Press Releases
New Visa Smart Card Offers to Further Migration to Chip
Infineon becomes Visa Smart Global PartnerSAN FRANCISCO, 23 March 2005
Visa International today announced a number of new offers for Visa member banks as part of a major program to enhance the adoption of new technologies, such as smart cards.
The offers come from 13 global technology providers that belong to the Visa Smart Global Partner program and cover a wide range of innovative products and services for card issuers and acquirers. Visa also announced a new addition to the program. Global chip supplier, Infineon, has become the latest provider to join the program and will provide competitive offers on the manufacture of chips for Visa payment cards.
Through the program, originally launched in the spring of 2000, Visa works with leading card technology vendors worldwide to offer Visa member banks products and services that facilitate the migration to EMV chip technology and provide other state-of-the-art technical enhancements. The Visa Smart Global Partner program is a component of the Visa Smart initiative, a comprehensive chip migration program for member banks.
"Migration from magnetic stripe to EMV chip technology constitutes a significant financial investment for Visa members," said James Lee, senior vice president, Product Technology and Standards, Visa International. "The Visa Smart Global Partner Program provides efficient and competitive solutions to our Members that honor our commitment to ensure that the transition to chip is as straightforward and cost-effective as possible."
Companies offering discounts and other added benefits include:
- ACI Worldwide (EMV chip migration training)
- Axalto (EMV chip migration training)
- Barnes International (test tools)
- Datacard Group (smart card issuance systems)
- ICC Solutions (test tools)
- NBS Technologies (card personalization solutions)
- NCR (ATM smart card hardware)
Oberthur Card Systems (smart card training) - Orga (smart cards)
- SAGEM Monetel (POS terminals)
- STMicroelectronics (smart card management software)
- Thales e-Security (data personalization solutions)
- Welcome Real-time (smart card software installation and training)
The Visa Smart Global Partner Program makes the latest technology solutions available to Visa members. Participation in the program is by invitation only. Visa selects its partners based on their ability to provide quality services and products to a significant number of Visa members, along with their ability to make important contributions to the industry.
With the interoperable EMV standards, the issuance of smart cards by Visa member banks has increased markedly. The number of Visa EMV smart cards has grown from 52 million two years ago to 106 million today.
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Notes to Editors:
About Visa: Visa is the world's leading payment brand generating US$3 trillion in annual card sales volume. Visa has unsurpassed acceptance in more than 150 countries. The Visa organization plays a pivotal role in developing innovative payment products and technologies to benefit its 21,000 member financial institutions and their cardholders. Visa is a leader in Internet based payments and is pioneering the creation of u-commerce, or universal commerce--the ability to conduct commerce anywhere, anytime, and any way. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.
Contact: Sandra Chu, Visa International, Tel: + 650 432 2154 at globalmedia@visa.com