LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. and LUXEMBOURG, March 23, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Bitfone Corporation, the leading provider of over-the-air (OTA) software update technology for mobile phones, and Gemplus International S.A. (Euronext: LU0121706294 - GEM) (Nasdaq:GEMP), the world's leading provider of smart card based solutions, today announced a strategic agreement to integrate Bitfone's mProve(tm)(1) into the GemConnect Device Manager(2) solution from Gemplus. This combined solution highlights the importance of the SIM card in the software upgrade process.
"Today, mobile phone configuration and maintenance is a complicated challenge for subscribers, and a barrier to maximizing revenue for wireless operators," said Emmanuel Walckenaer, Vice President, Applications Business Line, Gemplus. "Integrating Bitfone's leading technology for OTA firmware updates into the GemConnect Device Manager will create a seamless experience for mobile operators to upgrade and configure phones for end users remotely and automatically."
"Smart cards are integral to enabling flexible configuration and control of mobile phones," said Gene Wang, chairman and CEO of Bitfone. "By synchronizing SIM card management, parameter settings and firmware updates, Bitfone will provide increased reliability and convenience for mobile phone users, and reduced customer service costs for carriers."
To see a demonstration of the integrated mProve and GemConnect Device Manager solution, visit the Gemplus stand no. 3424 at CTIA in Atlanta, Georgia, March 22-24, 2004.
Notes:
1. mProve: A 100% fault tolerant over the air software upgrade
solution
2. GemConnect Device Manager: An end-to-end solution leveraging
the (U)SIM for remote device management over the air.
About Gemplus
Gemplus International S.A. (Euronext: LU0121706294 - GEM) (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 offers 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 2003 was 749 million Euros. www.gemplus.com
About Bitfone Corporation
Bitfone Corporation provides innovative software solutions for mobile device management. Bitfone's mProve is the wireless industry's leading technology that updates a mobile phone's core embedded software over the air, in a secure and fault-tolerant manner. mProve delivers significant cost savings in the areas of customer service and warranty, provides insurance against software-related device recalls, and accelerates adoption of wireless services. Bitfone is a global company headquartered in Laguna Niguel, California, with offices in China, Finland, Japan and Korea. Bitfone's investors include Nokia Venture Partners, Prism Venture Partners, St. Paul Venture Capital, 3i, Nexit Ventures, Motorola, Inc., Orange Ventures, KTB Ventures, CIR Ventures and Flextronics. For more information, please visit www.bitfone.com.