FRENCH RETAILERS EXPERIENCE INSTANT BENEFITS OF GPRS AS CUSTOMERS OF SFR
18 November 2003 - Sagem Communication

French retailers are experiencing the instant benefits of GPRS as the customers of SFR, the first mobile phone network operator in France connected with Transaction Network Services, to process mobile payments quickly and efficiently.

SFR is working with TNS, one of the leading international providers of data communications for transaction-oriented applications, to ensure that its GPRS network integrates with current bank network infrastructure via SAGEM Monetel's GP900 GPRS wireless payment terminal.

Agnès Ogier, Marketing Director, SFR Enterprises said: 'GPRS enables mobile payment to become a reality for retailers. It is a true ready-to-go payment solution avoiding installation constraints usually encountered with fixed payment systems.

This ubiquitous service offers the opportunity to facilitate the collection of money with higher reactivity. The benefits for retailers are immediate'.

The SAGEM GP900 terminal also offers merchants communication cost savings for on-line authorisations and batch captures by charging only for the amount of data exchanged, rather than for the number and duration of connections to the host. Depending on the operator's charges, this could amount to significant savings.

Joel Chevillard, CEO, SAGEM Monetel said: ''Retailers across France should find that this payment terminal helps them to easily and cost-effectively manage the high volume of electronic payments that require fast processing.

By teaming our expertise in terminal innovation with TNS' sophisticated and flexible network capabilities and SFR' experience in mobile data solutions, we can facilitate retailers who want to move onto GPRS with minimal distraction from their core business.'

Of TNS' involvement, Thierry Jasserand, VP Sales and Marketing said: 'We are pleased to help retailers to reap the rewards of technology advances, while maintaining the successful interfacing of their payments operation with the rest of their own and their acquirer's IT infrastructure, without either organisation requiring any technology changes.

This type of collaboration highlights our expertise in creating connections and routes across our network that deliver transactions between businesses with a variety of technology protocols, including PSTN, IP Dial, X.25, GSM and GPRS.''

SAGEM Monetel is a fully owned subsidiary of SAGEM dedicated to the electronic fund transfer business. This subsidiary is part of SAGEM's Security Division, recently created to reinforce the group's development in the fields of electronic payment solutions, biometrics and security systems.

SFR is the 1st private mobile phone operator in France. Based on its excellent knowledge of the corporate world, SFR, through its SFR Enterprises division, presents a customised offer and organisation focused on service and supported by the SFR Enterprises distribution channel and dedicated Customer Support. SFR Enterprises proposes a broad range of voice bundles and services as well as Mobile Data offers, that meet the specific needs of corporate mobile telephony. For more information, SFR web site: www.sfr.fr

Transaction Network Services is one of the leading providers of fast, cost-effective data communications services for transaction-oriented applications. TNS provides reliable and secure transaction delivery platforms to enable transaction authorisation and processing across several vertical markets and trading communities.

Since its inception in 1990, TNS has designed and implemented one of the fastest, most reliable and lowest cost networks for the transport of transaction-oriented data. TNS' proprietary network technologies have been deployed in the United States and internationally, and TNS' network has become a preferred network servicing the trading community, wireless and wireline carriers, and the card processing and dial-up automated teller machine markets. For further information about TNS' transaction solutions, please refer to www.tnsi.com

The statements and information contained in this press release that are not descriptions of historical fact may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks, uncertainties or other factors beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or performance and from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods.

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