Fairfield, Conn., March 28, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Competitive Technologies, Inc. (AMEX:CTT) today announced that NTRU Cryptosystems, Inc, a CTT Acorn, and representatives from Texas Instruments, Sony, MasterCard International, Intel and Diversinet are among Charter Members of a Consortium defining interoperable security standards for wireless and consumer applications. CTT also confirmed that Siemens and Micro-ASI, Inc., another CTT Acorn, have expanded their strategic relationship. Micro-ASI is now a North American licensee for Polymer Stud Grid Array Technology for flip-chips.
NTRU Cryptosystems, Inc. and Micro-ASI, Inc. are two of several development-stage acorn companies in which CTT has invested. In addition to making cash investments, CTT often provides developing acorn companies with intellectual property and technology commercialization expertise. CTT seeks acorn investments in which it can nurture and incubate a technology to yield future returns that benefit its shareholders.
Consortium:
Founding members of the Consortium for Efficient Embedded Security (CEES) held a charter meeting to initiate development of universal standards for creating secure, interoperable implementations of highly efficient, highly scalable public key security. By defining standards for deploying the most efficient, scalable embedded security solutions, CEES is meeting the need to support emerging digital infrastructures with innovations in public key security. The first draft of CEES standards will be based on the NTRU Public Key Cryptosystem (PKCS).
"Enormous investments in wireless and consumer infrastructures are mandating the need for stronger, more efficient security," said Daniel Lieman, Ph.D., CEES chair and NTRU co-founder. "Demands upon enterprise security solutions to support the efficiency and scalability requirements of mass-market adoption of wireless and embedded consumer applications are testing the bounds of today's security infrastructures. The CEES recognizes that new security infrastructures are emerging and that they must be carefully, but rapidly, defined."
The CEES will enable device manufacturers, application developers, content providers, and security solution providers to accelerate deployment of secure digital infrastructures and applications. The CEES standards are compatible with the draft IEEE P1363.1 standards for the NTRU PKCS. The CEES standards will specify standard parameter choices, key sizes, certificate formats, encoding methods, OID numbers, protocols, architectures, security models and efficient implementations, as well as other critical information. For more information about CEES, visit www.ceesstandards.org.
Relationship Expansion:
Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems Inc. (Siemens EAS), a division of Siemens Production and Logistics Systems AG, concluded agreements granting Micro-ASI Inc. North American licenses for Siemens' Polymer Stud Grid Array (PSGA(TM)) technology, allowing Micro-ASI to fabricate the PSGA substrate and utilize it in the assembly of electronic components. The agreement builds upon a strategic relationship, announced in May 2000, which allows the two companies to work together to provide cost-effective, high-volume flip-chip manufacturing to OEMs and other electronics manufacturers. Udo Wiggermann, Siemens Electronics Assembly president of Substrate Technology said, "Micro-ASI has the expertise and, above all, the key industry relationships for working with Siemens technology to accelerate early qualification and high-volume deployment." "This agreement is an important step in deepening our relationship with Micro-ASI," said Pat Trippel, president of Siemens EAS. He continued, "Micro-ASI is a great partner to help us showcase our capabilities to a wide range of customers."
Based on injection molding of readily available polymer materials, PSGA(TM) technology is a compelling and innovative approach to low-cost, high-density substrates that offers improved package reliability for fine geometries. PSGA(TM) substrates are formed with integrally molded studs, which eliminate solder bumping and provide critical technical benefits. The PSGA(TM) substrate manufacturing process is simpler than that of conventional high-density substrates, providing considerable cost advantages.
Under the terms of the agreement, Siemens will immediately begin technology transfer to Micro-ASI, who will implement an aggressive program to fabricate and assemble the PSGA(TM) substrate. "Our agreement with Siemens is central to our core strategy to bring revolutionary improvements in packaging and interconnect to the electronics industry," said Cecil E. (Sandy) Smith, Micro-ASI's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We believe the Siemens PSGA(TM) technology can meet long-standing industry needs for a low-cost, high-density semiconductor substrate. We further believe that accelerating deployment of this technology as the key element of Micro-ASI's Si-Star(TM) program can, at last, dramatically enable cost-effective flip-chip applications for our customers," he continued.
About NTRU Cryptosystems, Inc.
NTRU indicates that it delivers the fastest, smallest, and most secure public key cryptography solutions to protect communications and content. NTRU's PKCS operates more than 100 times faster than competitive systems at equivalent security levels and is easily implemented in low-cost hardware devices.
NTRU applications include securing wireless data communications, digital music and video distribution, mobile e-commerce and Internet applications. A team of Brown University mathematics professors developed this technology. Visit www.ntru.com.
About Micro-ASI
Micro-ASI, Inc. is a Dallas-based high-density interconnect (HDI) company that leverages advances in silicon, substrate, assembly and test capabilities to enable dramatic improvements in the packaging of and interconnection across semiconductors. The company emphasizes flip chip and flip-chip module semiconductor packaging. This technology, along with other intellectual properties, enables Micro-ASI to significantly enhance new and existing electronic products through performance gains, physical size reduction, thermal improvements and/or cost reductions at the module or board level. Micro-ASI provides a "one-stop shop," from initial design and prototyping through volume assembly and testing. Visit www.micro-asi.com
About Siemens Electronics Assembly Systems, Inc.
The Substrate Technology business unit of Siemens Production and Logistics Systems AG develops and provides innovative technologies and equipment for the semiconductor and PCB manufacturing industries. Technical support, sales and marketing are handled worldwide by regional sales offices or authorized distributors. As a trendsetter in the BGA and CSP market, Polymer Stud Grid Array (PSGA(TM)) IC package technology increases yield and reliability for back-end semiconductor and electronic products. Siemens MicroBeam(TM) Series laser machines, used in PSGA(TM) manufacturing, are also used for drilling and structuring substrates and PCBs, setting new standards in accuracy and throughput. Both technologies focus on the ongoing miniaturization of electronic products such as mobile phones, portable computers, PDAs and other products in the telecommunications and data communications industry segments. www.eae.siemens.com
About Competitive Technologies, Inc.
Competitive Technologies is a global leader in identifying, developing and commercializing innovative life sciences, physical sciences and digital technologies. Competitive Technologies' specialized expertise and experiences make it a valuable partner for inventors, companies and universities of all sizes. CTT has been responsible for closing hundreds of licensing agreements. In addition to the acorn companies above, CTT clients, licensees and investees include: Sony, Matsushita Electric Industrial, the University of Colorado, the University of Illinois, Digital Ink, Inc., Palatin Technologies, Inc. and Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Competitive Technologies, Inc. is based in Fairfield, Connecticut and has affiliates in Osaka, Japan and London, England.
Statements about the Company's future expectations, including development and regulatory plans, and all other statements in this document other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Federal Securities Laws and are not guarantees of future performance. These statements involve risks and uncertainties related to market acceptance of and competition for the Company's licensed technologies and other risks and uncertainties inherent in CTT's business, including those set forth in Item 1 of the Company's most recent Form 10-K and other factors that may be described in CTT's filings with the SEC, and are subject to change at any time. The Company's actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement.