PARIS & AMSTERDAM--()--Regulatory News:
Orange, France’s leading mobile operator with over 27 million subscribers, and Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, announce the first large-scale rollout of a SIM-based NFC solution to enable NFC-readiness for mass deployment of mobile contactless services. Orange is the first operator in Europe to deploy latest-generation NFC SIM cards to its customers in France at a national scale.
With this deployment, Orange is pursuing the implementation of a NFC infrastructure on a national level that enables service providers to come onboard and massively deploy mobile contactless services.
The UpTeq NFC high-end SIM is first on the market to offer the same security level as chip-based payment or smart cards. Orange can offer service providers such as banks, transport operators or retailers an attractive, secure and scalable solution to deploy new and enhanced services to end users. The solution will allow any service provider to dynamically manage its own security domain in the card and to load, personalize and update its related NFC applications remotely over time.
Service providers will be offered a secure space on the SIM card, to manage and update their end customers’ personal data, as within a vault. Orange subscribers will be able to download, activate and use NFC services on their phone and in an entirely protected environment. They will be able to access an easily expandable wallet of new NFC applications for payments, transportation, ticketing and loyalty programs.
“Gemalto is the first supplier we’re working with for the deployment of NFC SIM cards at a national level,” said Thierry Millet Vice President of Mobile Payments & NFC at Orange. “Gemalto’s NFC solution is fully in line with our strategy to simplify and secure the use of mobile contactless services. We are committed to equipping our customers with NFC SIM cards and handsets. We are delighted to achieve a new landmark with this nationwide rollout towards our subscribers in France.”
“Orange is leading the way in NFC roll out in France and in Europe. The UpTeq NFC solution meets Orange’s qualifications at both national and group levels and our teams are on hand to support and accompany the mobile operator in its NFC strategy,” added Philippe Vallée, Executive Vice President of Telecommunications at Gemalto.
About Orange
France Telecom-Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with 171,000 employees worldwide, including 105,000 employees in France, and sales of 10.9 billion euros in the first three months of 2012. Present in 33 countries, the Group had a customer base of 225 million customers at 31 March 2012, including 181 million customers under the Orange brand, the Group's single brand for internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the company operates. At 31 March 2012, the Group had 166 million mobile customers and 15 million broadband internet (ADSL, fibre) customers worldwide. Orange is one of the main European operators for mobile and broadband internet services and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunication services to multinational companies.
With its industrial project, "conquests 2015", Orange is simultaneously addressing its employees, customers and shareholders, as well as the society in which the company operates, through a concrete set of action plans. These commitments are expressed through a new vision of human resources for employees; through the deployment of a network infrastructure upon which the Group will build its future growth; through the Group's ambition to offer a superior customer experience thanks in particular to improved quality of service; and through the acceleration of international development.
France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information (on the internet and on your mobile): www.orange.com, www.orange-business.com, www.orange-innovation.tv or to follow us on Twitter: @presseorange.
Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Brand Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom.
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2011 annual revenues of €2 billion and more than 10,000 employees operating out of 74 offices and 14 Research & Development centers in 43 countries.
We are at the heart of our rapidly evolving digital society. Billions of people worldwide increasingly want the freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain and work – anytime, everywhere – in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure. Gemalto delivers on their expanding needs for personal mobile services, payment security, identity protection, authenticated online services, cloud computing access, eHealthcare and eGovernment services, modern transportation solutions, M2M communication.
Gemalto develops secure software that runs on trusted devices which we design and personalize. We manage these devices, the confidential data they contain and the services they enable, throughout their life cycle. We innovate so that our clients can offer more ways of enhancing the convenience and security of their end-users’ digital lives.
Gemalto is thriving with the growing number of people using its software and secure devices to interact in the digital and wireless world.
For more information visit www.gemalto.com, www.justaskgemalto.com, blog.gemalto.com, or follow @gemalto on Twitter.