Oberthur Card Systems opens a new plant in Brazil

This decision occurs in a business context currently showing strong and long lasting signs of development. Indeed, the migration of payment cards from magnetic stripe cards to microprocessor EMV cards is now been launched by most major Brazilian banks, with the primary objective of fighting against the high level of fraud. GSM networks, launched in 2002, have been extremely successful with high quality of services and attractive marketing offers. In addition, several TDMA networks have started transferring their subscribers towards GSM networks. The Brazilian government is also at the forefront of new information technologies, and very much interested in the use of e-signature to develop its e-government services. Open since early November and officially inaugurated on November 24th, this new site is operational and scheduled to ship several hundred thousands last generation SIM cards (SIMphonIC V3 WIB1.3 64K) to mobile communication operators Telemig Celular and Amazonia Celular, which operate TDMA networks in the Minas Gerais states and the North of Brazil. These operators will soon launch their GSM networks and plan to progressively migrate their 3.8 million subscribers to the new networks. Oberthur Cards Systems will also host and operate for Telemig Celular and Amazonia Celular an Over The Air (OTA) service for phone book secure storage (Agenda Back-up) for their subscribers.