With Russia the third largest market in the world for SIM Cards, and payment and identity starting to take off, the CARTES and IDentification trade show and conference has decided to honor the country during its annual show Nov. 17-19 in Paris.
The sharp growth in credit cards available from banks and the need for retailers to acquire new payment terminals to accept the cards, have led to an increase in the value and volume of transactions. Russia’s key players in this market, both exhibitors and visitors, will be the focus at the conference and will feature dedicated conferences, visits by delegations, a cocktail in the country’s colors and dedicated networking areas.
With 194 million mobile phone subscribers in the first quarter of 2009, the Russian market is third only to China and India. It is also one of the markets experiencing the highest growth rate, 15% in 2008, and one of the highest penetration rates 130%.
It is also one of the biggest markets for SIM cards, since the three major Russian operators offer GSM technologies and began to roll out the first 3G networks two years ago. Mobile internet is still little used, but it is due to take off in the near future. This growth has pushed the largest Russian operator, the MTS Group with 80 million subscribers into second place among mobile phone operators in Europe, behind Vodafone and its130 million subscribers.
The CARTES & IDentification Trade show is one of the largest events dealing with digital security and smart technologies. More than 20,000 visitors and 1,500 delegates are expected to attend this year. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/secureidnews-4.gif)
