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ARC International’s Configurable Processor Embedded in UPEK’s Leading-Edge Biometric Security Technology

UPEK TouchStrip™ Fingerprint Authentication Solutions Incorporating ARC Processors Shipping in Notebook PCs, Mobile Phones and Flash Drives From Leading OEMs and ODMs

ELSTREE, England, April 19, 2005 - ARC International (LSE: ARK) today announced that UPEK™, Inc., the leading supplier of biometric fingerprint security solutions, is incorporating a configurable ARC processor in the company's successful line of TouchStrip™ fingerprint authentication products. Used for user authentication and password management, UPEK's TouchStrip solutions have become the frontline of biometric security in a broad range of consumer, commercial and government applications. UPEK is the latest of close to 100 customers that have licensed an ARC configurable core for use in applications requiring low power consumption, exceptionally low gate count and high performance capabilities in a microprocessor.

"ARC's processor core plays a significant role in our industry-leading sensor technology that provides the most secure and convenient means of authenticating user identity," said Giovanni Gozzini, director of hardware development at UPEK, Inc.

"The rapid adoption of UPEK's TouchStrip fingerprint authentication solutions speaks volumes to the innovation and technical superiority of its technology," said Derek Meyer, vice president of marketing for ARC International. "We are pleased that the power-efficient performance and small die size of ARC's configurable processor played an important role in the product's success."

UPEK's TouchStrip fingerprint authentication solution is a compact silicon-based strip sensor for acquisition of fingerprint data plus a powerful ASIC for fingerprint matching and secure data transfer. The TouchStrip fingerprint authentication solution is a complete biometric subsystem that includes application programming interface (API) support and the availability of development kits to enable rapid integration and reduce development costs. This embedded biometric subsystem offers the highest level of security by providing the capability to perform template extraction and matching inside the module, eliminating the need for additional hardware.

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About UPEK, Inc.
Headquartered near Berkeley, Calif, with offices in Prague, Singapore, and Tokyo, UPEK, Inc. is a privately-held biometric fingerprint solutions company launched as a venture-backed spin-off from STMicroelectronics in 2004. The fingerprint authentication solutions offered by UPEK under the TouchChip? and TouchStrip™ brands have been shipping in volume since 1999 and have been integrated into a broad range of commercial and consumer applications. UPEK offers the full range of capabilities needed to deliver end-to-end solutions, including silicon fingerprint sensors, biometric algorithms, companion processors, and application software. For more information, visit www.upek.com.

About ARC International plc
ARC International is the world leader in low-power, high-performance 32-bit configurable CPU/DSP processor cores, subsystems, real-time operating systems and development tools for embedded system design. ARC's configurable and extendible cores assist customers in the development of next generation digital media, consumer and communications devices, resulting in lower cost, higher performance SoC products.

ARC International maintains a worldwide presence with corporate offices in San Jose, California, USA and Elstree, UK. The company has research and development offices located in England and the United States. For more information please visit the ARC website at: www.ARC.com. ARC International is listed on the London Stock Exchange as ARC International plc (LSE: ARK).

ARC, the ARC logo and ARC-Based are trademarks or registered trademarks of ARC International. All other brands or product names contained herein are the property of their respective owners. This press release may contain certain "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. For factors that could cause actual results to differ, visit the company's website as well as the listing particulars filed with the United Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar of Companies in England and Wales.

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ARC International’s Configurable Processor Embedded in UPEK’s Leading-Edge Biometric Security Technology

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