PRESS RELEASES
Alien Technology Appoints Strategic Advisor for Japan
Morgan Hill, CA, and Tokyo, Japan - August 1, 2003 - Alien Technology Corporation announced today that it has appointed Masazumi Ishii as a Strategic Advisor, effective immediately. Mr. Ishii, founder and Managing Director of AZCA, Inc., will assist Alien in formulating and implementing its strategy in Japan. Specifically, he will focus on developing strategic alliances with major Japanese companies for manufacturing, licensing, and product development. In addition, he will help promote the Auto-ID Center's EPC Class 1 UHF Standard with market and industry opinion leaders in Japan.
"We are extremely pleased that Masa Ishii is joining our team as Strategic Advisor," said Alien's CEO Stav Prodromou. "It is very important for Alien to build relationships with partners, suppliers and research leaders in Japan as we commercialize our RFID technology."
Mr. Ishii will work alongside Toray International, Alien's exclusive representative for product distribution and sales in Japan since March, 2003. Charles Kobayashi of Toray said "I believe Masa's talents will be instrumental in helping Alien and Toray develop a long term strategy in Japan, and I look forward to a fruitful partnership."
Mr. Ishii established AZCA, Inc., a consulting and investment-banking services firm based in Silicon Valley, in 1985. He has worked with numerous technology-based companies in the U.S., Japan and Asia, successfully formulating and implementing strategies for these companies to achieve their corporate development objectives in the Asia-Pacific markets. He has more than 25 years of experience as a professional in international business and technology.
Prior to establishing AZCA, Mr. Ishii was a senior management consultant at McKinsey & Company, Inc., where he planned and managed projects for a number of clients in Japan, Europe and the United States, focusing on international diversification strategies. He was also an active member of the firm's Technology and Electronics Practices.
Mr. Ishii had more than a decade of experience in the computer industry before joining McKinsey, including eight years with IBM in Japan, where he worked in a broad range of technical and management activities and co-authored several technical books.
A frequent speaker and writer on issues involving international business development in the high technology industry, Mr. Ishii is a well-recognized member of the Pacific Rim business infrastructure. He serves on the board and the advisory board of several multinational companies, and is also a board member of various associations such as the Japan Society of Northern California and the Japanese Chamber of Commerce in Northern California.
Mr. Ishii holds a Bachelor of Engineering in mathematical engineering and instrumentation physics from the University of Tokyo and a Master of Science in computer science from Stanford University.
About Toray International
Toray International, Inc. is the trading arm of Toray Industries, Inc. (Tokyo,
Japan). Toray is one of the largest manufacturing groups in Japan producing
textiles, fibers, films, plastics, carbon fibers, and other specialty chemicals
and polymer products.
For additional information, visit www.toray-intl.com.
About Alien Technology
Alien Technology Corporation provides Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
products for global customers in government, retail, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals,
transportation, and other industries. Using its proprietary manufacturing
process, Fluidic Self Assembly (FSA®), Alien manufactures EPC tags in 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.
