Schlumberger Takes Lead Integrator Role inEU-Supported SmartCities Smart Card Pilot in...

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2000

Nine Partner Pilot Co-Funded by European Commission Will Use

Multi-Function Smart Cards for Transportation,

Entertainment, Education and Other Services

Schlumberger

The pilot, which utilizes smart cards for transportation, entertainment, education and other services in this English city of 215,000 citizens, is co-funded by the European Commission and will conclude in November 2002. The result will be increased efficiency for the City Council and ease-of-use for the citizens and shopkeepers. The City of Southampton, which will put the concept to the practical test, is one of nine European organizations taking part in the project.

The new SmartCities card will allow Southampton citizens to use and pay for leisure, library and transport services in the City without using cash. It will also be used to access services and for payments at Southampton University. Use of the card could be extended to other services throughout the City in the future. Essential to the viability of the scheme is the ability to add and remove applications from the smart card, using either a public-access city terminal, dual-slot mobile phone or Internet-connected PC.

"Southampton has established itself as a leader in innovative city management with projects such as the city-wide Romanse road management system for Europe, which has been crucial in improving traffic flow through the City and is now being expanded to cover the surrounding counties, as well as our CityWeb Internet site," says Council Leader, City of Southampton, June Bridal. "SmartCities brings together the specialist skills we need to create a blueprint for an open, easily-replicated solution that other European cities can implement with minimum start-up costs."

"Everyone understands the benefits that smart cards can bring to city management. The issue for local government is how to harness those capabilities effectively within a complete smart card-based infrastructure," says Gerard Leger, president, Geomarkets, Schlumberger Test & Transactions. "The expertise and entrepreneurial skills of Schlumberger will prove invaluable in developing the smart card infrastructure technology that will dramatically simplify everyday life for the citizens -- and governments -- of cities throughout Europe."

With their computer chips and memory, smart cards provide a unique personal, portable and highly secure means of accessing facilities and paying for goods and services. Today's smart cards can store many different, complementary programs covering many aspects of city life - travel, parking, access to sports and leisure facilities, access and payments.

SmartCities aims to design a dynamic smart card and multi-application management architecture which will enable mid-sized cities to reap the full benefits of smart cards, without being tied to one unique proprietary model. The project - a public and private sector partnership with a true European dimension - combines the knowledge, technology and skills of the following strategic partners:

-- Schlumberger - smart card solutions to enhance city-life and people flow management

-- Southampton - requirements analysis, 'proof of concept' and project evaluation

-- Europay International - e-commerce solutions and smart card payment services, especially the international e-purse - Clip

-- Motorola - leading international developer of mobile terminals

-- University of Southampton - campus-level 'proof of concept' by staff and students

-- T Innovation - high-performance web-based information analysis

-- Technolution - automation technology underpinning smart card

-- CRID (Facultes Universitaires Notre Dame de la Paix) - clarify and consult on IT law, especially on privacy, authentication and liability issues

-- The City of Goteborg - requirements analysis and project evaluation

The role of the partners is to define an architecture that will support multiple industry-standard interfaces and then demonstrate the technical and commercial feasibility of a 'plug-and-play' management platform. The project members will also address the important security, legal, institutional and commercial issues involved with the analysis and reporting of data collected from the population.

The SmartCities project plan calls for the first working technology demonstrator to be evaluated within 12 months, and a second commercial feasibility demonstrator 12 months later; this will be followed by a six-month period of detailed evaluation and exploitation planning. Project members will use the results as a major contribution to national and international standardization bodies, and as the basis for a single integrated set of application programming interfaces for smart cards, terminals and interfaces.

About Schlumberger

Schlumberger is the leading provider of smart card-based solutions worldwide. Drawing on 20 years experience in pioneering smart card innovations, Schlumberger is continuing to evolve the new generation of smart cards, parking terminals, ticketing machines, payphones, banking terminals, servers, software, applications and systems integration that will play a key role in the 21st century's digital age. Additional information is available at http://www.slb.com/smartcards .

Schlumberger Test & Transactions provides smart card-based solutions; semiconductor equipment and services; and corporate IP and network solutions to customers throughout the world. It is a business unit of Schlumberger Limited, an $8.4 billion global technology services company.