UPEK is named CES Best of Innovations 2007 Design and Engineering Award Winner

Eikon USB Fingerprint Reader Receives Best of Innovations Award in Biometrics Category

EMERYVILLE, CA, and NEW YORK, NY – November 8, 2006 – UPEK®, Inc., a leading global brand of fingerprint authentication security solutions, today announced that the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA®) has selected UPEK as an International CES Best of Innovations 2007 Design and Engineering awards honoree for its Eikon USB fingerprint reader.  The Best of Innovations awards are given to the most honored products within the Innovations Design and Engineering awards. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the trade press to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics.

UPEK’s Eikon USB fingerprint reader provides enterprises and consumers with the power of biometric authentication at a low cost. Consumers need a reliable way to authenticate themselves online to prevent fraudulent purchases or access to online bank and credit card accounts. Enterprises require a convenient and secure means for employees to access data and networks, and an alternative to passwords to reduce password-related IT support costs.  The Eikon USB fingerprint reader solves these market needs by establishing a “trusted path” to corporate networks, online merchants, and financial institutions. The Eikon USB fingerprint reader was also recently selected by biometric industry leader Pay By Touch as a certified finger scanner for its TrueMe™ service, the first secure, on-demand biometric authentication service on the Internet (www.trueme.com). 

The Eikon USB fingerprint reader, when combined with UPEK’s Protector Suite™ QL security software, provides users with a rich, “always-on” experience. Benefits include allowing users to:

• Conveniently log in to Windows® with the single swipe of a finger;
• Establish a convenient password bank for storing login information for registered web sites and applications;
• Lock and unlock the system;
• Enjoy fast user switching between accounts; and
• Protect access to files on their computer’s hard drive.

The Eikon USB fingerprint reader is available now from select channel partners with broader availability during 2007 from a wide range of computer products manufacturers, independent software vendors (ISV’s), and retailers.

The Eikon USB fingerprint reader will be highlighted and displayed throughout the 2007 International CES® which runs January 8-11, 2007 in Las Vegas.  The Best of Innovations Showcase will be at Innovations Plus at the Sands/Venetian Hotel, which houses the hottest emerging technologies in the consumer electronics industry, in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention Center, and at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES, from 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, January 6, 2007, in the Marco Polo Ballroom at the Venetian.

“We’ve been successful in protecting the world’s leading brands of notebook computers with integrated fingerprint authentication solutions. The Eikon reader brings the same level of protection and convenience to legacy notebook and desktop PC’s in a powerful yet simple USB device,” stated Vito Fabbrizio, UPEK director of marketing. “We are honored that the Eikon reader has been recognized as best in its class by the Consumer Electronics Association.”

As a widely renowned consumer technology awards program, the International CES Innovations 2007 Awards recognize the best designed and engineered products.  It is sponsored by the CEA, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, and endorsed by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the voice of industrial design, committed to advancing the profession through education, information, community and advocacy.

About UPEK, Inc.

UPEK, Inc., a global leader in biometric fingerprint security solutions, offers integrated end-to-end solutions including comprehensive design & integration services to the world’s leading consumer and industrial products companies. UPEK solutions enable the strongest fingerprint authentication security available, packaged for high user convenience and rapid integration into existing products and network architectures.  The company has been pioneering biometric fingerprint technology since 1996 and shipping product in volume since 1999.  UPEK is headquartered in Emeryville, California, with offices in Prague, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo. For more information, please visit www.upek.com.

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UPEK and the UPEK logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of UPEK, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.