• Credit card-sized reader solution replaces paper-based One-Time-Passwords
• Innovative optical screen-reading feature simplifies and shortens data entry by consumers
• Miniaturized format provides utmost portability and convenience

AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announces that Sparkasse Suedholstein is deploying Gemalto's Ezio strong authentication optical readers to better protect its online customers. The Gemalto solution eliminates the need for paper-based lists of One-Time-Passwords ("iTAN", Indexed Transaction Authentication Number") and adds the higher level of security of the smart banking card. The bank is part of the Sparkassen Finanzgruppe, the leading banking group in Germany with 45 million retail accounts. The unique credit card-sized optical authentication device is easy to carry around in your wallet and offers a high level of mobility and convenience. With 27 million ebanking users¹, Germany has the largest number of online customer base in Europe.

Ezio TAN combines utmost ease-of-use and speed with the security of EMV debit cards. Customers of Sparkasse Suedholstein simply place the device in front of their PC screen or the display of their tablets or smartphones. Optical sensors capture the transaction data that would otherwise be entered via the reader keypad to perform online transactions. The Gemalto Ezio TAN is a zero footprint solution, i.e. it requires no additional or specific software installation for the end user, making usage and adoption even easier.

"Portability, security and user-friendliness are key to boosting customer acceptance, which was the main consideration in selecting the Ezio TAN", said Stefan Tute, Head of media distribution, eBanking, Sparkasse Suedholstein. "The Gemalto innovation creates a simple and straightforward trusted environment for our online banking."

"Sparkasse Suedholstein has foreseen the needs of their online customers for a convenient authentication solution that fits in their wallet," said Håkan Nordfjell, Senior Vice President eBanking Gemalto. "Ezio TAN is perfectly suited to meet the increasing demand to sign transactions in a simple and secure manner, even more so with the expansion of eCommerce."

See Sparkasse Suedholstein video case study at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngow5x_4qJw

¹ Source: BITKOM Federal Association for Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media. BITKOM ist he voice of the information technology, telecommunications, and new media industry in Germany.

Note to editors

Ezio TAN enables the switch from iTAN to chipTAN. With the chipTAN technology, the microprocessor of the smart banking card calculates a dynamic One-Time-Password. So far, the new technology is supported by all German saving banks, all German cooperative banks as well as the Postbank.

Ezio TAN is fully compliant with ZKA HandHeld Device (HHD), the latest requirement by the Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft (former "Zentraler Kreditausschuss") for eBanking devices. Banks migrating from paper-based "iTAN" to optical "ChipTAN" authentication devices must meet the requirements of this specification. The rollout of the first HHD-compliant devices started at the end of 2010 and is expected to be completed by mid-2012.

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2010 annual revenues of €1.9 billion and over 10,000 employees operating out of 87 offices and 13 Research & Development centers in 45 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work-anytime, anywhere, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure. Gemalto delivers on the growing demands for personal mobile services, identity protection, payment security, authenticated online services, cloud computing access, modern transportation, e-healthcare and e-government services. Gemalto does this by providing secure software, a wide range of secure personal devices, and managed services to wireless operators, banks, enterprises and government agencies.

Gemalto is the world leader for electronic passports and identity cards, two-factor authentication devices for online protection, smart credit/debit and contactless payment cards, as well as subscriber identification modules (SIM) and universal integrated circuit cards (UICC) in mobile phones. Also, in the emerging machine-to-machine applications Gemalto is a leading supplier of wireless modules and machine identification modules (MIM). To operate these solutions and remotely manage the software and confidential data contained in the secure devices Gemalto also provides server platforms, consulting, training, and managed services to help its customers achieve their goals.

As the use of Gemalto's software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the Company is poised to thrive over the coming years.

For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50040785&lang=en

Contacts

Gemalto Media Contacts:
Peggy Edoire
Europe, Middle East & Africa
+33 4 42 36 45 40
peggy.edoire@gemalto.com
or
Jessi Marshall
North America
+1 512 257 3902
jessi.marshall@gemalto.com
or
Yvonne Lim
Asia Pacific
+65 6317 3730
yvonne.lim@gemalto.com
or
Ernesto Haikewitsch
Latin America
+55 11 51 05 92 20
ernesto.haikewitsch@gemalto.com

Ezio TAN (Photo: Business Wire)