Hitachi Data Systems Names Eckhard Pfeiffer to Executive Advisory Board; Renowned IT Industry Leader to Support Company's Growth Plans

Business Wire, Dec 7, 2005

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, provider of Application Optimized Storage(TM) solutions and a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT), today announced that former Compaq President and CEO, Eckhard Pfeiffer, has joined Hitachi Data Systems' Executive Advisory Board. In this role, Pfeiffer will advise the company on strategy and go-to-market activities and offer guidance on its various new initiatives. Pfeiffer has over 30 years of sales and executive management experience in the information technology sector, including 16 years at Compaq, where his leadership took the company to the top position in the PC industry.

"Eckhard Pfeiffer has tremendous industry experience. It is important for a company like Hitachi Data Systems to consult external industry leaders as it transforms itself from a product-driven to a solutions company to support its strong growth plan. We look to him to provide market insight that will help strengthen our presence, and build on our momentum, in the storage solutions market," said Shinjiro Iwata, CEO of Hitachi Data Systems.

As CEO of Compaq, Pfeiffer led the company from annual sales of $3 billion to more than $30 billion, and worldwide PC market share from 3.5 percent to 15.4 percent.

Today, Pfeiffer is chairman of Accoona Corporation, and a director of the board of General Motors Corporation and of L M E Ericsson.

Eckhard Pfeiffer commented: "I am delighted to be an Executive Board advisor to Hitachi Data Systems. This company, without question, delivers the very best storage technology available and boasts a truly loyal customer base that appreciates the focus placed on aligning business and IT. Hitachi Data Systems is poised to capture significant market share and I look forward to making a strong contribution as the company transforms itself to achieve rapid growth."

About Hitachi Data Systems

Hitachi Data Systems leverages global R&D resources to develop storage solutions built on industry-leading technology with the performance, availability and scalability to maximize customers' ROI and minimize their risk. By focusing on the customer's perspective as we apply the best hardware, software, and services from Hitachi and our partners, we uniquely satisfy our customers' business needs.

With approximately 2,900 employees, Hitachi Data Systems conducts business through direct and indirect channels in the public, government and private sectors in over 170 countries and regions. Its customers include more than 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies. For more information, please visit our Web site at www.hds.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE:HIT), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 347,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2004 (ended March 31, 2005) consolidated sales totaled 9,027.0 billion yen ($84.4 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's Website at http://www.hitachi.com.

(C) 2005, Hitachi Data Systems Corporation. Hitachi Data Systems is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as a trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd. Application Optimized Storage is a trademark of Hitachi Data Systems Corporation. All other trade names, trademarks, and service marks used herein are the rightful property of their respective owners.