SONY SELECTS VCT AS FELICA CARD SUPPLIER IN NORTH AMERICA
Downers Grove, IL, October 28, 2008 - Versatile Card Technology, Inc. (VCT), a world leader in card manufacturing, today announced that they have signed an agreement with Sony Corporation, making them the North American manufacturer for FeliCa contactless cards based on the ISO 18092 standard (NFC).
For VCT’s part, the agreement represents a unique opportunity to expand its product line with a new – but already proven technology. According to Rome Jetté, VCT’s Vice President of Smart Cards, “FeliCa represents a major improvement in the flexibility, speed, and security of transactions with respect to the traditional ISO 14443 based card technologies now available in the U.S. With over 350 million FeliCa cards and cell phones already deployed in some of the most demanding applications, Sony has clearly proven that FeliCa technology is more than ready for the American market.”
FeliCa contactless cards have quickly become the de facto standard in Asia’s largest transit systems – already having been extensively deployed in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Japan, Thailand, and others. Also, as the new NFC standard gains acceptance, Sony has seen FeliCa making major inroads into the mobile phone market where it is being embedded into handsets to conduct financial transactions. According to Tim Lindner, director of strategic business development at Sony Electronics, this is just the beginning, “We are very thankful to the issuers and manufacturing partners who have helped make FeliCa successful in Asia. This expansion into the North American market owes much to the confidence and momentum they have given us.”
Sony believes the best way to ensure the success of FeliCa is to accelerate collaboration with established suppliers capable of flexibly supplying FeliCa products that meet various demands. That means a key part of Sony’s expansion plan was to first find the right US card manufacturer. As Jetté explained, “To ensure tight controls on quality and security, Sony had until now, only worked with several close partners in Japan, to manufacture FeliCa cards. The decision to work with VCT was based on the need to find an internationally recognized manufacturer that could quickly and economically respond to the needs of new FeliCa card issuers outside of Asia. Tim Lindner agreed by adding, “Security and quality are fundamental to the FeliCa brand. Selecting the right card manufacturer for North America was very important. With VCT, we believe we have found a partner who can carry on the tradition of providing FeliCa customers with the highest levels of service and value, without compromising on quality or security.”
About FeliCa. FeliCa is the contactless IC card technology developed by Sony Corporation.
Offering the highest transaction speed in the industry, the secure RFID communication, has been extensively deployed by public transport operators and enhanced to offer a range of value-add applications including e-cash and loyalty. With more than 330 million contactless cards and FeliCa enabled wallet mobile phones issued. FeliCa brings conveniance to daily life in Japan , Hong Kong and other countries. With greater adoption of FeliCa in a range of consumer electronic products and NFC-enabled devices, FeliCa continues to innovate and expand its offering to the contactless world. http://www.sony.net/Products/felica.
About Versatile Card Technology, Inc. Established in 1986, Versatile Card Technology is the largest US manufacturer of plastic cards. With facilities in Turkey, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, South America and India, VCT is also a globally recognized leader in plastic card manufacturing. VCT produces cards for every application and offers complete fulfillment services and turnkey solutions. Versatile Card Technology is also part of the Vmark Network of Direct Marketing Companies. Visit Vmark at www.VmarkUSA.com and for more information on VCT visit http://www.vct.com or call 630-852-5600.
* FeliCa is a trademark or a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.
