Facing sinking profits from falling SIM card prices and other competitive pressures, publicly traded smart card vendors Gemalto and Oberthur Card Systems both announced plans to close plants. The vendors in June each said they planned to close a plant in their home country of France, considered a high-cost market. Gemalto was in the process of closing four other plants when it announced the French plant closing. Oberthur also announced it would shutter a personalization center in the United States. Both said the moves are a part of global restructuring programs designed to increase profitability. Along with all its competitors, the company is facing a difficult competitive environment in all segments of the card market, with a significant deterioration in prices and profitability, Oberthur said in a statement June 18.
展开▼
