SPS is proud to announce that one billion of its eBooster® inductive coupling platforms, consisting in an inlay and a micromodule, have reached end users in the form of payment cards, or ID documents such as ePassports, national ID cards or others thus demonstrating an outstanding recognition of the reliability, ease of integration and cost-effective advantages of the technology.
ROUSSET, FRANCE, September 17, 2020 – After fifteen years of existence and evolutions, SPS eBooster® inductive coupling technology is now used by more than 150 card manufacturers worldwide making it a standard in the smart card and documents industry. While one billion eBooster® inductive coupling platforms have already been shipped by SPS, the company is now on a trend to deliver 320 million eBooster® platforms in 2020, that is almost one million per day!
Card manufacturers that integrate SPS eBooster® inductive coupling technology acknowledge its advantages in terms of reliability and ease of integration in their manufacturing process. Working in a permanent connection with card manufacturers, SPS actively supports them in making the best of the technology.
As of now, the payment card market segment has understood the numerous advantages of SPS technology for dual interface cards, capable of communicating in contact or contactless mode. More than 870 million payment cards on the field worldwide are based on SPS eBooster® technology. Card manufacturers have already obtained over 1,500 certifications (Letter of Approval) from card schemes for payment cards using SPS platforms. More than 500 financial institutions worldwide are using SPS platforms for their banking cards.
SPS eBooster® inductive coupling technology has also gained a high recognition in the ID document market: at present, more than 170 million ID documents in more than 53 projects worldwide include SPS technology. Already 13 governments have decided to adopt SPS technology for their ePassports and 13 nations issue their national ID cards with SPS eBooster® technology. Other projects include residence permits, eDriving licenses, healthcare cards, and corporate or government ID. In the eID segment, SPS inductive coupling platforms are embedded in dual interface (single-chip contact and contactless communication), contactless or hybrid (contact and contactless communication with two chips) ID documents.
The first mass-deployed SPS eBooster® inductive coupling platforms were delivered in 2006 for the Morocco national ID card for the ID segment, and in 2007 for the deployment of contactless payment cards in Australia for the payment segment. Since these times, SPS has been working in a permanent connection with card manufacturers on evolutions and improvements of the technology. Over the years, micromodules and inlays are smaller, significantly increasing card vendors competitiveness. The latest generation of eBooster® technology now covers all card vendor needs. For instance multiple materials, PVC, PET and polycarbonate are now compatible with SPS eBooster® technology, and the company is on an evolution path to proposing ecofriendly materials both for the payment and ID segments. In addition, for ID, SPS recently introduced its polycarbonate ePassport data page. In order to effectively serve all customer factories, SPS has also doubled its production capacity every two years.
Olivier Brunet, SPS Marketing Director, declares: “We are proud not only to have achieved more than one billion eBooster® inductive coupling platforms but also, and even more importantly, we reached this milestone thanks to a permanent and successful collaboration with card manufacturers.”
Inductive coupling technology, which consists in using electromagnetic coupling between the antenna and the module (no physical connection between the chip and the antenna), is easy to integrate for all smart card manufacturers. They can keep on using the same equipment for contactless or dual interface cards as the one they have been using for contact cards, thus reducing their capital expenditures. With SPS eBooster® inductive coupling technology, card manufacturers are able to produce all types of cards: contactless cards, dual interface cards, hybrid cards and contact cards, using the same equipment and the same process. This fact brings them not only huge savings in terms of production costs, but also a simplification of their logistics, while allowing them to provide their customers with an extensively diverse offer. High yields and insignificant return rates ensure that the whole process is extremely cost-effective and brings a high level of satisfaction for the issuers.
About SPS
With the SPS brand, IN Groupe opens its secure components technology to all card and document manufacturers. SPS is specialized in the design, manufacturing and sale of contactless solutions dedicated to ID cards, e-passport and dual interface banking cards. Headquartered in Rousset, France, with a subsidiary in Singapore, SPS employs 200 people. The company specializes in contactless and dual-interface products, with a recognized micro packaging expertise. SPS has filed over 120 patents supporting its exclusive technologies. More information at http://www.s-p-s.com
SPS Contact
Olivier Brunet, Marketing director, SPS, contactsps@s-p-s.com
Phone: +33 4 42 53 84 44
SPS is part of the IN Groupe.
A partner of the French government for close to 500 years, IN Groupe offers identity solutions and secure digital services, at the leading edge of technology and integrating electronics and biometrics.
From components to services and from documents to interoperable systems, IN Groupe is a global specialist in identity and secure digital services. The company plays a daily role in facilitating everyone's life: helping states exercise their sovereignty, citizens protect their identity and businesses preserve their integrity.
Whatever the challenge, IN Groupe, a company for digital sovereignty, contributes to asserting a fundamental right for everyone: the right to be you.
IN Groupe runs three affiliated brands, SPS for electronic components, Surys for optical and holographic security and Nexus for workforce identity and object identity solutions, technological leaders in their markets.
Key figures: 407M€ turnover (proforma 2019), 1,500 employees - 7 sites in Europe - +100 countries using IN Groupe solutions - 28 partner governments.
Contact: IN Groupe
Romain Galesne-Fontaine | +33 1 40 58 30 00 | media@ingroupe.com