Feature News

PARIS, February 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Oberthur Technologies, one of the world's leading Smart Card suppliers and NXP, the semiconductor company founded by Philips, announced today the completion of interoperability tests between Oberthur Technologies' Opera FlyBuy NFC (Near Field Communication) SIM Cards and NXP's PN544 NFC Controller. Opera FlyBuy NFC SIM Cards from Oberthur Technologies can be used in conjunction with NXP's PN544 to design NFC mobile devices compatible with MIFARE(TM)* Classic technology in existing infrastructures.

"With its multi-application and remote management capabilities, Opera FlyBuy NFC SIM cards from Oberthur Technologies offer the highest level of flexibility to mobile network operators (MNO) and convenience of contactless technology to the end-customers. With this MIFARE-compatible SIM card on the mobile phone, anyone travelling from Beijing to London will have the convenience of using transport services where MIFARE technology has been deployed," said Xavier Drilhon, Managing Director, Card Systems Division at Oberthur Technologies.

"We are pleased to get this interoperability validation from NXP and support the industry in making mobile contactless a reality, and ensure our MNO customers take the lead in mobile convergence through our NFC solution."

NXP's MIFARE platforms are the most widely deployed contactless technology globally, in particular for public transport, event ticketing and access management. Today, about 75 percent of contactless cards used in transport networks are based on MIFARE technology.

"As the leader in contactless chip technology and co-inventor of NFC, NXP is pleased to work with Oberthur Technologies to enable deployment of mobile solutions compatible with MIFARE," said Christophe Duverne, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Identification, NXP Semiconductors.

"MIFARE technology will significantly improve the NFC mobile experience allowing greater flexibility, mobility and convenience to consumers as well as enhancing business opportunities for mobile network operators."

Oberthur Technologies has a proven track record in the NFC ecosystem notably with the launch of the FlyBuy Bichip in 2005 (First worldwide MIFARE compatible SimCentric solution), the launch of the FlyBuy DUO card (received SESAMES 2007), participation in the Payez Mobile project and in many other pilots worldwide.

* MIFARE is a registered trademark of NXP B.V. in the U.S. and other countries.

About Oberthur Technologies

With sales of 879 million Euros in 2008, Oberthur Technologies is a world leader in the field of secure technologies. Innovation and high quality services ensure Oberthur Technologies' strong positioning in its main target markets:

    - Card Systems: One of the world's leading providers of security and
      identification based on smart card technology and associated services
      for mobile, payment, transport, digital TV and convergence markets.

    - Identity: International player for the manufacture and personalization
      of secure identity documents such as passport, identity card, driving
      license or health care card - traditional and electronic - and
      associated services for both governmental and corporate markets.

    - Fiduciary printing: World's third largest private security printer
      specialized in high security for the production of banknotes, checks
      and other fiduciary documents in more than fifty countries.

    - Cash protection: World leader in the emerging market of intelligent
      systems to secure cash-in-transit and ATM.

Close to its customers, Oberthur Technologies benefits from an industrial and commercial presence across all five continents.

Oberthur Technologies S.A. is a limited liability company (societe anonyme) registered in France with its registered office at 50 quai Michelet 92 532 Levallois Perret, France. Oberthur Technologies S.A.'s corporate registration number is 340 709 534 R.C.S. Paris.

Website: http://www.oberthur.com

About NXP Semiconductors

NXP is a leading semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has about 33,500 employees working in more than 20 countries and posted sales of USD 6.3 billion (including the Mobile & Personal business) in 2007. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, mobile phones, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at http://www.nxp.com.

    Oberthur Technologies:
    Matthew Stroud
    Press Contact
    Telephone: +33-1-47-85-58-06
    Email: m.stroud@oberthur.com