Synaptics Licenses Touch Sensor Patent to Nissha Printing Co., Ltd.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Synaptics Inc. (Nasdaq: SYNA), a leading developer of human interface solutions for mobile computing, communications, and entertainment devices, today announced that it has licensed U.S. Patent 7,439,962 "Touch Pad with Flexible Substrate" to Nissha Printing Co., Ltd. of Japan. The license agreement enables Nissha, one of the world's largest touch panel manufacturers, to manufacture touch-based sensor solutions using Synaptics' patented technology and design.

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As part of the agreement, Synaptics and Nissha will also collaborate on pilot projects designed to expand the reach of Synaptics innovations in the marketplace and drive their implementation on a broad scale.

The technology enables a touch sensor system with a flexible circuit substrate coupled to a flexible sensor substrate. While there are many potential applications for this technology, touchscreen applications in particular benefit from this reliable and cost-effective implementation. Nissha's touch panel products currently ship in devices such as mobile phones, notebook PCs, vehicle interior components, and information appliances.

"This partnership will allow Synaptics' world-class sensor technology to deliver enhanced user experiences to a wider segment of customers for touch solutions," said Stan Swearingen, senior vice president of strategic technology and corporate development at Synaptics. "Synaptics' capacitive touch solutions portfolio has driven our market leadership and through relationships with other innovators such as Nissha we are adding new paths to bring touch innovation to market."

"Our long history of quality and innovation in printing processes has established Nissha as one of the leaders in the fast-growing market for touch solutions. Working with Synaptics' innovative technology and intellectual property, will allow us to bring compelling products to market," said Ryomei Omote, general manager production engineering, Input Devices at Nissha.

About Synaptics

Synaptics (NASDAQ: SYNA) is a leading developer of human interface solutions for the mobile computing, communications, and entertainment industries. The company creates interface solutions for a variety of devices including notebook PCs, PC peripherals, digital music players, and mobile phones. The TouchPad™, Synaptics' flagship product, is integrated into a majority of today's notebook computers. Consumer electronics and computing manufacturers use Synaptics' solutions to enrich the interaction between humans and intelligent devices through improved usability, functionality, and industrial design. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. www.synaptics.com

About Nissha

Nissha provides valuable products and services to its customers and society at large through proprietary technologies developed based on printing as its core area of business. Nissha was founded in Kyoto, Japan, in 1929 with the aim of "creating a company that specializes, at an unparalleled level, in sophisticated photographic printing rather than the more commonplace typesetting". Based on this founding principle, Nissha gradually expanded business activities by applying the technical expertise it acquired in the field of artistic printing to various other fields. Currently, Nissha conducts operations in three business fields; Industrial Materials, Input Devices, Information and Communication. The company is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. http://www.nissha.co.jp/english/

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements about Synaptics, as that term is defined under the federal securities laws. Synaptics intends such forward-looking statements to be subject to the safe harbor created by those laws. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding functionality, effectiveness, performance, market breadth, and market size for Synaptics touch sensor technology. Synaptics cautions that these statements are qualified by important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected by the forward-looking statements contained herein. Such factors include, but are not limited to, (a) demand for Synaptics' products, (b) market demand for OEMs' products using Synaptics' solutions, (c) changing market demand trends in the markets Synaptics serves, (d) the success of customers' products that utilize Synaptics' product solutions, (e) the development and launch cycles of customers' products, (f) the market acceptance of Synaptics' product solutions compared with competitors' solutions, (g) general economic conditions, including consumer confidence and demand, (h) other risks as identified from time to time in Synaptics' reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2010. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to Synaptics on the date hereof, and Synaptics assumes no obligation to update such statements.

Synaptics, TouchPad, and the Synaptics logo are trademarks of Synaptics in the United States and/or other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Synaptics Inc.