IMGCAP(1)]
Gemalto NV's Secure Transaction unit, which includes banking cards, generated 107 million euros (US$160.4 million) in revenue during third quarter ended 30 Sept., down 5.3% from 113 million euros during the same quarter last year, the France-based smart card vendor announced Thursday. "Banking customers maintained their strict inventory and cash-optimization measures, resulting in lower demand in parts of Central Europe and the Americas," the vendor said in a statement. The unit reported "significantly lower" shipments of static-data authentication cards and cards used to access pay-TV service. Shipments of more-advanced, and more-expensive, dynamic-data authentication chip cards, along with dual-interface cards in Europe and Asia, "remained strong," the vendor says. The company did not release profit figures.
