*****For immediate use March 20th, 2002
World First 32-bit Smart Card IC to Obtain Visa Technology Level 3 Approval
TOKYO and Velizy-Villacoublay, France March 20, 2002 - NEC Corporation (NEC) (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) and its affiliate NEC Electronics (France), Smart Card Application Center, announced today that the first born of the V-WAY family, a range of 32-bit RISC microcontrollers for smart cards, is listed in the latest Visa Chip Vendor Rating List as being capable of supporting Visa Technology Level 3.
With the launch of its high-end V-WAY family in 1999, NEC has been the first chip vendor to produce 32-bit RISC microcontrollers for smart cards in large volumes. This 3-year experience in designing and producing high performance and technologically advanced security products makes NEC the leading supplier of a new generation of devices that fit today's and future needs of true multi-application and interoperable smart cards.
Security evaluations conducted on the V-WAY product range are part of the global NEC security strategy aiming at meeting the highest security standard for smart card ICs. To this end, NEC not only offers products with the highest security levels, but also develops and manufactures these products in the "best-in-class" security operations.
The Technology Level 3 approval from Visa International obtained for the 
PD703902 (*) secure microcontroller attests the security "know-how" reached by NEC and confirms its leadership in 32-bit smart card ICs.
Jean-Fran
ois Chouteau, Head of the NEC Smart Card Application Center, commented, "In 2001, NEC was awarded the world first Common Criteria system certification for the Yamaguchi manufacturing plant. Today, NEC keeps showing the way with the world first 32-bit IC granted with the Technology Level 3 approval by Visa. This is another way to illustrate that great feeling of security our customers experience when choosing NEC and the V-WAY family".
"This new achievement in the development of NEC security microcontrollers is another stepping stone to recognized reliable and trusted products", says Fabrice Poulard, Head of Marketing and Applications in the NEC Smart Card Application Center. To add, "Other important milestones will be reached within the year 2002 that will place NEC at the forefront position in defining a state-of-the-art 32-bit platform for high-end smart cards".
About Visa Technology Level 3 Approval
In granting Technology Level 3 approval to a smart card IC, Visa acknowledges that with well written secure software, the combined silicon and software embedded, in a card, can provide an end product that meets Visa's requirements. The silicon on its own is only one component of the product which, if not protected by equally secure software, may result in an end product not meeting the security level required for a given application. Since it is a component not a product, only capability approval, not full certification is granted for smart card ICs. But equally important without achieving a capability approval level for silicon, card providers cannot develop with confidence of achieving full certification on a given silicon platform.
(*) About the V-WAY Product Range
The PD703902 device is the very first smart card device of the V-WAY product range introduced in 1999. Products within this family all feature large memory sizes (up to 192KB of ROM, up to 64KB of EEPROM, up to 4KB of RAM), the SuperMAP coprocessor for fast Public Key encryption, an ISO 7816-compatible serial interface to accelerate communications speed and state-of-the-art security circuits. V-WAY devices combine high performance and low power consumption to fit the most stringent smart card applications. Future releases of V-WAY products will integrate advanced Non-Volatile memory technology that will follow the expected Java Card evolution.
About NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH
NEC Electronics (Europe) GmbH, headquartered in Dusseldorf, Germany, is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of semiconductor products in Europe. Committed to meeting customers' cost, performance and time-to-market requirements, the company offers solutions ranging from standard products to system-on-a-chip (SOC) solutions, as well as customized products for next-generation designs. NEC Electronics also offers customers the benefit of state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Ireland, and the global manufacturing capabilities of its parent company, NEC Corporation. For more information, please visit the NEC Electronics web site at: www.ee.nec.de.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) is a leading provider of Internet solutions, dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of its customers in the key computer, network and electron device fields through its three market-focused in-house companies: NEC Solutions, NEC Networks and NEC Electron Devices. NEC Corporation, with its in-house companies, employs more than 150,000 people worldwide and saw consolidated net sales of 5,409 billion Yen (approx. US$43 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2001. For further information, please visit the NEC home page at: http://www.nec.com
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