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Alien Technology Announces EPC Class 1 Gen 2 Compliant Firmware for ALR-9780 RFID Reader; Demonstrates Class 1 Gen 2 Reader and Tag System at RFID JournalLive!

Business Wire, April 11, 2005

MORGAN HILL, Calif. -- Alien Technology(R) today announced plans to offer EPC Class 1 Gen 2 compliant firmware in all Alien ALR-9780 RFID Readers beginning in June 2005. The firmware will also be available to upgrade customers' existing ALR-9780 Readers enabling a seamless transition to implementation of Class 1 Gen 2 RFID tags. The popular ALR-9780 is currently installed in hundreds of retail and DoD-related RFID implementations.

The ALR-9780 with Gen 2 firmware implements the entire Gen 2 command set and modulation modes. With support for mixed populations of Class 1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 tags, Alien(R) will guarantee(a) compatibility of the upgraded ALR-9780 Reader for customers with EPC Class 1 Gen 2 compliant RFID tags.

"EPC Class 1 Gen 2 will offer customers more flexibility in the configuration of an RFID system for different applications and operating environments, including variable performance options and greater ability to optimize multiple readers operating in the same environment," said Tom Pounds, Vice President of Corporate Development at Alien Technology. "The ALR-9780 with Gen 2 firmware will enable Alien's customers to transition seamlessly as Gen 2 tags become available on a commercial scale from Alien and others toward the end of this year."

The EPC Class 1 Gen 2 specification, approved in December 2004, is expected to enable greater flexibility and performance of RFID systems. Benefits include a single global standard, and the potential for faster read speeds, improved readability, and the ability to address dense reader challenges.

The ALR-9780 with Gen 2 firmware retains the popular Alien Reader Protocol, which delivers powerful data collection, filtering and event management functionality. Field-proven in hundreds of applications, the Gen 2 upgraded ALR-9780 requires no software changes to the wide range of middleware and applications software packages that support it. For new implementations, there is a complete Software Developer's Kit including royalty-free Java and Visual Basic libraries, Hardware Setup guide, Reader Interface Guide with API definitions, Hardware Technical Specification, sample source code, antennas, RFID tags and accessories.

The ALR-9780 with Gen 2 Firmware will be available beginning in June 2005. The firmware upgrade will be available in June to customers who have purchased the Reader firmware upgrade license.

About Alien Technology

Alien Technology Corporation is a leading provider of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products for global customers in government, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transportation, and other industries. Using its patented manufacturing process, Fluidic Self Assembly (FSA(R)), Alien manufactures EPC tags in very high-volumes and at low cost. The company provides a family of RFID readers for a variety of applications including supply chain management, logistics, and anti-counterfeiting, to improve inventory management and reduce operating costs. Alien is an active member of EPCglobal. More information about Alien Technology Corporation can be found on the Company's website at www.alientechnology.com .

(a) See Alien terms and conditions for details.

Alien, Alien Technology, Gen2 Ready, FSA, the Alien logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Alien Technology Corporation in the United States and other countries.