AuthenTec and Plexus Announce Global Technology Partnership.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MELBOURNE, Fla. & NEENAH, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 28, 2003

Global Customers Now Have Convenience, Security Advantages of

AuthenTec's TruePrint Technology-Based Fingerprint Sensors with

Product Design Capabilities from Plexus 

AuthenTec, Inc., the leading semiconductor provider of fingerprint sensors, and Plexus Corp. (Nasdaq:PLXS), a leading global provider of Electronic Manufacturing Services, today announced that Plexus will offer complete engineering, design and integration services for AuthenTec's TruePrint(R) technology-based fingerprint sensors. This partnership provides customers seeking to integrate biometric fingerprint sensors into their products with complete, one-stop worldwide design, integration and manufacturing services and support. Plexus is AuthenTec's newest certified design center and member of its Solution Provider Network (SPN).

Certified SPN members consist of independent companies that provide hardware and/or software products, or design services utilizing AuthenTec's TruePrint technology to corporate, government and individual customers. Global in scope, the SPN certification program enables TruePrint users worldwide to receive maximum performance from their TruePrint enabled products.

"AuthenTec is expanding the global reach of its SPN which aligns industry leading companies, such as Plexus, to deliver complete end-to-end biometric fingerprint solutions for the PC, wireless, access control and automotive markets," said Steve Mansfield, vice president of marketing. "Plexus will help companies get to market quicker with highly cost-effective fingerprint biometric solutions."

Plexus partners with top suppliers, such as AuthenTec, to bring complete engineering and manufacturing solutions to its customers in the medical, networking/datacommunications, industrial, high-end computing, wireless, microelectronics and optical industries. Plexus continues to differentiate itself from the rest of the industry by providing unequaled product development services through strategic supplier relationships with companies such as AuthenTec. This differentiation has helped bring hundreds of customers' ideas from concept to completion.

"Our customers are increasingly concerned with user authentication challenges. Our medical customers, in particular, are aware that HIPAA guidelines recommend biometrically enabled systems as the preferred option to passwords," said Mike Verstegen, president of Plexus Technology Group. "This partnership between AuthenTec and Plexus will allow us to bring added value in terms of convenient and reliable security for our customers, through AuthenTec's industry standard setting TruePrint technology-based fingerprint sensors."

Award-Winning TruePrint(R) Technology

Within the past year, AuthenTec's fingerprint sensors have been honored with numerous prestigious awards, including: the 2003 Innovative Housing Technology Award; the 2003 BiometriTech Best of Show Product Award; the 2003 Florida Governor's New Product Award; the Wireless Systems Design 2002 Reader's Choice Award; and the SC Magazine Best of 2002 Award.

Used to replace PINs, passwords, physical access cards and keys, AuthenTec's TruePrint(R)-based sensors provide the most convenient and reliable fingerprint security solutions available today for the PC, wireless, access control and automotive markets. AuthenTec's patented TruePrint technology allows fingerprints to be read below the surface of the skin to the live layer -- or true fingerprint. As such, TruePrint is not affected by common skin surface conditions including dry, worn, calloused, dirty or oily skin that can affect other sensors' ability to acquire accurate fingerprint images for user authentication purposes. Uniquely, TruePrint is the only fingerprint sensor technology capable of acquiring anyone's fingerprint under virtually any condition.

TruePrint technology is the driver behind AuthenTec's ability to provide the broadest range of form factors and the lowest cost fingerprint sensors available on the market today.

About AuthenTec, Inc.

With more than a million sensors deployed worldwide, AuthenTec is the leading semiconductor provider of fingerprint sensors to the PC, wireless, PDA, access control and automotive markets. AuthenTec's FingerLoc(R) and EntrePad(TM) product families utilize the Company's patented TruePrint(R) technology, the first technology to make fingerprint biometrics viable for mass-market adoption. AuthenTec is an AO100 Top Private Global Company. The Company's network of partners, solution providers and customers include Texas Instruments, Microsoft, IBM, Targus, Delphi, Fellowes, Synaptics, Samsung, Harris Corporation, Bioscrypt and SCM Microsystems. For more information, visit http://www.authentec.com.

About Plexus Corp. - The Product Realization Company

Plexus, http://www.plexus.com, provides end-to-end product design, test, manufacturing, fulfillment and aftermarket solutions to branded product vendors in the medical, networking/data communications, industrial, commercial, defense and computer electronics industries.

The Company's unique materials and manufacturing solutions, strategically enhanced by value-added product design and engineering services, are developed to optimize lowest total cost, scalability and responsiveness for programs requiring flexibility, technology and quality. With over $800 million in trailing twelve-month revenues, Plexus provides award-winning customer service to more than 150 branded product vendors in North America, Europe and Asia.

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