))) Texas Instruments RFid Systems Announces Development of UHF Tags and Intent to Join EPCglobal

))) CHICAGO, IL (September 16, 2003)

Texas Instruments Radio Frequency Identification (TI-RFid™) Systems, a worldwide leader of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, today announced it is developing ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID tags for supply chain and logistics applications that will meet the requirements of the Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) Network currently being developed by EPCglobal. TI-RFid™ Systems also announced its plans to join EPCglobal, the non-profit organization formed as a joint venture of the Uniform Code Council Inc. and EAN International.

The company is committed to supplying UHF RFID tags using its high-volume global manufacturing capability. TI-RFid™ Systems will work with its Team Tag-it™ members who will provide the market with the infrastructure for implementing RFID solutions including UHF labels, readers, printers, scanners and software solutions as well as systems integration support. TI’s Team Tag-it™ Program is a partnership of more than 50 hardware and software suppliers dedicated to accelerating the adoption of RFID smart label solutions.

“We’re committed to the advancement of RFID solutions in the retail supply chain and consumer goods market with the development of a UHF tag,” said David Slinger, general manager, Texas Instruments RFid Systems and vice president Texas Instruments, Inc. “Through our experience, we see a solid business case emerging as the entire supply chain is working toward an integrated RFID solution. The market is clearly moving in that direction with the announcement by Wal-Mart that its top 100 suppliers adopt RFID at the case and pallet level. As a global supplier of RFID technology that has supported RFID standards throughout its history, we fully support the creation and adoption of UHF standards and will be supplying TI UHF tags to meet these standards.”

Since the company’s inception in 1990, Texas Instruments RFid Systems has participated in the development of RFID standards with international organizations including ISO/IEC, ANSI and AIM, Inc., the global trade association for automatic identification and data collection technologies. Together with Philips Semiconductors,
TI-RFid™ Systems helped to define the ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity card standard, which uses 13.56 MHz RFID smart label technology. TI will continue to work with these standards-setting organizations to develop UHF RFID tags for industry-wide deployment.

As the largest, fully-integrated supplier of the broadest range of RFID products, Texas Instruments RFid Systems has led the development of new RFID applications in a host of industries including automotive security – with the introduction of its immobilizer system now used to protect 70 million cars – and cashless wireless payment – with the introduction of the ExxonMobil Speedpass™ in 1997, today used by 6 million consumers. Marks & Spencer and 3M are among the companies that have implemented RFID systems for supply chain management using TI’s technology. In 2001, the Gap completed a three-month field test of TI’s 13.56 MHz smart label inlays for item-level tracking of denim apparel that improved inventory management, supply chain efficiency and increased sales. Texas Instruments RFid Systems has been making investments in UHF technology since 1999.