Hitachi Names Microboards International Distributor

For Immediate Release:

HITACHI AMERICA NAMES MICROBOARDS TECHNOLOGY, INC. AS DISTRIBUTOR FOR GF-1000 SERIES DVD-RAM DRIVES

-- Leading Optical Storage System Distributor Adds Hitachi’s Award-Winning, Standard Rewritable DVD Drives To Product Portfolio --

BRISBANE, Calif. (AP) — January 25, 2000 – Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT), today named Microboards Technology, Inc. as a North American distributor for the GF-1000 Series DVD-RAM drive. Microboards Technology will carry Hitachi’s standard rewritable DVD drives, which were recently named as an "Editor’s Choice" on CNET’s computers.com web site, as part of its comprehensive portfolio of optical storage solutions.

Microboards Technology, which exclusively carries CD and DVD optical storage products, has more than a decade of experience in development, integration and marketing of optical storage products for the computer data storage, multimedia and audio recording industry. The company’s customers, including value-added reseller (VAR), system integrator and electronic systems retailers, now can source Hitachi’s 5.2 GB capacity, fully rewritable DVD-RAM drives for use in data storage applications. Microboards also plans to offer Hitachi’s DVD-ROM drives and next generation DVD-RAM products.

HITACHI NAMES NATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR DVD-RAM

"DVD-RAM is well on the way to fulfilling its promise as a data storage medium for the convergence age, with applications ranging from typical computer data to multimedia content storage," said Chucky Alcon, vice president of sales and new business development at Microboards Technology. "We are pleased to be working with Hitachi to further broaden the adoption of DVD-RAM products in both traditional and new markets."

GF-1000 Series products are DVD Forum standard format drives, providing fully rewritable, removable storage on optical disc media with capacity of 2.6 GB per side (5.2 GB total with dual-sided media), and fast data transfer rates of up to 1.38 Megabytes (MB) per second. The drives also feature full read compatibility for all types of industry standard pre-recorded and recordable media including DVD-ROM, DVD-R, CD-ROM, CD-R/RW, PhotoCD and Audio and Video CD.

Hitachi has received several awards for the GF-1000 Series and for the company’s role in defining the DVD Forum standard for DVD-RAM media, including EDN Magazine’s 1997 Product Innovation Award and a 1997 Research & Development 100 Award. In December 1999, the CNET Computers.com web site named the GF-1050 drive an Editor’s Choice. The review said the drive was, "a dream…with immense amounts of unbelievably cheap storage, relatively fast data throughput, and simple operation."

About The Companies
Originally founded in 1989 as the international division of a Japanese CD-engineering firm, Microboards Technology specializes in developing, integrating, selling and distributing CD and DVD-technologies to the public and private sector in Europe, the United States, Latin America, Japan and the Pacific Rim. In addition to DVD-RAM, the company’s portfolio of products includes CD/DVD jukebox systems, CD/DVD duplicators, DVD authoring systems and supporting CD-R/DVD-R software and media. Microboards Technology serves the U.S. through its headquarters in Chanhassen, Minnesota. For additional information on Microboards, call 800-646-8881 (outside of the U.S., call or 612-556-1600) or visit their website at:https://www.microboards.com.

Hitachi America, Ltd., Computer Division, supplies high-performance computer storage products and multimedia products to OEMs, value-added resellers, system integrators and distributors. The division's products include high-capacity hard disk

Hitachi names Microboards international distributor for drives and optical drives, digital multimedia recorders, hand-held computers, LCD projectors, color laser beam printers and flat panel displays.

Hitachi America, Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., Japan, markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems, consumer electronics and semiconductor products, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout the U.S. Additional information is available at Hitachi America's web site athttp://www.hitachi.com.

Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 1998 (ended March 31, 1999) consolidated sales of 7,977 billion yen ($65.9 billion*). The company manufactures and markets a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit Hitachi’s Web site at http://www.hitachi.co.jp.

* At an exchange rate of 121 yen to the dollar.