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 Most... STMicroelectronics shipped more smartcard microcontroller chips in 2000 than any other supplier worldwide, according to independent market analysts Gartner, Inc. According to Gartner’s study in April 2001, worldwide shipments of secure microcontrollers for smartcards totaled 763 million units in 2000, with the three leading suppliers - ST (280Mu), Infineon (216Mu) and Hitachi (129Mu) - accounting for more than 80% of the market and ST supplying some 37% of the worldwide demand. “This latest report confirms the smartcard market’s continuing shift from simple memory cards to more sophisticated products based on secure microcontrollers, an area where ST leads the world”, says Maurizio Felici, Group Vice-President and General Manager of ST’s smartcard division. For example, ST is the leader in the GSM SIM card market, the world’s largest single smartcard application, where high security must be combined with highly competitive pricing, Felici noted. Best... ST figures among “the best of the best” global companies in terms of competitiveness, according to a recent study by Professor Jean-Claude Larreche of the INSEAD business school in Fontainebleau, France. Entitled “Measuring the Competitive Fitness of Global Firms 2001,” the study examines the competitive positions of 309 companies in eight sectors. Of the 309 global firms, 60% are incorporated in Europe and 40% in the United States; 70% have revenues of over $5 billion and 40% have annual revenue growth of at least 10%. ST shared third place in the ranking with General Electric of the U.S., behind number one Nokia and second place Schering AG. In his study, Professor Larreche describes the top four companies as “the best of the best” among the global firms surveyed. “Results of companies are impacted by a wide range of factors, including short-term market conditions and management expedients,” pointed out Professor Larreche, who has been publishing the Competitive Fitness report annually since 1998. “STMicroelectronics appeared on our radar as a well managed firm in 1998 - before it received stock market recognition,” the Professor added. “Since then, our research shows that ST has preserved its intangible fundamental capabilities despite various short-term pressures. This is a strong sign of the company’s commitment to the long-term creation of value and its management should be congratulated.” First... The ST19RF08 and ST16RF58 have received VISA smartcard product capability approval. They are the world’s first contactless smartcard products to receive such an approval and mark an important step forward in the convergence of financial cards and contactless technology. Financial institutions now have access to contactless technology linked to the Visa brand which has seen the number of it’s chip-based cards grow from 23 to 42 million (source : VISA) within the last two years.  |
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