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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
1997-0240

Fujitsu Announces "SmartCARD Vision"

- Smart Card System Solution Concept and Related Products -

card card

Tokyo, November 6, 1997 - Fujitsu Limited today unveiled "SmartCARD Vision," an all-encompassing solution concept focusing on smart card development and deployment which includes product development and supply, consulting and operations support. In the next three years, Fujitsu projects sales of SmartCARD Vision products and services to total 30 billion yen.

Because IC smart cards provide greater security and data storage capacity than existing magnetic stripe cards, worldwide market volume for the devices is expected to reach 2 to 3.5 billion cards for electronic money and other business applications by the year 2000. Anticipating this market opportunity, Fujitsu has already added smart card reading functionality to its POS and ATM systems. And in July of this year, Fujitsu introduced three types of smart cards and three types of smart card reader/writer systems for use in such areas as electronic money, local government and retail systems.

Fujitsu's SmartCARD Vision concept is built on three pillars:

  1. Offer total solutions:
    • Full range of smart cards, card reader/writer, POS and ATM systems,
    • Services from consulting to design, development and operations support.
  2. Offer top-level products in concert with global partners:
    • ICL PLC of the UK- "SmartCity" and EFTPOS devices,
    • Amdahl Corporation of the US- Amdahl Mondex System,
    • Siemens AG- the market leader in IC chips for smart cards, developing a global de-facto card operating system and joint development program with Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG for multi-functional, high-security smart cards.
    • Racom Systems, Inc. and Racom Japan Inc.
  3. Drive global and industry standards:
    • ISO and JICSAP standards,
    • EMV, MULTOS, Java and PC/SC specifications.

For more information:

Press Contact:

Naomi Ogawa, Scott Ikeda
Fujitsu Limited, Public Relations
Tel: +81-3-3215-5236
Fax : +81-3-3216-9365

Customer Contacts:
Strategy & Planning Div. Marketing
Group, FUJITSU Limited
Tel: +81-3-3215-5916
e-mail: hmitsumo@ign.hon.fujitsu.co.jp		 Branch & Stores Systems Business
Group, FUJITSU Limited
Tel: +81-3-3216-9242
Fax: +81-3-3216-8016
e-mail: takahashi-kazuo01@sag.fujitsu.co.jp

Details of Fujitsu's SmartCARD Vision Concept

  1. Offer total solutions

    Based on its knowledge and experience in dealing with IT systems in a wide variety of specific industries, Fujitsu is able to offer customers total SmartCARD solutions. Solutions range from development and supply of smart cards and related equipment to a range of services including consulting, design, development and operations support. SmartCARD Vision helps to create effective smart card-based systems which harmonize with existing IT systems. The products Fujitsu deploys can be used in a variety of applications, including international electronic money systems, such as Mondex and VISA Cash, as well as regional, in-house or campus systems worldwide.

    As one example, Fujitsu Kyushu R&D Center, with the help of banks and merchants in the region, has commercialized and will deploy this November an all-purpose secure electronic money system based on the ID smart cards. Furthermore, Fujitsu readying a broad range of products to address not only electronic money but also electronic commerce, customer information systems, resident information systems, network security, etc.

  2. Offer top-level products in concert with global partners

    The company has also moved to reinforce collaboration in the smart card business area with Fujitsu Group companies ICL PLC of the UK and Amdahl Corporation of the US. ICL has deployed throughout the world nearly 40 installations of "SmartCity," a smart card-based electronic money system which includes a comprehensive range of smart card terminals and EFTPOS devices. And the Amdahl Mondex System (AMS), a Mondex electronic money system, and "Super Purse," an electronic safe for Mondex systems, are being used in trial projects in Canada and Australia. By sharing development, sales and support efforts with these partners, Fujitsu is able to bring products to market in a more timely manner and grow its business worldwide.

    Fujitsu also cooperates with Siemens AG, which is the market leader in IC chips for smart cards. In addition to procuring IC chips from Siemens, Fujitsu is participating in the company's efforts to develop a global de-facto card operating system, as well as in a joint development program with Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG for multi-functional, high-security smart cards.

    Yet another joint effort is last year's agreement with Racom Systems, Inc. and Racom Japan Inc., a top manufacturer of contactless smart cards, to cooperate in development and sales endeavors.

  3. Drive global and industry standards

    By offering products that comply with not only ISO and JICSAP standards but also EMV, MULTOS, Java and PC/SC specifications, Fujitsu is taking a leadership position in the establishment of industry standards for application infrastructure, thereby facilitating the company's ability to provide high-level applications for the network age in a timely manner.

New Products and Services

New product and service offerings under the SmartCARD Vision umbrella include:

Products:

Services:
Applications: