Gemalto Delivers the Benefits of Phonebook Backup Service to SFR Subscribers
French 2nd mobile operator recorded over 3.5 million synchronizations carried out in the past 18 months for its subscribers
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, February 28, 2007–Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), a world leader in digital security, announces that its SIM phonebook back-up and synchronization solution has been integrated into SFR mobile offering. Relying on Gemalto’s solution, the French 2nd mobile operator has already recorded over 3.5 million synchronizations to date and expects greater success of this convenient service that is essential to most subscribers.
With this new service incorporated in every new SFR SIM card, SFR subscribers can easily manage and save their contacts on demand, directly from their handsets or through SFR’s website. If the phonebook content or the handset is lost, SFR’s phonebook management solution guarantees personal data restoration.
In addition, to improve the user’s experience, an exclusive function enables subscribers to manage an automatic and optimized backup after every ten new registered contacts. SFR also opted for a pay-per-use billing scheme with an affordable price, favoring a high penetration rate. As a result, since its launch in July 2005, this service reached a high uptake rate of almost 20%, which is a great performance in comparison with the usual uptake rate of other mobile value-added services.
“As mobile phones are increasingly part of their social lives, individuals have become more demanding, always pushing SFR to come up with new ideas,” said Thierry Zemmour, Live/3G programs and terminals marketing director of SFR. “The SIM card is one of our historical assets and SIM-based solutions such as Gemalto’s support our business strategy by making the whole mobile experience user-friendly for subscribers while ensuring the easy and fast deployment of new value-added services”.
“Our market studies have shown that a phonebook back-up solution is essential for both wireless operators and their subscribers, who are looking for portability and safety of their mobile data,” said Philippe Vallée, executive vice president of Telecommunications and R&D of Gemalto. “For many mobile users, the phonebook has become one of the most essential features. Therefore, the loss or theft of a mobile can be very distressing since contact details and numbers stored on the phone could disappear with it. For SFR subscribers, this is no longer an issue.”
About Gemalto
Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is a leader in digital security with pro forma 2006 annual revenues of €1.7 billion, operations in about 100 countries and over 10,000 employees including 1,500 R&D engineers. In a world where the digital revolution is increasingly transforming our lives, Gemalto’s solutions are designed to make personal digital interactions more convenient, secure and enjoyable. Gemalto provides end-to-end digital security solutions, from the development of software applications through design and production of secure personal devices such as smart cards, SIMs, e-passports, and tokens to the management of deployment services for its customers. More than a billion people worldwide use the company’s products and services for telecommunications, financial services, e-government, identity management, multimedia content, digital rights management, IT security, mass transit and many other applications.
As the use of Gemalto’s software and secure devices increases with the number of people interacting in the digital and wireless world, the company is poised to thrive over the coming years. Gemalto was formed in June 2006 by the combination of Axalto and Gemplus. For more information please visit http://www.gemalto.com
About SFR
With 17.5 million customers and 8,000 employees, SFR is the second largest mobile telecommunications operator in France and has been the market leader in terms of net sales (new customers) since 2003. Operating its own GSM/GPRS and UMTS/HSDPA networks, SFR is able to provide a complete range of mobile telephony and multimedia services, as well as mobile data solutions to its personal, SOHO and business customers. SFR has become the operator of choice for new uses of mobile phones, having been the first operator to launch 3G and 3G+ services on the French market, and now boasts 2 million 3G customers. The company is also a player on the fixed telecommunications market through its 40,6 % interest in neuf cegetel, the leading alternative operator on the French market. SFR benefits from a stable ownership structure, with two major shareholders, Vivendi (56%) and Vodafone (44%).
Gemalto Contacts
Media
Emmanuelle Saby
T: + 33 1 55 01 57 27
M: + 33 6 09 10 76 10
Emmanuelle.saby@gemalto.com
Investor Relations
Stéphane Bisseuil
T: + 33 1 55 01 50 97
M: + 33 6 86 08 64 13
Stephane.bisseuil@gemalto.com
TBWA/Corporate
Emlyn Korengold
T: + 33 1 49 09 66 51
M: + 33 6 08 21 93 74
emlyn.korengold@tbwa-corporate.com