Book by Welcome Real-time CEO Guides Businesses to Mastery of Smart Card Loyalty Market.

Business/Technology Editors

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2000

Opportunities abound for aggressive bank card issuers and

retailers to gain market share

Aneace Haddad, CEO of Welcome Real-time, a leading provider of loyalty software for chip cards, has authored a new book called: Using smart cards to gain market share.

Published by Gower, UK, the book develops the premise that the next generation of loyalty bank cards will offer a program that works day-to-day for the average consumer. Haddad asserts that early adopters with an aggressive business strategy will accrue the greatest benefits - the opportunity to establish an original brand, lock-in partnerships with key service providers, gain market share and secure long-term competitive advantages.

Payment methods, smart cards and customer relationship marketing are all converging at the moment of purchase, transforming the relationships between consumers, merchants and bankers.

Early smart card pilots utilized single function cards, primarily e-purse applications. Today, the vast majority of financial institutions are considering multi-function smart card implementations combining a traditional, proven payment mechanism like credit with a customer loyalty function. Visa and MasterCard expect their member banks to complete the migration to smart cards by 2005, lending credence to Haddad's claim that loyalty applications are the next great business opportunity.

The author's 15 years of experience in this area uniquely qualify him to guide companies to a better understanding of the business strategies related to multi-function smart cards and loyalty. "This is a highly specialized industry with many risks," states Haddad. "An early start combined with an aggressive business strategy is imperative to avoid being swept aside by the competition." "Loyalty programs enabled by smart card promise to bring new revenues and increased customer value to bank card issuers in the near future," says Allen Gilstrap, vice president, American Express and chairman of the Smart Card Forum. "Aneace's work is invaluable in understanding the business drivers behind the launch of a successful loyalty program."

The book's cost is US$79.95. Copies may be obtained from Gower Publishing Direct Sales, Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; email: [e-mail], or [e-mail].

About the Author

Aneace Haddad is the founder & CEO of Welcome Real-time. Established in 1995 and based in the South of France, Welcome Real-time is a leading global supplier of loyalty software for smart cards. Mr. Haddad, originally from Boulder, Colorado, is the author of two key smart card loyalty patents and the creator of the world's first smart-card based electronic coupon wallet.

Note: Available from Montner & Associates: Quotations from Card Marketing, Dreifus Associates, Gamut Unlimited, Gemplus, Ingenico, Microsoft Corporation, Schlumberger Smart Cards & Terminals, as well as a book summary page, book cover art and author photo files.