Panasonic to Develop Phones and Fax Machines Using openLCR's Intelligent Downloading Technology to Deliver User-Friendly Enhanced Services to Consumers

Business Wire, Dec 28, 2001

Business/High Tech Editors

SECAUCUS, N.J. & FORT COLLINS, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 28, 2001

Kyushu Matsushita Electric Co. Ltd. -- a subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., which is best known for its Panasonic brand -- and openLCR.com, Inc. today announced a strategic agreement to develop new Panasonic plain paper facsimile and cordless telephone products for home, small office/home office (SOHO), and commercial markets that use openLCR's intelligent downloading technology and the Internet to deliver user-friendly services.

OpenLCR's "openALoad" technology will be embedded in the circuitry of select Panasonic cordless telephones and fax machines. OpenALoad equips the faxes and cordless phones with "smarts", making it easy to add a host of innovative features.

Web-based setup eliminates the challenges normally associated with LCD panel and keypad setup by allowing users to configure their fax machines and download parameters over the Web. OpenLCR's Phone Directory Download feature lets users keep a complete telephone directory on the openLCR Web site that can easily be downloaded to the Panasonic telephones and facsimiles, offering a simple and effective way to maintain phone lists.

"The combination of Panasonic's quality phones and fax machines with openLCR's advanced technology will result in very user-friendly devices that can also help consumers and businesses save money," said Tim Gan, president and CEO of openLCR.

Mr. Gan was referring to openLCR's innovative Low Cost Routing (LCR) function. All cordless phones and fax machines with the openALoad technology are compatible with openLCR's Low Cost Routing (LCR) function. The LCR function is designed to automatically identify and select a low cost carrier for long distance calls. The process is instantaneous and completely transparent to users. OpenLCR.com automatically updates the carrier rate table, thus eliminating the need for customers to switch carriers to gain extra savings.

"We are very excited about the openALoad technology. For the first time, we are able to download applications and data directly into telephones and facsimiles, providing our customers with features that are interactive and advanced yet at the same time very user-friendly," said Frank Lasorsa, Assistant General Manager, Home Office Products Division for Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "This marks a great step forward in adding next-generation features and services directly into telephones and facsimile machines without the need for additional costly hardware."

About Matsushita/Panasonic

Osaka, Japan-based Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE:MC) is one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer business and industrial use. Additional information is available at www.panasonic.com.

Matsushita Electric Industrial subsidiary Kyushu Matsushita Electric Co., Ltd. manufactures a wide range of advanced products, including telecommunications equipment, office automation equipment, factory automation equipment, innovative devices and component, and water and environment products based on digital technology and new production systems. The company operates 11 manufacturing and development facilities in Kyushu, Japan, one production plant each in Malaysia, Thailand, Philippine, Mexico and the United Kingdom, and one R&D lab in the United States.

Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a unit of New Jersey-based Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, Matsushita Electric Industrial's principal North American subsidiary.

About openLCR.com, Inc.

OpenLCR.com, Inc.'s mission is to provide value-added services to consumers in the integrated telecommunications and Internet industries. With the combination of the openALoad technology and strategic partnerships with major phone/fax/PBX manufacturers, openLCR is setting a new standard in bringing intelligence to telephone, facsimiles, home-network gateway, and PBX systems -- delivering user-friendly services to the market and giving consumers the option of a hassle free way of saving dollars on long-distance calling.

More information on openLCR and the openALoad technology can be found at openLCR Web site, www.openlcr.com.

Neither Kyushu Matsushita Electric Co., LTD. (KME) nor Matsushita Electric Corporation of America (MECA) is in any way affiliated with, or responsible for the acts or omissions of openLCR.com, Inc. (openLCR). Neither KME nor MECA nor any of their employees or affiliates or customers make any warranties or representations, either express or implied, to any customer or any other third party with respect to any of the services provided by openLCR, nor assume nor create any other obligation of any kind on behalf of openLCR.