News Releases

8/01/2007

HITACHI SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES STARBOARD® SUMMER SCHOOL CONTEST

-- Teachers who share digital lessons and activities on the Hitachi Software online Educators Resource Center are automatically entered to win Hitachi home electronics products and StarBoard tablets. --

Winning presentations to be chosen by a third-party panel of judges.

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA www.hitachi.us, August 1, 2007 – Hitachi Software Engineering America, Ltd. today announced the StarBoard® Summer School Sweepstakes, a program designed to encourage lesson sharing among K-12 educators via the Hitachi Software online Educators Resource Center. A strong supporter of open educator resources, Hitachi Software will offer prizes to the 10 most interactive and educational lesson plans, as determined by a third-party panel of judges.

The Summer School Content Contest will begin on July 25, 2007 and will close on September 30, 2007. Open to any United States K-12 teacher 21 years or older, there is no purchase necessary to win. Teachers simply visit the Educators Resource Center at www.hitachi-soft.com and upload their lesson plan designed to optimize the use of an interactive whiteboard and/or LCD projector.

“Our goal is to facilitate the sharing of well-designed, well-presented lesson plans utilizing the latest interactive presentation technologies,” explained Ted Wakabayashi, president Hitachi Software Engineering America. “A presentation’s level of interactivity has a direct impact on the level at which a student engages in that lesson. The Educators Resource Center encourages the development and accessibility of interactive, dynamic lessons and presentations. The Summer School Content Contest is our way of building the best resource possible for K-12 educators.”

Lesson plans will be judged on five criteria: Interactivity (35%), Educational Quality (30%), Presentation (20%), Creativity (10%), and Multiple Lessons Submitted (5%). At the end of the entry period, a third-party panel of judges will choose 10 prizewinners. One lucky first place winner will receive a Hitachi 50” Plasma TV. One second place winner will receive a Hitachi 42” Plasma TV. Three third place winners will receive a Hitachi Hybrid 8GB camcorder. Five fourth place winners will receive a Hitachi Software StarBoard BT-2G wireless freedom tablet.

For additional rules and requirements, please visit the Hitachi Software website at www.hitachi-soft.com.

About Hitachi

Hitachi America, Ltd., Ubiquitous Platform Systems Division, produces and markets a wide variety of digital products for business and consumers. The division’s Consumer Group markets high-definition plasma televisions and monitors, LCD projection and flat panel HDTVs, LCD projectors, and DVD camcorders and DVD players. The division’s Business Group markets LCD projectors, professional plasma monitors, interactive panels and whiteboards and security and observation system products through value added resellers, system integrators, distributors and OEM.

Hitachi Software Engineering America, Ltd. develops advanced interactive communications tools for education, training and boardroom applications including interactive whiteboards, plasma displays and tablets all powered by the company’s category-leading StarBoard software. For more information about Hitachi Software, visit www.hitachi-soft.com.

Hitachi has a unique position in the marketplace by manufacturing and developing its own core technologies to provide consumers and businesses with optimal product performance in each of Hitachi's product categories. For consumer products, please visit www.hitachi.us/tv. For business products, please visit www.hitachi.us/digitalmedia. For more information about electronic whiteboards and Starboard software, please visit Hitachi Software at www.hitachi-soft.com. Hitachi brand business products are connected through Hitachi’s OneVision program, which makes it possible for any Hitachi business unit dealer to sell Hitachi products from other Hitachi business units.

Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems and products, and consumer electronics, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout North America. For more information, visit www.hitachi.us.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 384,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2006 (ended March 31, 2007) consolidated revenues totaled 10,247 billion yen ($86.8 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at www.hitachi.com.