ASK Joint Venture selected for 12.2 million contactless paper tickets

Paris, Cartes show, November 13, 2007–ASK is proud to announce that ASK TongFang, its joint venture created in 2005, has been selected to manufacture the contactless inlays for the 12.2 million RFID tickets of the XXIX Olympiad. Tickets include anti-counterfeiting printed security features will be provided by China Bank Note. ASK’s partner Tsinghua TongFang donate the whole RFID system to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee which including the RFID inlays, gate readers, software and service. Advanced technology such as RFID is part of the security used throughout the Olympic games, and is one of the breakthrough features of the Olympics. ASK and Tsinghua Tongfang hope the games will boost contactless technology deployment in China.

ASK already successfully contributed to the Olympic Games in 2006: for the XXth winter games, Turin public transport authorities and other players implemented contactless technology using ASK contactless cards and tickets.

Enhancing security at the Olympic Games

According to the Beijing Olympic Games Organizing Committee (BOCOG), security is a high priority in the preparation of the games, and RFID tickets will be used for the sales and verification of tickets to eliminate counterfeiting. The technology provides secure, reliable and innovative services for all visitors attending this major event. ASK Tong Fang RFID tickets are based on ASK’s unique technology, which uses silver ink printed antenna and flip chip die attach, manufactured at the joint venture manufacturing plant in Miyun, near Beijing.

“We are really proud to contribute to this national major event with an innovative technology. ASK’s technology transfer has been a success and we have been able to demonstrate to the organizing committee all the merits of our technology, the cost-effectiveness of the equipment and the skills of our team”, says Mr. Gu Qing, ASK Tong Fang General Manager.

Contributing to Green Olympics

The organizers have developed clean and renewable energy at all of the Olympic projects. ASK contributes directly to this effort, because the company has been developing environment friendly technology since its creation in 1997 and has implemented a recycling process in its manufacturing plant in France. ASK TongFang products are based on the same technology of cost effective and “green” raw material–recyclable paper and silver ink. For high volume delivery, environment-friendly products are of the essence.

“The Olympics opening ceremony is organized by a team of four “stars” from China, France, Australia and the US, a multicultural team intended to show that China is part of the modern and changing world,” says Mr. Bruno Moreau, co-founder of ASK and CEO. “Environment is a global concern. China’s awareness on the issue has increased. Our contactless paper tickets have brought to the market a recyclable high technology product for many applications, including access control to major sports and cultural events. We hope RFID technology will contribute to providing easy and secure access for all participants,” Mr. Bruno Moreau concludes.

About ASK TongFang

ASK-TongFang is a joint venture between ASK SA, a French company dedicated to contactless and RFID technology. Founded in September 2005, the joint venture sells and manufactures contactless products. With fully automated state-of-the-art production equipment, the company can deliver up to 200 million units per year of paper based tickets, inlays and labels. The company also supplies paper based RFID inlays. The applications range from access control, logistics and asset management to military uses, public transportation and anti-counterfeiting products.

Contact ASK

Claire Boyer, +33 6 72 14 01 46, claire.boyer@ask.fr, http://www.ask-rfid.com

Contact ASK TongFang

Gu Qing, +86 10 82390231, guqing@thtf.com.cn, http://www.askthtf.com