MicroPass is the first such device designed and optimized from the ground up to meet the unique challenges of short-range contactless communications and optimized to meet the disparate standards in the global payments, access control, ID, and mass transit markets. MicroPass(TM) was designed for very low power consumption, a key design challenge for contactless applications which do not have the benefit of dedicated battery or connected power. The world class INSIDE Contactless hardware design team was successful in designing and implementing MicroPass for such low power consumption while maintaining excellent performance characteristics in the key areas of read speed, distance, and card orientation.

MicroPass(TM) is also unique in offering the largest range of communication standards, including ISO 14443A/B, FeliCaTM, and ISO 15693, enabling compatibility with any infrastructure in place. As there is no single standard applicable to all markets, MicroPass becomes an ideal baseline for use within most international payment, access control, ID and mass transit applications where interoperability and flexibility for expansion are required. The excellent performance characteristics of the chip also provide flexibility for use within a card and other form factor devices.

INSIDE's Chief Technology Officer, Bruno Charrat stated, "We have developed MicroPass to achieve best value for customers in our target markets of payment, access control, ID and mass transit. The huge demand we observe for our product is a great reward for the four years spent to develop it."

This new generation contactless chip best addresses critical market needs, offering speed, cost effectiveness, reliability and overall performance which are the main challenges within the industry today.

    -- Speed:  MicroPass' RISC architecture offers a single clock cycle
       instruction set delivering  very fast processing power of one MIPS/MHz,
       the fastest available on the contactless market today, while continuing
       to perform at increasing communication distances.

    -- Cost Effectiveness:  MicroPass has been designed for minimized chip
       cost with a maximized ratio of functionalities over the silicon size.
       The MicroPass core has been uniquely designed with only 5,000 gates,
       and is one third of the size of a generic 8051or 6805 chip.   This
       feature of the MicroPass architecture results in much lower cost due to
       reduced silicon size.

    -- Reliability and Security: MicroPass includes state-of-the-art security
       features offered by the contact smart card industry, while combining
       the unique features of the contactless environments. Up-to-date
       countermeasures provide a high level of resistance against SPA, DPA and
       EMA attacks. With unrivalled low power consumption, MicroPass is able
       to work from various areas around the reader landing zone, and
       guarantees to the end-user a successful transaction at the first
       attempt.

    About INSIDE Contactless:

INSIDE Contactless is a fabless company that focuses exclusively on designing and developing semiconductor chips (memory and microprocessor) and hardware platforms (couplers and readers) related to 13.56 Mhz contactless technology. Delivering the industry's most comprehensive solutions, INSIDE also provides services for supporting its customers throughout the integration and industrialization phases of its products. INSIDE's multi-standard and cost effective products offer optimized performance and security for applications in the Payment, Identity and Access Control markets. In just ten years, INSIDE Contactless has become the second largest provider of 13.56 Mhz contactless chips. Strategically located with headquarters in France and offices in China, Singapore and in the United States, INSIDE works with a worldwide customer base. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.insidecontactless.com /.

    Lori Tokunaga
    The Hoffman Agency
    408-975-3053
    Email Contact

CONTACT: Lori Tokunaga of The Hoffman Agency, +1-408-975-3053, or
Email Contact, for INSIDE Contactless

Web site: http://www.insidecontactless.com/