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While 2017 has seen the end of Smart Insights Weekly and our transformation in to a new business positioning, it has also been a transformative year for the secure transactions industry we keep on analyzing. 2017 will remain as a revolutionary year for the secure transactions industry itself! After years of status quo with four leading players and Gemalto as the undisputed leader, we have seen this year the merger of Oberthur and Morpho to create Idemia and the start of the a

Thales and Gemalto announced yesterday that they have reached an agreement on an all-cash offer from Thales to acquire all Gemalto shares at EUR 51 per share cum dividend, representing a EUR 4.8 billion valuation for the company. The acquisition will be funded by Thales from a combination of available cash reserves and a EUR 4 billion credit facility. The transaction is dependent on shareholder and regulatory approvals and clearances, with closure expected during the second h

Edit on December 14, 2017: Gemalto management has rejected Atos offer and published a statement on December 13 at 8 PM, stating that the offer "significantly undervalues the Company," and affirming that "Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, is best positioned to grow successfully on a standalone basis and create long term value for its stakeholders, including its shareholders." Atos, a major expert in digital transformation headquartered in France, published on Mond

Last week, Chris Valasek, who introduces himself as an ethical hacker, gave a speech during Trustech, coming back on how he hacked a Jeep back in 2015. He got into the Uconnect entertainment system of the car thanks to a combination of vulnerabilities in the system and poor network protection, and from there, took control of the car, to the extent he was able to use the brakes and block the steering wheel. Not only this hack was feasible, but also as the car designers had not

In relation with its series of profit warnings, Gemalto just announced a reorganization of its activities in France that will lead to 288 job losses. The company will downsize its activities on three of its French sites: Gemenos and La Ciotat in Provence, and Meudon near Paris. These layoffs, essentially targeting marketing, communication, and sales functions, represent around 10% of the company headcount in France. On a global basis, around 600 job positions may be made redu