Press Release

New Hitachi Mobile Phone Uses AuthenTec Sensor for Security and Handset Navigation

 – Hitachi’s W51H is first biometric phone available to  KDDI subscribers in Japan

–   Integrated AuthenTec sensor protects M-commerce transactions and sensitive phone data while enabling core navigation features

MELBOURNE, Fla., April 25, 2007 – AuthenTec, the world’s leading provider of fingerprint authentication sensors and solutions, announced today that its AES1510 fingerprint sensor will be a standard feature on Hitachi’s new flagship “win” series phone, the W51H.  The introduction represents a number of “firsts” including the first time a fingerprint sensor will be used to control display navigation on a Japanese phone and the first time a biometric phone will be available to subscribers of Japan’s second largest mobile network provider KDDI.

AuthenTec sensors are used in more than 95 percent of all fingerprint biometric cell phones available worldwide.  Biometric cell phones are widely used in Asia for mobile commerce (M-commerce) online banking and for securing the device in the event of loss or theft.  Owners of the Hitachi W51H will benefit from these security features of the AES1510, and can also use the sensor as the primary control device for core user input functions such as scrolling and menu navigation.

“We are very pleased to add Hitachi and KDDI to our growing list of carriers and cell phone companies adding our TruePrint^® based fingerprint technology, said James Yeh, AuthenTec’s director of Wireless Marketing for Asia.  “Hitachi’s W51H is a great example of the diversity of applications that can be served by our products.  Critical user functions such as navigation, security and mobile payment authorization are all enabled by our biometric technology.”

The AES1510 fingerprint sensor is mounted below the W51H’s first-of-a-kind high-resolution display that flips and swivels so that users can browse mobile web pages in an easily readable 2.9 inch 480 x 800 widescreen display.  The robust AES1510 is specifically designed to withstand common wear and tear associated with an externally exposed sensor, such as the typical minor bumps and scratches caused by coins, keys and other objects.  The AES1510 also enables secure and convenient near field communication (NFC) transactions used for mobile ticketing and check in, stored value, mobile credit, and Internet commerce payments.

Each AuthenTec sensor is based on the company's patented TruePrint® technology, the only solution in production that reads below the surface of the skin to the live layer, where the true fingerprint resides.  This unique subsurface approach enables AuthenTec sensors to read virtually every fingerprint, every time.  The technology's extreme accuracy also allows AuthenTec to create sensors that are smaller, lower cost, and perform better than larger, more costly competing solutions.

In Japan, biometric cell phone users can purchase items from more than 100,000 stores and vending machines, and gain access to mass transit and sporting events.  In Korea, biometric phone users access bank accounts wirelessly with the convenient swipe of a finger.  Recent surveys show that a vast majority of U.S. cell phone users are anxious for M-commerce and many of the same biometric features and functions currently available in Asia.

The retail cost of the Hitachi W51H phone is expected to be approximately $150 with contract, and will be available to KDDI customers later this month.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT/TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 356,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2005 (ended March 31, 2006) consolidated sales totaled 9,464 billion yen ($80.9 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

About AuthenTec

With more than 15 million sensors in use worldwide, AuthenTec is the world leader in providing fingerprint authentication sensors and solutions to the high-volume PC, wireless device, and access control markets. AuthenTec's award-winning sensors take full advantage of The Power of Touch® by utilizing the company's patented TruePrint® technology to deliver the most convenient, reliable and cost-effective means available for enabling touch-powered features that extend beyond user authentication. The company's customers include: ASUSTek, Fujitsu, HP, Hitachi, HTC, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Samsung, and Toshiba, among others.

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Contacts

Brent Dietz                                          Nicole Loring

AuthenTec                                           Zer0 to 5ive

brent.dietz@authentec.com               Nicole@0to5.com