Thales, an established world leader in cryptographic security products and solutions for electronic payment, augments its position providing the secure exchange of value-bearing transactions by announcing the launch of their latest generation Artema™ Compact payment terminal.

The Compact, developed as part of the powerful Artema payment platform, combines high security with advanced technology, delivering outstanding performance with 32-bit RISC processing power, large memory, and advanced communications options. As in all prior Thales POS solutions, the Compact supports multi-industry and multiple merchant capabilities, which has allowed Thales to offer differentiating solutions to its customers.

The Artema platform provides the highest level of transaction security available in card payments including SSL, 3-DES encryption, EMV Level 1 and 2, and VISA PED certification. Benefits derived through this unified platform include, a cost-effective multi-application development environment, ensuring high quality software applications that are easy to certify and maintain, and providing customers with a smooth migration path to other Artema payment solutions.

All of the components for successful card transactions are found in the Artema Compact, which combines a sleek compact design with a small footprint, fast processing and large memory capacity. The Compact has the ability to handle many value added applications such as, smart cards, gift and loyalty cards, check services, check imaging, age verification and electronic purses. Thales has been successful in obtaining several Class B certifications for the Compact with the major processing networks.

The Artema Compact incorporates both Dial and Ethernet/IP capabilities, securing transactions through industry standard SSL encryption. “With Thales’ experience in securing electronic payments along with the advanced Artema technology, we are well positioned to deliver the solutions of the future to our partners” said Rebecca Brisson, Sr. Vice President, POS Business Development, of e-Security activities of Thales in North America.

Thales has been providing secure transaction processing for corporate banking, financial and retail networks, inter-bank funds transfer, and stock-trading systems for over 20 years. The Thales Host Security Module, a tamper resistant device that utilizes embedded FIPS 140-2 Level 3 cryptographic module, protects 70% of the world’s card transactions. The Artema Compact complements Thales’ portfolio of secure transaction solutions to the corporate and banking and finance sectors.

About Thales
Thales is an international electronics and systems group, serving Defense, Aerospace, Security and Services markets. The group employs 60,000 people and generated revenues of $12.6 billion in 2004.
Operating in three main markets covering e-security, card payment, and network security, Thales’ e-Security activity addresses the business, government, and finance industries’ need for cryptographic security products and solutions. Over half of the world’s banks, together with the majority of the busiest exchanges, currently use Thales technology. Thales dominates the Banking and Finance sectors, securing over 70% of all payment transactions globally. The Thales point-of-sale product portfolio includes fixed, portable, integrated and unattended payment solutions supplied to customers world-wide including banks, network and service providers, integrators, retailers and health care organizations. In addition, Thales supplies high security PIN pads for ATMs. Thales' expertise in secure transaction solutions is acknowledged worldwide.

Thales Media Contact
Rochelle Hopke, Manager, Marketing Communications
Thales e-Security, Inc.
Tel: 954-888-6200/1-888-744-4976 (x-6297)
Email: rochelle.hopke@thalesesec.com

Thales Company Contact
Rebecca Brisson – Senior V.P. Business Development, POS Division
Tel: 770-529-4231 or 1-888-744-4976
Cell: 678-640-7210
Email: rebecca.brisson@thalesesec.com