Kanematsu Makes Minority Investment In Ensure Technologies; Leading Japanese Distributor Sees Market Opportunity for XyLoc Wireless PC Security

Business Wire, March 22, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2000

Ensure Technologies, the award-winning leader in intelligent PC security solutions, today announced that Kanematsu, one of Japan's largest distributors, has made a minority investment in the company. This investment, coupled with Ensure's recent venture funding, will help expand the product development, marketing and sales efforts for its XyLoc wireless PC security solution. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are seeing more focus on security solutions in Asia and throughout the world. We were very intrigued with Ensure's patented XyLoc wireless PC security solution because it gives organizations a simple and convenient solution for implementing internal security," said Mr. Hiroshi Wakabayashi, General Manager of Network Division at Kanematsu Computer Systems Co. Ltd. "We look forward to working with Ensure as they expand and broaden their move into the Pan Asian market."

"We are very pleased to have Kanematsu as one of our investors. This is a great vote of confidence for what Ensure has accomplished and for the global opportunities in our future," said George Brostoff, co-founder and president of Ensure Technologies. "This investment will help toward expanding Ensure and XyLoc's presence in international markets. We look forward to working with Kanematsu on these endeavors."

Ensure's patented XyLoc is a centrally managed, automatic computer security solution that prevents unauthorized access to confidential PC-based information, and simultaneously makes access to network services and applications more convenient for authorized employees. XyLoc's unique, full-time access control technology protects sensitive data when it is most vulnerable - after logon, when the authorized user - for whatever reason - steps away from the PC.

Suited for professionals who need easy, yet secure, access to information "on the fly," XyLoc is proximity-activated and completely "hands-free," requiring no user interaction. Because it enables the computer to know automatically and effortlessly who is requesting access to its resources, XyLoc offers security features and flexibility previously unavailable. XyLoc also simplifies public key infrastructure (PKI) implementations and protects digital certificates stored on PCs increasing the security of e-commerce transactions.

Ensure is also an active member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, a cooperative consortium of leaders in the telecommunications and computer industries founded in 1998 by Intel, Ericcson, IBM, Nokia and Toshiba to define and develop a common specification for wireless communications products including mobile PCs, mobile phones and other portable devices. XyLoc will feature Bluetooth-compatible smart cards that will be interoperable with any Bluetooth-enabled device, whether it be a mobile phone, PDA or PC. Using XyLoc, administrators will easily load and manage digital certificates on any Bluetooth PC, phone or PDA, delivering XyLoc's patented full-time access control to multiple types of devices.

About Kanematsu

Kanematsu Corporation is one of Japanese Sogo Shosha, or general trading company, with 1999 consolidated revenues exceeding US$18 billion. Based in Tokyo, and with operations in over 40 countries, Kanematsu Group employs more than 5,000 people worldwide, with 1,000 at Kanematsu Corporation. Kanematsu is focusing on Electronics and Telecommunications as one of their core businesses while they have forwarded a dramatic reform of the Company's operating structure designated to produce a more competitive, more profitable enterprise for the future.

About Ensure Technologies

Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ensure Technologies (www.ensuretech.com) is the leader in intelligent security solutions designed to protect an organization's intellectual property and physical computing assets from internal security breaches - conveniently, automatically and transparently. Ensure's award-winning XyLoc applies the innovative, patented technologies of full-time access control and proximity-based authentication to guard corporate data, and asset tracking to monitor and protect computing hardware throughout the enterprise from desktops to mobile PCs.

XyLoc is a trademark of Ensure Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective companies.