))) TI Announces New Smart Label Inlay

))) DALLAS, TX (April 3, 2000)

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) today announced the addition of a new Tag-it™ transponder to its family of radio frequency identification (RFID) smart label inlays. With its small size, the new rectangular-shaped, miniature inlay can be easily incorporated into smart labels or embedded into source tags used for authentication and brand protection of valuable products. It can also be incorporated into plastic cards for access control, applied to containers and totes for logistics automation, or used to track and manage important insurance, legal, or medical files.

Designed for industries that need to quickly and accurately identify, track and manage thousands or even millions of items, smart labels provide an easy-to-integrate, cost-effective, consumable RFID solution. Like previous Tag-it™ inlays, the new miniature model is paper-thin, re-programmable, flexible and capable of being read simultaneously by fixed-position readers or handheld scanners.

Inlays consist of an integrated circuit, an antenna and require no batteries. Having a maximum thickness of 0.360mm, the inlay is small enough to be laminated between layers of paper, film or plastic to produce inexpensive consumable labels and cards that can be customized using ordinary print-on-demand printers. They can also be directly embedded into materials such as plastic, wood, and fiber, to create a hidden and durable ID tag.

Texas Instruments' Tag-it™ inlays now include 3 models: Square Inlay, measuring 45 x 45 mm (1.8 x 1.8 in); Rectangular, Large Inlay, measuring 45 x 76 mm (1.8 x 3 in); and the new Rectangular, Miniature Inlay measuring 22.5 x 38 mm (0.9 x 1.5 in). All models can be read with the same reader systems.

Texas Instruments, the first multi-national semiconductor company to develop and market RFID systems, is currently the leading supplier of a comprehensive range of field-proven RFID products for a number of different applications, including automotive anti-theft, payment and loyalty, livestock, and logistics automation. More than 70 million Texas Instruments' RFID tags are in use worldwide.

In basic terms, RFID technology involves wireless communication between a transponder and reader unit. Signals from the reader unit instruct the transponder to transmit back stored data, which is then used to activate a system, authorize a transaction, locate an item, or retrieve an asset profile.

Team Tag-it™ Program for Fast Adoption of Smart Labels

Texas Instruments recently established the Team Tag-it™ Program, a partnership of industry-leading companies dedicated to making the development and adoption of RFID smart label solutions a success. More than 30 companies who supply hardware, software and integration for automatic identification data collection are participating.

"For smart labels to succeed we need to have a solid infrastructure in place consisting of major suppliers of printers, materials and systems," said Tres Wiley, Texas Instruments marketing manager. "Barcoding met with the same challenge in its infancy, and never would have survived in the shipping arena without similar cooperation."

"With the introduction of this new inlay product, we've given
Team Tag-it™ partners more choices so they can pursue a wider range of applications," added Wiley.