In Brief: Orga of Germany Says Sales Rose Record 30%

Orga Kartensysteme said 1998 was a record year, with sales increasing 30% to the equivalent of $170 million.

Orga, one of the international smart card producers that scaled back its commitment to the U.S. banking and financial market, moved into new growth areas last year by opening a representative office in Beijing and launching a joint venture in Brazil, Daruma Orga Card Systems.

The company said it fully expects to grow along with the general smart card market, with global industry production projected to rise 42% in 1999, to 1.84 billion units. It specifically wants to become the leader in GSM cards, which are inserted in wireless phones conforming to the Global System for Mobile communication standard, said international sales chief