ASK Receives Prestigious Innovation Award from National Institute for Industrial Property.

Business Editors

ASK S.A., a world leader in dual interface contactless smart cards, was awarded a Trophy of Innovation from the National Institute for Industrial Property (INPI) at a ceremony in Marseilles, France on June 24th.

The prestigious award recognizes in particular the company's success in managing the commercial aspects of innovative technology - efficient use of development resources, success in the marketplace and effectiveness in protecting intellectual property, particularly through patents.

Since its founding in 1997, ASK has grown to become the leading company supplying contactless smart cards in Automated Fare Collection (AFC) for 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.

The innovation award, presented in the Provence, Alpes and Cotes d'Azur region, qualifies ASK for the national awards which will be announced at the end of 2002. Selections are made by a jury of specialists in intellectual and industrial property that evaluate companies based on their success in developing innovations that clearly surpass older and competing technologies; establishing patents and other titles to their IP; managing licenses, and controlling against counterfeiting, fraud or duplication.

The INPI is an organization in the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry of France with the mission to develop, organize, promote and protect intellectual and industrial property for companies and research organizations. The organization manages the registry of business names and activity; issues patents, trademarks and other legal titles, and rewards and recognizes innovation through the INPI Trophies of Innovation and other activities.

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.