Oberthur Card Systems and Intercede Team to Enable National ID Card System

Oberthur Card Systems selects Intercede's MyID™ Smart Card and Identity Management System to complement its ID-One Smart Card and build a National ID System Demonstrator

Lutterworth, England, July 21, 2005 - Intercede Group plc, a leading developer and supplier of powerful smart card and identity management software, today announced that it has teamed with Oberthur Card Systems to build the first end-to-end fully functioning National ID Card provisioning system. This solution will use Intercede's MyID™ smart card and identity management system and Oberthur Card Systems' ID-One smart card to securely enroll, manage and maintain smart card-based biometric ID cards. In a seamless process, these cards will be electronically and graphically personalized and distributed by Oberthur Card Systems' secure card personalization bureau in Tewkesbury, UK.

This demonstrator is a response to the UK Government's declared intent to introduce a National ID Card scheme, and has been designed to allay fears that such a scheme will be too complex and expensive.

The system will use Intercede and Oberthur Card Systems standard products and services configured for the requirements of the National ID scheme. This will be demonstrated in September 2005 and will be ready for immediate deployment with full production capacity.

"Secure and efficient citizen registration coupled with fraud resistant ID Card issuance and distribution are critical goals to UK Home Office," said Ian Robson, Northern Region Managing Director at Oberthur Card Systems. "By deploying smart cards using MyID from Intercede, we are able to achieve those goals, resulting in an enhanced citizen experience and improved security at a lower overall cost to the British tax payer, using a solution that is uniquely 100% UK based."

"MyID is helping Oberthur Card Systems expand their existing service proposition to encompass all aspects of user registration and card life cycle management," said Richard Parris, Chairman and CEO of Intercede. "By combining Oberthur Card Systems centralized highly secure, UK based smart card personalization facility with MyID's highly distributable registration capability, UK Government, and its system integrators, can be assured of the fastest and most cost effective means of issuing smart cards to citizens."

About Intercede
Intercede Group plc is a leading developer and supplier of smart card and identity management software listed on the London Stock Exchange (IGP LN) (IGP.L). The Group's MyID™ software manages the secure registration, issuance and lifecycle of digital identities for a wide range of uses. This requires the integration of multiple technologies and products from many different vendors, including smart cards, biometrics, digital certificates and Open Platform applets.

Intercede's customers cover a range of industries and include British Library, Department of Transport Ireland, European Patent Office, Fujitsu, Lloyds TSB, the UK National Health Service (NHS), the Metropolitan Police, PinkRoccade, Royal Bank of Scotland, and various US and UK Government agencies and departments.

For more information, visit www.intercede.com

About Oberthur Card Systems
With sales of 450.8 million Euros in 2004, Oberthur Card Systems is one of the world's leading providers of card-based solutions, software and applications including SIM and multi-application smart cards as well as services ranging from consulting to personalization.

Innovative products, security expertise and high quality services ensure Oberthur's strong positioning in its main target markets:

The company benefits from an industrial and commercial presence across all five continents. Listed on the Euronext Stock Exchange (ISIN: FR0000124133) since July 2000, Oberthur Card Systems is a subsidiary of the François-Charles Oberthur Group.

For more information, visit www.oberthurcs.com

Enquiries:

Intercede
Ian Lowe - Marketing Manager
Tel. +44 (0) 1455 558111

Oberthur Card Systems
Paul Weitz - Sales Manager UK Government
Telephone 01684 854221
email: p.weitz@oberthurcs.com