Gemplus sales soar 50% in 1997
International investment matches revenues growth

Gemplus sells magnetic-stripe cards, memory- and microprocessor-based smart cards, smart contactless cards, electronic tags and smart objects. The company designs and markets software, development tools and readers. Gemplus also provides consulting, training and personalization services to deliver the industry’s most  comprehensive, flexible card-based solutions to its customers, distributors, partners, and developers.

Gemplus has successfully implemented, secure smart card-based solutions to simplify access to services such as public phones and wireless communications, financial transactions, loyalty, transportation, education, healthcare, identity, access control, pay-TV, electronic commerce, Internet security, access control and information technology.

Building on the strengths of global presence and local expertise

Founded in 1988, Gemplus is recognized as one of the top 20 fastest growing entrepreneurial companies in Europe (Source: Europe’s 500), and has consolidated its market leadership position worldwide. The group posted, for the 1997 financial year, sales of FRF 3.454 billion (USD 592 million), an advance of 50 percent over the 1996 total, which was FRF 2.305 billion (USD 440 million).

On a pro forma basis, that is excluding for the year the contribution of SkiData acquired at the beginning of 1997, adjusted growth in revenues was 35 percent.

Investing for the future

In 1997, Gemplus invested USD 42 million in research and development worldwide, and now owns a portfolio of 230 patents. In the Information Age, market demands are security, simplicity and portability. Customers want the benefits of multiapplication cards with technology that is easy to use. They want cards that match and enhance their users’ lifestyle.