Tokyo Japan, March 07, 2003 - JCB Co. Ltd., in cooperation with Toppan Printing under license grated by Sony Corporation, has developed DualPlus™ the world's first smart card combining FeliCa* contactless interface and EMV contact interface capability in a single IC chip. The sophisticated dual interface technology incorporates a linkage function that allows access to shared data on the chip from both contactless and contact interface applications, offering significantly higher functionality at a lower cost than current 'hybrid' cards with two separate chips. The first practical application of DualPlus™ will be as a multi-function ID card for JCB employees starting in May 2003.

JCB anticipates that the DualPlus™ card will answer growing demand in Japan, Asia and the world, with enormous potential for offering flexible and multiple functionality in one card. Sony's FeliCa contactless technology boasts high speed processing, ideal for applications such as metropolitan transport systems, while EMV is the world standard for financial applications. The linkage function enables further potential benefits such as the inclusion of contactless payments in the cardholder's loyalty point program through a home card-reader. Also, in the future the addition of type B communication capacity, coming into wider use in government applications, promises even greater flexibility.

JCB Co., Ltd. will be issuing DualPlus™ identification cards to its employees in May 2003 when the company headquarters move to a new location. Contactless functions will include building and floor access control as well as cafeteria and vending machine post-payment, while contact applications will support employee benefits. Some cards will also be equipped with the contact interface EMV-standard credit application J/Smart™.

*FeliCa is a registered trademark of Sony Corporation.