MANILA, Philippines, June 8--PRNewswire-AsiaNet/InfoQuest
Gemplus International S.A. (Euronext: LU0121706294 - GEM and Nasdaq: GEMP), the world's leading provider of smart card solutions, and Tangent Solutions
Inc., an innovative and premier provider of end-to-end electronic card-based
applications, team up to deliver a smart card-based(1) loyalty program for Monterey Neighborhood Meatshop customers nationwide. Shopping at any Monterey
Neighborhood Meatshop now becomes a truly rewarding experience through its
loyalty program called the Monterey Value Plus (MVP).
MVP members are issued with an MVP Smart Card equipped with a Gemplus smart chip to store and process the loyalty points earned by the customers upon
purchase in any Monterey Neighborhood Meatshop. These loyalty points can then be converted into e-cash automatically.
Tangent Solutions Inc. is providing the technology to run the MVP loyalty program. Their solution consists of the MVP Smart Card, Card Personalization Services, the Smart Card Terminal and the Loyalty Host Server.
Unlike other loyalty programs, points earned from purchases are valid
perpetually and are convertible to e-cash, which can be used to buy Monterey
products. Members have the option to accumulate more points that automatically
translate to higher e-cash values.
Through the MVP Smart Card, customers will always be holding the most
updated purchase information or balance in their hands. Even without having to
"communicate" with the Host Server, the customer can immediately know if he or
she can redeem his or her e-cash. For Monterey Neighborhood Meatshops, this
translates to greater cost savings since communication costs are reduced.
Furthermore, since the transactions are electronic, it is easier for Monterey
Neighborhood Meatshops to gather useful marketing information such as spending
behaviour of its customers. Such information can then be used to design subsequent target marketing campaigns for greater effectiveness.
Gemplus General Manager for Financial Services and Identity/ Security
(South East Asia) Mr. Goh Say Yeow, said: "We are proud to work with Tangent
Solutions Inc. on this innovative project that once again demonstrates the vast
array of possibilities offered by smart card technology. In particular, the fact that points are non-expiring and can be converted to e-cash makes participating in this loyalty program a unique and truly rewarding experience for Monterey Neighborhood Meatshop customers."
Mr. Jose Mari Aldeguer, General Manager of Tangent Solutions, added: "The smart card technology in the MVP loyalty program is an ingenious strategy to drive customer interest and participation as it simplifies the process of accumulation of points and the redemption of rewards."
Monterey Foods Corporation's Assistant Vice President for Marketing, Sales & Franchising, Mr. Jose Alberto Arellano, declared: "So many loyalty cards are competing for space in the customer's wallet today. To make a difference, a
loyalty program has to provide real value to the customer, and we believe this
is precisely what this solution from Tangent Solutions Inc. and Gemplus is doing. Our customers want to be able to avail themselves of rewards now, not in a distant future, and this is now possible with smart card technology."
About Gemplus
Gemplus International S.A. (Euronext: LU0121706294 - GEM and Nasdaq: GEMP) is the world's leading player in the smart card industry in both revenue and
total shipments (source: Gartner-Dataquest (2005), Frost & Sullivan,
Datamonitor). It has sold over 5 billion smart cards.
With security at its core, and 2400 patents and patent applications produced by its innovative R&D team, Gemplus delivers a wide range of portable,
personalized solutions in areas including Identity, Mobile
Telecommunications, Public Telephony, Banking, Retail, Transport,
Healthcare, WLAN, Pay-TV, e-government, and access control.
Gemplus' revenue in 2004 was 865 million Euros.
http://www.gemplus.com
For more information, please contact:
Janet LOH
Gemplus Technologies Asia
Tel: +65 6317 3333
[email protected]
Majivel MARBIBI
EON, Inc
+632 893 5642
[email protected]
All rights reserved. Gemplus, the Gemplus logo, are trademarks and service marks of Gemplus S.A. and are registered in certain countries. All other trademarks and service marks, whether registered or not in specific countries, are the property of their respective owners.
Some of the statements contained in this release constitute forward-looking statements. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our or our industry's actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activities, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those estimated by the forward-looking statements contained in this release include, but are not limited to: trends in wireless communication and mobile commerce markets; our ability to develop new technology, and the effects of competing technologies developed and expected intense competition generally in our main markets; profitability of our expansion strategy; challenges to or loss of our intellectual property rights; our ability to establish and maintain strategic relationships in our major businesses; our ability to develop and take advantage of new software and services; and the effect of future acquisitions and investments on our share price. Moreover, neither we nor any
other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this
release speak only as of this release. We are under no duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after this date to conform such statements to actual results or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated results.
(1) A smart card is an electronic card equipped with a multi-application
microprocessor. The most common smart card in the Philippines is the SIM card used in mobile phones, but many other applications are possible, for instance for credit cards and for loyalty cards.
SOURCE Gemplus International S.A.
/CONTACT: Janet LOH, Gemplus Technologies Asia, +65-6317-3333,
[email protected]; or Majivel MARBIBI, EON, Inc, +632-893-5642,
[email protected]/
/Web site: http://www.gemplus.com /
--Distributed by AsiaNet (www.asianetnews.net)--