Hitachi Tower, a premium office building located in Raffles Place, will soon have a sophisticated building access control system which uses a person's finger vein patterns for personal identification and building access control. Called the Hitachi Secua Finger Vein System, the system will be operational by the end of the year. Hitachi Tower will be the first building outside Japan to have this finger vein technology.

The Secua Finger Vein System is superior to conventional card access systems in preventing unauthorised entries as finger vein patterns are unique to individuals and cannot be stolen and misused like security access cards. The system is also secure and user friendly. Access to the building is granted when the finger vein patterns of a tenant are scanned at the lobby entrance. The system next matches the tenant's finger vein pattern to the patterns stored in its database. When a match is made, access is granted. The whole process takes mere seconds, thus ensuring that tenants are not inconvenienced.

Said Mr Soong Hee Sang, Managing Director (Office & Industrial) of CapitaLand Commercial, "For CapitaLand, the safety of our tenants is the highest priority and as a result we are constantly exploring and upgrading the security features in our buildings. Besides evaluating and implementing advance security systems, we have also stepped up the safety measures and emergency procedures at our properties to ensure the total safety and well-being of our tenants. It is also yet another example of CapitaLand constantly enhancing the assets of our commercial properties."

Adds Mr. Naotoshi Nishida, Sales Manager, Power and Industrial Systems Group, Hitachi Asia Ltd., "Hitachi understands the paramount importance and necessity of security in today's world. In recent years, we have developed systems and products which take safety measures to the next level. In the wake of today's global security concerns, we are proud to work with a partner such as CapitaLand, which places the highest priority on the well-being of its users and properties."

CapitaLand is one of the largest listed property companies in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, the multi-national company's core businesses in residential, commercial and industrial property and property-related services, such as property funds and real estate financial products, are focused in select gateway cities in China, Australia and the UK. In these countries, CapitaLand is in partnership with reputable local players and has established a management team that understands the market, business practices and socio-economic factors.

CapitaLand's hospitality businesses, in hotels and serviced residences, span more than 50 cities around the world. CapitaLand also leverages on its significant real estate asset base and market knowledge to develop fee-based products and services in Singapore and the region. For more information on CapitaLand, visit the website at http://www.capitaland.com.

Hitachi Asia Ltd., is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. Established in 1989 with regional headquarters in Singapore, it has approximately 400 employees in Asia, with 12 offices in eight countries across Asia Pacific. The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors, including information systems, power and industrial systems, digital media systems and consumer products. Fiscal 2002 (ended March 31, 2003) consolidated sales totaled S$4.7 billion. For more information about Hitachi Asia, please visit its website at http://www.hitachi.com.sg.

For more information and demonstrations on Hitachi Security products, please visit the Hitachi booth at the Safety & Security Asia 2003 from 8 - 10 October 2003, booth 2J28.