With sales of 430.1 million euros in 2003, Oberthur Card Systems is one of the world's leading providers of card-based solutions, software and applications including SIM and multi-application smart cards and services ranging from consulting to personalization. Innovative products, security expertise and high quality services ensure Oberthur's strong positioning in its three main target markets.

• Payment: 54% of 2003 revenues. The company is the world leader and number one supplier for Visa and MasterCard payment cards.
• Mobile Communications: 33% of 2003 revenues, with open and interoperable solutions based on Java(tm) technology.
• Identity & Security: emerging markets in which the company plays a pioneering role, with strong expertise in security and a dominant position in e-commerce and Pay-TV.

Close to its customers, Oberthur Card Systems benefits from an industrial and commercial presence across all five continents. Listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange (ISIN : FR0000124133) since July 2000, Oberthur Card Systems is a subsidiary of the François-Charles Oberthur Group.

Gemplus International S.A.(Euronext: LU0121706294 - GEM and NASDAQ: GEMP) is the world's leading player in the smart card industry in both revenue and total shipments (source 2002: Gartner-Dataquest, Frost & Sullivan, Datamonitor.) It has the largest R&D team, unrivalled experience, and an outstanding track record of technological innovation. Gemplus helps its clients offer an exceptional range of portable, personalized solutions that bring security and convenience to people's lives. These include Mobile Telecommunications, Public Telephony, Banking, Retail, Transport, Identity, WLAN, Pay-TV, e-government, access control, and a wealth of other applications. Gemplus' revenue in 2002 was 787 million Euros.

Axalto, formerly known as Schlumberger Smart Cards & Terminals, is the world's leading provider of microprocessor cards (Gartner, 2003, Frost & Sullivan 2003) -- the key to digital networks -- and a major supplier of Point-of-sale terminals. Its 4500 employees serve customers in more than 100 countries, with worldwide sales exceeding 2.6 billion smart cards to date. The company has more than 20 years' experience in smart card innovation and leads its industry in security technology and open systems. Axalto continuously creates new generations of products for use in a variety of applications in the telecommunications, finance, retail, transport, entertainment, healthcare, personal identification, information technology and public sector markets. Smart card solutions provide convenience, security and privacy to public and private services operators, their customers and end users.

France Telecom R&D , centre de recherche & développement, est le moteur de l'innovation de France Télécom et de ses filiales, en France et à l'étranger. Son rôle est de garantir de nouvelles sources de croissance à l'opérateur en anticipant les révolutions technologiques et d'usages et en imaginant dès maintenant les solutions qui feront partie demain du quotidien de chacun. Les résultats de France Télécom R&D placent le groupe parmi les trois premiers centres mondiaux de recherche & développement en télécommunications.

The Association "Centre Régional d'Etudes en Microélectronique Silicium", CREMSI, (Regional Center for Research in Silicon Microelectronics), was founded in 1993 by multisized companies , universities and engineering schools of the region of Provence-Alpes-C?te d'Azur within the microelectronics industry, with the involvement and support of local authorities and institutions. Since its formation, CREMSI has actively, promptly and efficiently operated in this fast moving market. It aims to strengthen the microelectronics industry.

EUROSMART is an international association located in Brussels representing the Voice of the Smart Card Industry for multi-sector applications. The Association is a non-profit organization committed to expanding the world?s smart card market, developing smart card standards and continuously improving quality and security applications.