 07/05/2008]Sprint Handsets to Feature Easy Access to Google Mobile Search, Google Maps for Mobile, YouTube and More.

 NCR Announces 2008 First-Quarter Results, Including Record Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth [NCR Corporation : 07/05/2008]Total revenue growth to $1.18 billion of 19 percent over the first quarter of 2007 from continuing operations.

 Unisys Selected by Canadian Air Transport Security Authority for Biometric ID Management Contract [Unisys Canada Inc. : 07/05/2008]Unisys will provide new biometric system to instantly verify identities of 100,000 airport workers.