BemroseBooth and Philips launch co-branded MIFARE® UltraLight ticket

BemroseBooth today announced a joint partnership with Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, to provide a smart, low cost contactless, ticketing solution for public transport systems based on the latest addition to Philips Semiconductors' MIFARE® family - the MIFARE® UltraLight.

(PRWEB) August 10, 2003 -- BemroseBooth today announced a joint partnership with Philips Semiconductors, a division of Royal Philips Electronics, to provide a smart, low cost contactless, ticketing solution for public transport systems based on the latest addition to Philips Semiconductors' MIFARE® family - the MIFARE® UltraLight.

The introduction of MIFARE® UltraLight will significantly enhance the production of high volume, low-cost paper tickets by offering manufacturers a range of competitive advantages including advanced design-in support, installed and proven high volume manufacturing processes and in-depth assembly experience. Volume production of MIFARE® UltraLight-based tickets started at the beginning of 2002.

Andy Blundell, Business Development Director at BemroseBooth explained We have been developing our RFID strategy for some time and this is the first of a series of co-branded solutions which we will be introducing. The Philips MIFARE® UltraLight technology coupled with our process expertise in manufacturing tickets at high volume, means that low-cost RFID is now a viable alternative in the Mass Transit market place".

"Philips Semiconductors' partnership with BemroseBooth furthers our continued commitment to the development, expansion and improvement of transportation ticketing systems worldwide," said Reinhard Kalla, general manager of Business Line Identification at Philips Semiconductors. "By combining our silicon expertise and BemroseBooth leading role in the high volume paper ticket market we will be able to offer MIFARE® UltraLight-based smart solutions that meet the needs of the transport service provider industry and its passengers."

The MIFARE® UltraLight operates in full accordance with ISO 14443A, the standard for contactless smart cards and enables the easy integration of smart paper tickets into existing ISO-14443A compliant transportation infrastructures, significantly reducing time to market and related installation and operation costs. MIFARE® UltraLight-based tickets will be available in credit card size and can be issued by standard credit card ticket vending equipment with a simple contactless reader device upgrade for ticket initialization.

The MIFARE® UltraLight has a 512-bit EEPROM read/write memory and operates at 13.56 MHz at a distance of up to 10cm. It has true anti-collision properties, operates without the need for a battery and is ideally suited for use in contactless public transport systems and loyalty schemes as well as internet-related applications.
All rights reserved. MIFARE® is a trademark of Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.

To download the full technical specification Click here http://www.bemrosebooth.com/masstransit/download_low_cost_contactless_tickets.asp

About Philips Semiconductors
Philips Semiconductors, with revenues of US $6.3 billion in 2000, is a world leader in silicon systems and standard products for wireless communications, digital entertainment, computing and automotive applications. The organization designs, develops and manufactures silicon solutions based on its innovative Nexperia architecture to create living technology for its customers building products, service providers using the products, and consumers enjoying the resulting products and services. For more information: http://www.semiconductors.philips.com.

About BemroseBooth
BemroseBooth offers specialist and secure print services which customers rely on for successful value transactions. Through the innovative application of new technology and preferred supplier status with original equipment manufacturer [OEM] partners, BemroseBooth has developed market-leading positions in selected business areas.
The company has evolved from a management buy-out [MBO] in 2000 when Bemrose Corporation sold its specialist print division to the management team, backed by Lloyds Development Capital and Bank of Scotland. Today BemroseBooths turnover is in excess of 60 million and the company employs 850 people at three UK manufacturing sites in Derby, Hull and Teesside.

For more information: www.bemrosebooth.com
Further details
Andy Blundell
Business Development Director
BemroseBooth
Phone: 01332 294242
Email:    ablundell@bemrosebooth.com
Web:    http://www.bemrosebooth.com