Hitachi and Matsushita Electric Industrial, best known for its Panasonic brand products, today announced that they have agreed to supply each other with plasma display
panels.

In February 2005, Hitachi and Panasonic agreed to move forward with a wide-ranging partnership in the plasma TV business, in the areas of R&D, production, marketing, and intellectual property.

The agreement announced today furthers the partnership by deepening the cooperation to include the cross-supply of 103-inch and 85-inch plasma panels.

As the demand for larger screens is expected to see major growth, Panasonic will start to supply Hitachi with 103-inch plasma panels in fiscal 2007. Hitachi will start to supply Panasonic with 85-inch plasma panels in fiscal 2008.

Through this partnership agreement, the two companies
Hope to strengthen their flat-panel TV business operations by supplying each other with panels and other components and by sharing development assets, and will thereby provide the market with more attractive products.