SCT31 is Issued: ID Security Markets Come to a Boil [SCT e-News : 20/07/2008]
2008 will be the year of ID Security. We’re seeing a strategic reorganization at Oberthur Technologies, a continuous investment strategy for Gemalto, triumph at Sagem Sécurité with the recent acquisition of Sdu Identification.

 Multilateral Interchange Fees : MasterCard Complies with EC decision but appeal continue [SCT e-News : 13/06/2008]It is always unclear if the dialogue with the European Commission which continues with MasterCard Europe, Visa Europe and retail organizations (Eurocommerce) could link soon to a definitive conclusion.

 SCT30 is Issued: Mobile NFC Enters “Chicken vs. Egg” Fray [SCT eNews : 29/05/2008]
Oh, the turmoil! No, this is the “chiasma”! Biological metaphors are not yet adequate enough. Some would suggest plate tectonics, other more prosaic sorts prefer geology, cooking or even the plate of spaghetti that resembles a Gordian knot...

 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 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.

 Oberthur Technologies Q2 Revenue Up Sharply (+ 20.2%, at €217.2 million) [Oberthur Technologies : 23/07/2008]Boosted by strong growth in SIM card and Identity sales and integration of XPonCard on May 1st 2008.

 L-1 Awarded Expanded U.S. Passport Card Program Including New U.S. Border Crossing Card [L-1 Identity Solutions, Inc. : 23/07/2008]The U.S. Passport Card is a convenient, wallet-sized document for land and sea travel between the United States and Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

 Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli to join Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL) [The Kudelski Group : 23/07/2008]Yves Pitton, Group Vice President– Special Projects Strategy will assume Adrienne Corboud Fumagalli’s operational activities.

 Wavecom Announces Second Quarter 2008 Financial Results [Wavecom : 23/07/2008]The Company reported a net profit of €0.6 million for the second quarter 2008, compared to a net loss of €2.3 million recorded in the previous quarter and a profit of €5.0 million for the same period the year before.

 Rapidly Broadening Interest in RFID [IDTechEx : 23/07/2008]By Dr. Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx.

 SanDisk Announces Second Quarter Financial Results [SanDisk Corporation : 22/07/2008]Reducing Future Supply Growth and Capital Expenditures.Total second-quarter revenue was $816 million, a decrease of 1% on a year-over-year basis.

 Motorola, Alien Technology and Impinj Top New Passive UHF RFID Reader Vendor Matrix [ABI Research : 22/07/2008]Alien Technology and Impinj claimed the second and third spots in the company’s new evaluation of worldwide passive UHF RFID reader vendors.

 TowerGroup Expects Global Islamic "Credit" Card Market to Grow to Six million Account By 2012 [TowerGroup : 22/07/2008]The Islamic banking model, which rejects the assessment of interest in favor of structured fees, is gaining momentum around the globe as petrodollars accumulate and developing economies mature.

  Claim Jumper Restaurants Selects VeriFone’s CarsidePAY and TablePAY [VeriFone Holdings, Inc. : 22/07/2008]Convenient VeriFone ON THE SPOT Solutions Provide Convenience, Speed and Cardholder Security with Payment for Carside Carryout Service and at the Table.

 Tyfone Invited by the Federal Trade Commission to Discuss a Paradigm for Contactless Payment Systems [Tyfone : 22/07/2008]The event is co-sponsored by the University of Washington Law School's Technology and Public Policy Clinic, and will be held at the UW campus in Seattle.

 Tumbleweed Licenses Certicom's Elliptic Curve Cryptography [Certicom Corp. : 22/07/2008]License with Certicom's Security Builder Solutions Will Help Ensure FIPS 140-2 and Suite B Compliance.

 NXP Semiconductors Announces Second Quarter 2008 Results [NXP Semiconductors : 22/07/2008]Gross margin improved from 34.7% to 36.5% year-over-year. Comparable YoY decrease of 1.9% and comparable QoQ sales decrease of 0.6%.

 SMARTRAC delivers first volumes of inlays for active cards [SMARTRAC N.V. : 22/07/2008]Including a battery, switch, display and microchip, these cards are able to generate one-time-passwords (OTP) that increase the security of ePayment processes significantly.

 Hypercom Artema Modular Unattended Payment Terminal Receives Interac Device Certification [Hypercom Corporation : 22/07/2008]The new certification from Canada's leading electronic payment association means that integrators can use the device securely in all types of indoor and outdoor vending and ticketing machines, and multi-media kiosks.

 NXP statement on the court decision to allow the publication by Radboud University Nijmegen [NXP Semiconductors : 21/07/2008]NXP’s objective as the manufacturer of MIFARE Classic chips, is to transparently update all system integrators and operators of infrastructures which use MIFARE Classic in a timely manner.

 Extension of COFRAC accreditation field and certification of ICAO compliance for FIME [FIME : 21/07/2008]FIME's rigour and quality has been officially recognized to increase reliability, secure and optimise the development of ePassport projects.

  VeriFone’s Continued Listing on New York Stock Exchange Extended [VeriFone Holdings Inc. : 20/07/2008]Updates Restatement Process.

 Cross Match Announces Retirement of CEO James W. Ziglar [Cross Match Technologies, Inc : 20/07/2008]Mr. Ziglar is retiring after a distinguished 44-year career that has included investment banking, law, academia, and service in the federal government.

 Acquisition of Digimarc's ID Systems Business: L-1 Identity Solutions Adjusts Offer Price [L-1 Identity Solutions, Inc. : 18/07/2008]To Reflect Expected Number of Shares Outstanding and Option Exercises, Total Cash Consideration to be Paid by L-1 Remains Unchanged at US $310 Million.

 Hong Kong: Citibank & Octopus Launch Multi-Function Credit Card [Citibank : 18/07/2008]The Card not only has both credit card and contactless smartcard payment functions, but also offers Citibank's cashback in addition to the existing Octopus Rewards scheme.

 CPI Card Group Welcomes New Sales Representatives [CPI Card Group : 18/07/2008]CPI Card Group welcomes two new sales representatives: Ed Prisby and Mark Costello

 NFC-based Proximity Mobile Payments May Require a “Bold First Move“ [Smart Card Alliance : 18/07/2008]New Smart Card Alliance Research: NFC-based Proximity Mobile Payments Collaboration Model Best For Rapid Industry Adoption

 Consortium Established to Develop and Promote Close Proximity Wireless Technology "TransferJet" [Sony Corporation : 18/07/2008]TransferJet wireless technology enables a high speed data transmission rate of 560Mbps, while eliminating the need for complex setup and operation.

 OTI Enters French Electronic Parking Market with Acquisition of ID Parking [On Track Innovations Ltd, : 17/07/2008]ID Parking Provides Electronic Parking Solutions in Approximately 40 Municipalities Across France.

 U.S. Accounting Firm Virchow Krause Selects Gemalto to Protect Client Data [Gemalto : 17/07/2008]VK’s senior management has made information security a high priority.

 Major Health Insurance Fund Awards Contract for Electronic Healthcare Cards to Giesecke & Devrient [Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) : 17/07/2008]Insured persons have the option of ordering a “PIN Home Package” from the KKH. This contains a special card reader and software for connection to a home PC.

 The Visually Impaired Can Now Independently Perform Secure Web and Telephone Banking Operations [MasterCard Europe : 17/07/2008]Activa System and the Slovenian Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired have introduced a portable smart card reader, using the MasterCardŸChip Authentication Program CAP).

 HealthTransaction Network Selects Hypercom’s HBNet Service, Optimum Payment Terminals [Hypercom Corporation : 17/07/2008]Hypercom Technology Supports First Electronic Healthcare Network for Underinsured and Uninsured Americans.

 Smartrac’s production location in Thailand for the first time exceeded 20 million units in one month [SMARTRAC N.V. : 17/07/2008]Located in the province Ayutthaya, SMARTRAC runs four factories in Thailand.

 Lockheed Martin Enhances Farnborough-Based Swift Laboratory [Lockheed Martin UK : 17/07/2008]Upgrades Focused on Nation Security, Joint Operations and Fighter Aircraft Simulators.