Complete production meets security criteria from Visa and MasterCard

Munich/Barcelona 11. August 2005–The two leading card organizations Visa International and MasterCard international have certified the personalization process of EMV payment cards in GD Iberica, the Spanish subsidiary of the international technology group Giesecke & Devrient (G&D). G&D thereby fulfils all quality and security requirements for the card organizations that are required for the writing and processing of customer data on chip-based payment cards.

The production of EMV payment cards has been certified for the Spanish G&D subsidiary in Barcelona for four years now. With the additional seal of approval for the personalization process, G&D is now the first provider on the Iberian Peninsula to have all production steps for an EMV card be completely certified.

“The migration process from the simple technology of magstripe personalization to writing information on state-of-the-art smart cards requires the conversion of numerous processes and specific know-how. With the card production and personalization in Barcelona as well as an additional representation in Madrid, G&D is in a good position and can strengthen its leading role in the market for payment cards on the Iberian Peninsula,” explained David Gonzalez, sales leader for payment cards at Giesecke & Devrient in Spain.

Starting immediately, GD Iberica can offer Visa and MasterCard certified products, such as the Visa Smart Debit Credit card (VSDC), as well as products from the M-Chip family from MasterCard. Experts estimate that there are currently around 60 million payment cards in circulation in Spain. “There is a huge potential for the change-over from magstripe cards to smart card technology,” according to Gonzalez.

About Giesecke & Devrient:

Giesecke & Devrient (G&D) is a technology leader in the field of smart cards, providing smart card based solutions for telecommunications, electronic payment, health care, ID, transportation, and IT security (PKI). G&D is also a leading producer of banknotes and security documents and is dominant in the field of currency automation. Based in Munich, Germany, the G&D Group operates subsidiaries and joint ventures around the world. In fiscal 2004, the group employed some 7,300 people and generated revenue of€1.16 billion. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.gi-de.com.