UPEK® Provides Complete Hardware Fingerprint Authentication Solution to SanDisk® For High Capacity USB Flash Drives

SanDisk’s Cruzer® Profile drives integrate UPEK’s TouchStrip™ technology into the first mass-market USB flash drive offering increased data security through on-drive fingerprint matching

Berkeley, CA – March 10, 2005 – UPEK ® , Inc., the leading supplier of fingerprint authentication solutions, today announced that SanDisk® Corporation (Nasdaq: SNDK), is incorporating UPEK’s TouchStrip™ chipset for embedded fingerprint authentication into SanDisk Cruzer® Profile USB Flash Drives to help protect user data. This marks the first broad consumer introduction of a USB flash drive integrating fingerprint security while maintaining the full portability that consumers have come to expect from these storage devices. Offered in storage capacity of either 512MB or 1GB, the Cruzer Profile drives are also the highest density drives to be offered with integrated fingerprint security.

The SanDisk Cruzer Profile drive represents the first launch by a leading USB flash drive vendor of a mass market flash drive that incorporates fingerprint template storage and matching directly within the device itself. By integrating all fingerprint matching technology into the hardware, the Cruzer Profile is a fully self-contained portable drive that does not have to rely on the host computer to perform fingerprint matching. This maintains full portability for the end-user by eliminating the need to install any driver software on the host computer prior to use. The TouchStrip fingerprint authentication solution integrated into the Cruzer Profile also enables secure sign-on by allowing users to replace multiple passwords with the swipe of a finger.

“As the storage capacity of these portable flash drives increases, the amount of critical data that people carry in their pockets and want to protect is increasing accordingly,” stated Mike Morganstern, USB flash drive product marketing manager at SanDisk. “The TouchStrip fingerprint solution we have integrated into the Cruzer Profile is cost-effective and convenient, providing an increased level of security to our drives and added peace of mind to our customers.”

“We are pleased to be working with SanDisk, the recognized leader in USB flash drives,” stated Alan Kramer, UPEK president and CEO. “Placing our fully integrated fingerprint matching technology directly on these flash drives provides owners of Cruzer Profile drives with a greater level of security without sacrificing convenience or portability.”

SanDisk and UPEK will demonstrate the advantages and ease of use of its fingerprint authentication solution in the new Cruzer Profile USB drive at the CeBIT show, March 10-16, in Hanover Germany, in Hall 1, Stand 4E6, and Hall 7, Stand E48.

About UPEK
Headquartered near Berkeley, California, UPEK, Inc. is a privately-held biometric fingerprint solutions company launched as a venture-backed spin-off from STMicroelectronics in 2004. The fingerprint solutions offered by UPEK under the TouchChip® and TouchStrip™ brands have been shipping in volume since 1999 and have been integrated into a broad range of commercial and consumer applications. UPEK offers the full range of capabilities needed to deliver end-to-end solutions, including silicon fingerprint sensors, biometric algorithms, companion processors, and application software. For more information, visit www.UPEK.com.

UPEK contact:
Vito Fabbrizio
Tel: 510.420.2636
Fax: 510.420.2699
vito.fabbrizio@UPEK.com

UPEK, the UPEK logo and TouchChip are registered trademarks, and TouchStrip is a trademark of UPEK, Inc. SanDisk and Cruzer Profile are trademarks or registered trademarks of SanDisk Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.