Since 2004
Albanova’s story is that of two pioneers in the field of digital personalisation, Paolo Dagradi and Giorgio Galli, and of a friendship that grew alongside the various innovations they introduced in a field which has been in continuous development since thirty years ago. Their names first drew attention in 1995, when they took part in the first production of modular equipment for personalisation and mailing of bank cards. In 2000, they’re at the forefront in the design and installation of 1500 kiosks for the “unattended” issuing of MasterCard bank cards in Japan. Between 2001 and 2002 Paolo works with his R&D team on a native operative system for the GSM market and he participates in the ministerial table of Electronic Identity Card specifications drafting.
Paolo and Giorgio decide to leave every position to start their own business and on July 7 of that year Albanova is officially born; it’s an adventure into uncharted territory and for this reason they choose to dedicate it to the polar explorer Valerian Ivanovič Al’banov who had survived the disastrous expedition Brusilov in 1912, stuck in the frozen Kara sea, reaching the mainland by feet.
Services are completed with the start of a personalisation and fulfilment (wrapping) line dedicated to the packaging of Vodafone mobile SIMs (about 5 millions per year). Today the same line is also used for other Italian and foreign mobile phone operators.
A contactless + inkjet production line is launched for high-speed personalisation of tickets and gift cards.
To date, Albanova has processed more than 50 million cards and more than 5 million gift cards on various carriers overall.
Albanova enters the ticketing market also in terms of IT, realising a management platform for Card Data Model Calypso and a scripting setting for coding of e-tickets.
2004
Shortly after, the adventure is joined by Romano Carrozza, manager of great experience in the multinational field and architect - along with Swiss Telecom and Omnitel - of the first ever phone top-up through scratch cards project in the world.
Albanova begins its activity by designing and realising a Card Management System for the issuing of bank cards, installed to this day within the most important Italian issuing centre.
Numerous orders are commissioned to Albanova right away by institutions and companies with the most diverse needs. Here is a gallery of those who most impacted on Albanova’s history:
Albanova customises Supporter Cards for the most important national football clubs, in collaboration with the corresponding banking and/or financial institutions.
Albanova contributes to the production of more than 15 millions health cards, dual interface cards, contact and C-less (CNS Lombardy Regional Services Card).
The company shows itself on the public transport market and successfully personalises more than 1 million cards with Calypso specifications.