Gemalto has launched the world’s first bio-sourced degradable smart cards. According to the company, "the card body is made from renewable material, is easily recyclable and compostable, and can be incinerated without emissions of toxic fumes. Additionally, Gemalto offers packaging made from recycled paper and vegetable inks that significantly reduce the product’s environmental impact. Gemalto’s bio-sourced smart cards will be ready for mass production in the first quarter of 2010." READ MORE

Gemalto has announced that it has deployed its Secure Access Modules (SAM) into existing EasyCard payment terminals in Taiwan with eSECURE Technology. The SAM card is used to upgrade existing payment terminals for contactless use. Upgraded contactless-ready terminals give consumers a simple, fast and secure means to make small sum payments. There are currently around 16 million EasyCards in the market. READ MORE

Gemalto has announced commercial launch of the Ezio Optical TAN, a unique optical authentication reader for online banking access that is specially designed for the German market. According to the company, "the reader, the size of a credit card, fits in a wallet along with the banking card. Users present the device in front of their computer screen and optical sensors capture the data they would normally enter from the reader keypad to carry out and sign online transactions. No software needs to be installed to use the device." READ MORE

Gemalto and INSIDE Contactless have announced availability of a Near-Field Communications (NFC) solution fully complying with the latest ETSI standards. According to the companies,

"the solution also meets the new GSM Association "Pay-Buy-Mobile" mobile handset requirements based on the Single Wire Protocol (SWP). The new Inside MicroRead® NFC chip, combined with the Gemalto latest UpTeq 300 m-NFC SIM card embarking a Common Criteria EAL4+ security certified chip, gives handset makers and mobile operators the first fully compliant, interoperable, full-speed SWP solution - tested at 1.6 Mbps - to support proximity payments, transport and ticketing."

Gemalto has announced a partnership with India-based technology partner mChek to bolster the range and choice of secured mobile banking solutions available on Gemalto SIM cards to markets in South Asia. READ MORE

Gemalto has introduced a new consumer website that helps "consumers fully enjoy their digital lifestyle and protect their personal financial information as they buy, surf, communicate and travel.

The site www.JustAskGemalto.com is a place where people can go for expert advice on topics such as Internet security, online payment, password management, credit card fraud, cell phone usage, identity theft and more. Until now, no one site has gathered all these different topics in one place. As the use of our digital information spreads, we as individuals have a role in safeguarding it more than ever.

Gemalto has announced that it has equipped over 300 shopping malls worldwide with its Dexxis Instant Issuance solution, "enabling on-the-spot delivery of one million credit cards per year in total." READ MORE

Gemalto has announced that five banks in France are currently using its Allynis service as part of the "Payez Mobile" trial for contactless mobile payment: BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole-LCL, Crédit Mutuel-CIC, Caisse d’Epargne and La Banque Postale Groups.

According to Gemalto, "the Pegasus group, which consists of seven major banks and four mobile operators in France, launched the program in November 2007 with 1,000 user clients and 200 merchants in Caen and Strasbourg. The renewal of the Gemalto service contract until the end of 2008 reasserts its recognition as a trusted third party among the various parties involved in the mobile NFC ecosystem." READ MORE

Gemalto and NXP Semiconductors have announced they are collaborating on "SIM-enabled Near Field Communication (NFC) solutions based on the Single Wire Protocol (SWP). Both companies will together define and develop SIM products for SWP-based solutions to ensure interoperability with MIFARE technology as well as other widely deployed contactless protocols. This agreement will enable the industry to rapidly address the growing demand for NFC-based applications among telecom operators, service providers and consumers."

Paul Nussbaum writes for the Philadelphia Enquirer about Gemalto North America's card plant in Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, calling it the "biggest manufacturer of transit "smart cards" in the United States."

Gemalto has announced it is the "first company to achieve the MasterCard and Visa Chip Authentication Program (CAP) 2007 certification of its Pocket reader, designed to secure authentication of cardholders for remote banking and e-commerce."

Gemalto has announced that it is providing Barclays Bank with a tailor-made product supporting Barclays project to offer stronger authentication for online banking customers. According to the company, its solution "includes the authentication devices and a full service encompassing design of the readers, fulfillment and distribution to the Barclays customer. In addition, Gemalto produced a unique looking device, customised with the bank’s visual corporate identity. The contract calls for the delivery of over half a million units by the end of this year and includes options for additional deliveries into 2008." More information, including photos of the device, are available at the Barclays web site.

Gemalto has announced a "new end-to-end solution to help Canadian debit and credit card issuers implement the international EMV standard. Its EMV Pilot Package includes microprocessor-based smart card technology to provide better security to cardholders, as well as personalization and consultation services."

Gemalto has announced that its personalization center outside of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is the first to achieve smart banking card certification from Interac, Canada’s debit and Automated Banking Machine (ABM) network.

Gemalto has announced a new banking microprocessor card capable of performing multiple types of Visa payments: contact EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa), EMV-based contactless and magnetic stripe data contactless. The company says its new card is the first contactless product that meets Visa's global contactless specification for interoperability and will be available in mass volumes to major financial institutions starting January 2007.

Axalto and Gemplus International have announced a merger of equals to create Gemalto.