AMSTERDAM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today announced it has been selected by MTN Uganda for its nationwide mobile payment program. Service rollout started in March 2009 and to date, around 180,000 m-payment transactions have already been performed.

MTN Uganda is part of the MTN Group, a multinational telecommunications group operating in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East and serving over 100 million subscribers, including 4.2 million in Uganda. Gemalto provided MTN Uganda with a comprehensive solution that includes the server for interconnecting the operator with its banking service provider, and the SIM cards storing and executing the m-payment application. The company also supplied server integration services and acts as technological partner of MTN Uganda.

The Gemalto solution provides a secure, convenient and affordable means for MTN Uganda subscribers to carry out peer-to-peer fund transfer using their mobile phone, whether or not they have a bank account. It also makes m-payment accessible to users who do not have an Internet access. An easy-to-navigate menu enables consumers to send and receive money, buy airtime, withdraw cash from a local retailer, with the security provided by the SIM card. Since the SIM card is the only application platform working with 100% of handsets, subscribers can perform m-payment transactions using any type of mobile phone, which means the service is immediately available to all.

“We selected Gemalto for its sound experience in deploying m-payment services in Africa,” commented Isaac Nsereko, Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Uganda. “In addition, Gemalto has been a preferred supplier to the MTN Group for many years and we have established a trustful business relationship with the company. “

“Gemalto is proud to offer all MTN Uganda subscribers the freedom to transfer money when and where they want,” added Philippe Vallée, Executive Vice President of the Telecommunications Business Unit at Gemalto. “Because our solution is so easy to use and available to anyone who owns a handset, we believe in the rapid adoption of m-payment in Uganda as we make the service accessible to the great majority, banked or unbanked.”

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2008 annual revenues of €1.68 billion, and 10,000 employees operating out of 75 offices, research and service centers in 40 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere—has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.

Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, smart card access badges, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems and services to help our 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 please visit www.gemalto.com.