Secure Transactions and Machine-to-Machine also contributed positively to revenue growth. Across all segments, Platforms & Services activities grew by +26%, to account for €392 million2 in 2012, generating 40% of the total Company growth and further increasing their share of the Company's revenue. In the mobile payment and the government sectors substantial long-term contracts were signed and their deployments initiated.

Gross profit for the Company was up +15%, or €113 million, to €864 million. This represents a gross margin of 38.5%, higher by +1.2 percentage point on 2011. This gross profit improvement was driven by gross margin increases in the Mobile Communication and Secure Transactions segments as well as by revenue growth in Security. Globally, additional revenue came in at higher gross margin due to the greater proportion of Platforms & Services revenue and to an improved product mix, particularly in the Mobile Communication segment. Operating expenses increased by 8% to €558 million, representing an essentially stable ratio to revenue of 25%.

Expenses in operating resources grew in all segments, especially in research and development, to support project deployments and future growth opportunities. This resulted in a sequential increase in operating expenses, with €298 million for the second semester when excluding Other income.
Full year profit from all operations came in at €306 million, up a remarkable +20% on the previous year's performance that benefited from the one-time positive contribution from a gain on the re-measurement to fair value of Gemalto's investment in a Chinese JV. Driven by the positive developments in all main segments, the year-on-year positive variation in profit from ongoing operations reached +26%, settling at €305 million despite a €9 million decrease in profit from operations recorded in the Patents segment, related to ongoing litigation the Company initiated in the United States.

Continuing deploymeUnited States.

Continuing deployments of fourth generation mobile networks, acceleration in the deployment of infrastructures enabling mobile payment services and increasing adoption of electronic identity programs supported the improvement. Platforms & Services activities contributed markedly to the profit increase through strong revenue growth and better absorption of operating costs, which had increased substantially in these activities since the beginning of the current long-term strategic plan in preparation for the strong involvement of Gemalto in mobile payment service deployments.

Financial income was a charge of €11 million for the year, lower by €1 million on 2011. Net interest income was a charge of €1 million and the foreign exchange transactions and hedging instruments re-evaluation at year-end generated a charge of €5 million. The remaining charges were mainly related to reassessment at fair value of financial liabilities.

Share of profit of associates was lowered by €4 million to €2 million, as Gemalto consolidated an acquired company in which it previously had a share of interest. Consequently, adjusted profit before income tax was €297 million, +19% higher than the €249 million recorded in 2011.

Income tax expense was €35 million, up from a €20 million charge in 2011, reflecting the anticipated increase in the effective tax rate related to the recognition of fewer deferred tax assets. In 2012, the Company recorded no charge from discontinued operations, which accounted for a €1.6 million charge in 2011, in relation to the disposal of the Point-of-Sale activity at the end of 2010 As a result, adjusted net profit of the Company for all operations was €262 million in 2012, a +15% increase when compared to €228 million in 2011, and adjusted net profit margin increased to 11.7%.

Basic adjusted earnings per share for all operations came in at €3.14, up 15%, and fully diluted adjusted earnings per share for all operations settled at €3.00, up 13%. 2 See appendix 5