Zitouna Bank Deploys Gemalto Instant Issuance Solution in Tunisia

Zitouna customers get their ready-to-use EMV bank card on the spot

Amsterdam - Gemalto (Euronext NL0000400653 GTO), the world leader in digital security, today announced that Zitouna Bank in Tunisia has selected its Dexxis Instant Issuance solution for on-the-spot EMV card personalization across the bank’s branches nationwide. Zitouna is the first bank in Tunisia to introduce innovative services adapted to Islamic financial practices. The newly opened bank is also the first in the country to offer instant issuance and on-the-spot delivery of payment cards that enable its customers to use their new payment cards immediately.

The Dexxis Instant Issuance solution forms a part of Zitouna’s marketing strategy to differentiate its offers while offering the same high security level and quality of service as in traditional large-volume personalization methods. Gemalto, in cooperation with local system integrator Bull Tunisia, has already installed the personalization stations, software and equipment, in ten Zitouna branches around the country.

The ability to immediately deliver a new payment card in the consumer’s hands enables Zitouna to develop a preferred relationship with their customers. In particular, this customer proximity becomes a key asset in providing the unbanked with access to banking services. The Gemalto solution provides a simple and convenient means for consumers to open a bank account and leave the branch with their new payment card in-hand, ready to be used.

“We decided to implement an instant issuance solution in order to greatly facilitate our clients’ subscription to a payment card,” commented a Zitouna Bank spokesperson. “Zitouna is extremely satisfied with the level of support that Gemalto provided, enabling the project deployment in record time – less than two months!”.

“As a brand new bank entering the Tunisian market, Zitouna naturally aims to offer top-level service to its customers,” added Philippe Cambriel, Executive Vice President, Gemalto. “This project illustrates our capabilities and determination in accompanying our customers from A to Z, to ensure the full success of their new service rollout.”

About Gemalto

Gemalto (Euronext NL 0000400653 GTO) is the world leader in digital security with 2009 annual revenues of €1.65 billion, and over 10 thousand employees operating out of 75 offices, research and service centers in 41 countries.

Gemalto is at the heart of our evolving digital society. The freedom to communicate, travel, shop, bank, entertain, and work—anytime, anywhere—has become an integral part of what people want and expect, in ways that are convenient, enjoyable and secure.

Gemalto delivers on the growing demands of billions of people worldwide for mobile connectivity, identity and data protection, credit card safety, health and transportation services, e-government and national security. We do this by supplying to governments, wireless operators, banks and enterprises a wide range of secure personal devices, such as subscriber identification modules (SIM) in mobile phones, smart banking cards, electronic passports, and USB tokens for online identity protection. To complete the solution we also provide software, systems and services to help our customers achieve their goals.

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.

For more information please visit www.gemalto.com.