ASK Named to Top 10 of Europe's Emerging Tech Firms; Market Leadership and Rapid Growth Takes ASK to Top Tier of Annual Tornado Insider 100 List.

Business Editors

ASK S.A., a world leader in dual interface contactless smart cards, has been named to the Top 10 of European emerging private tech companies in the Tornado Insider 100 List.

The Tornado Insider 100 list represents the most promising and innovative emerging companies in the European IT and biotech sectors.

Mr. Bruno Moreau, deputy managing director of ASK, was recognized for the company's achievement on June 24th in Amsterdam at UpStart Europe, an annual gathering for investors, innovators, venture capitalists and investment bankers active in the technology industry in Europe.

Tornado Insider, founded in 1998, plays a vital role in helping industry watchers around the world with a single-source, pan-European view of high-tech Europe featuring primary research, editorial coverage and events.

ASK was selected from a review of thousands of candidates by Tornado Insider in conjunction with industry insiders and high tech analysts. Companies from Ireland to Israel involved in all areas of technical expertise from nanotech to fabless chips were selected based on criteria that included:

-- Delivering an innovation that shows the promise of setting new standards

-- Commanding a significant customer base

-- Having the potential to become a global brand or standard

-- Influencing a major market

-- Receiving a significant amount of funding

-- Having a strong valuation for a future IPO

-- Demonstrating a track record of selling products that match their marketing promises

-- Utilizing funding in an effective manner

"These companies are the cream of Europe," said Timothy Weeks, Tornado Insider's senior research analyst. "The fact that they not just survived but are thriving in a downturn adds even more to their merit."

Since its founding in 1997, ASK has grown to become the leading company supplying contactless smart cards for Automated Fare Collection (AFC) in public transit systems and highway toll applications. ASK has already supplied more than seven million contactless cards and paper contactless tickets for more than 35 cities in Europe, Asia and America. The company also provides OEM readers to ease the integration of contactless technology in existing terminals. Clients include SNCF and RATP in Paris, as well as transit operators in Manchester, Rome, Lisbon, Lyon, Venice, Naples, Taipei and Nice.

Today the company employs about 70 people, invests 15% of revenue in R&D and has already received numerous patents. ASK owns manufacturing and personalization facilities for contactless cards in Sophia Antipolis in the south of France, and has a production capacity of ten million cards per year. In 2001, ASK acquired its main competitor, a Motorola division.

About ASK S.A.

Founded in 1997, ASK is today a world leader in the design, development, marketing and manufacturing of dual interface contactless smart cards. ASK has already supplied more than 7 million contactless cards and paper contactless tickets that are in operation in more than 35 cities in Europe, Asia and America. Clients include SNCF and RATP in Paris; transit operators in Newark, Toronto, Lisbon, Lyon, Venice, Naples, Taipei and Nice; and BMS, a project in France sponsored jointly by the financial services and transport industries. The ASK manufacturing and personalization operations are near Nice in Sophia Antipolis, France with commercial offices in Paris and Hong Kong. In October 2001 ASK announced that it acquired the manufacturing assets for the Venus contactless smart cards developed by Motorola.

C.ticket is a registered trademark of ASK S.A.