Panasonic Toughbook Notebook Computers Are Lifeline to the World for Mount Everest Climbers Promoting Peace.

SECAUCUS, N.J. -- Panasonic:

On the Journey to the Highest Place on Earth, a Multi-Cultural
  Team of "Peace Climbers" Will Rely on Rugged Notebook Computers for
  Weather Reports and Daily Dispatches That Document a 65-Day Mission
               "To Unite the World on Top of the World"

After three and a half years of planning, ten international climbers, representing seven countries and five faith traditions, are ready to scale Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain, for peace. Panasonic Computer Solutions Company today announced its support of The Everest Peace Project (www.everestpeaceproject.org), which organizes international, multi-cultural peace climbs on mountains across the world. During 65 grueling days between early April and June, the diverse group of climbers hopes to stand together at the summit of Mount Everest, more than 29,000 feet above sea level, to promote a global community of peace, teamwork and cultural understanding.

During the expedition, the team will use Panasonic(R) Toughbook(R) notebook computers and rugged PDAs to receive weather updates and other critical information via satellite. They will also wirelessly communicate with friends and family and post and broadcast daily dispatches, photos and even video from the Mount Everest expedition. Designed to withstand extreme environments, the MIL-STD-810F-tested notebooks* are specially built to survive on one of the toughest places in the world. In the course of the climb the team will face hurricane-force winds, extreme cold, ice, snow, sleet and freezing rain.

The vision to assemble a group of people from different cultures and faiths and to climb mountains in the name of peace first came to Lance Trumbull, Everest Peace Project founder and expedition leader, while he spent months traveling, climbing and hiking in the Himalayas and mountains of Asia and Russia. Trumbull, a 37-year-old Buddhist and former student of religion at the University of California at Berkeley, has led the difficult task of planning, fundraising and recruiting climbers who represent five major faith traditions - Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism.

"Some people believe that the mountain of fear, distrust and intolerance that is often based on race and religion can't be overcome," says Trumbull. "Our Everest Climb for Peace will provide the world with inspirational stories, pictures and video which portray courage, friendship and teamwork under some of the most extreme conditions. We'll show the mountain can be conquered, and we'll climb it together."

"At advanced base camp, we'll be breathing only half the oxygen we're used to at sea level," says Trumbull. "By the time we reach the summit, we'll be climbing, sleeping and eating at heights that only jet liners cruise."

The other nine Peace Climbers on the Mount Everest expedition team include Selebelo Selamolela (South Africa), Gautam Patil (India), Jamie McGuinness (New Zealand), Tonya Riggs (USA), Ali Bushnaq (Palestine), David Yifrah (Israel), Micha Yaniv (Israel), Jerry Price (USA) and Namgyal Sherpa (Nepal).

Selebelo has summited Aconcagua, and he hopes to be the second black African to make it to the top of Everest. Bushnaq plans on becoming the first Palestinian man to summit Everest. Price will be 72 years old when he climbs Everest, and if he summits, he'll be the oldest person to ever achieve the feat.

The Everest Peace Project aims to complete peace climbs across seven continents and educate children about peace, different people and cultures. As part of the of the group's education outreach, they are encouraging children from around the world to send in poems and essays on what peace means to them. The group has already helped fund a library for poor children in Nepal and plans to help build a school through its educational partner Room to Read, which has built more than 2,000 libraries and hundreds of schools in Asia.

"We're proud to be the platinum sponsor for this effort," says Rance Poehler, president, Panasonic Computer Solutions Company. "The team is taking significant risks to promote international teamwork by uniting the world on the top of the world. They're really putting their hearts and souls on the line and our Toughbooks, the toughest computers on Earth, will be with them every step of the way."

The Everest Peace Project will film the climb and make a full-length documentary film about the project. Billy Marchese of Dezart Cinematic will be producing the film. His last Everest film was released in 2001 and it was shown in more than 200 different countries. The Everest Peace Project expects the film, tentatively titled "A Climb for Peace," to be released internationally in the fall.

For daily dispatches during the Everest expedition in spring 2006 and for more information on The Everest Peace Project, please visit www.everestpeaceproject.org or www.panasonic.com/Toughbook.

*The Everest Peace Climbers will be using Panasonic Toughbook CF-29 rugged notebooks and P1 PDAs during the 65-day expedition. Out in the field or down in the dirt, the durable and wireless-ready Panasonic Toughbook 29 is built to take a beating. MIL-STD-810F-tested for ruggedness, the unit is encased in magnesium alloy, with durability designed into every seal, hinge and connector. The full line of durable, reliable Panasonic Toughbooks allow users to communicate from remote areas, access databases online and run sophisticated software applications.

Notes to Editors:

Digital photos and video footage of the team's international peace climb of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa during July 2005 are available upon request. Audio and video feeds during the Everest expedition will be available for rebroadcast. Interviews with Lance Trumbull, based in Sunnyvale, CA, and other team members are possible before or during the expedition. If there is interest in covering the story or shooting a segment on location in Tibet, there's limited availability to do so from the Everest base camp, if booked in advance of March 25, 2006.

About Panasonic Computer Solutions Company

Panasonic Computer Solutions Company empowers the mobile workforce. The company is a unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America, which is the principal North American subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC). Panasonic has delivered reliable, durable mobile solutions through its Toughbook(R) line of notebook computers for thirteen years and has expanded the boundaries of wireless technology through a broad portfolio of products, ranging from fully rugged, industrial-strength notebook computers and tablet PCs to thin and light semi-rugged notebooks. A core manufacturer, Matsushita and its subsidiaries control the entire process of design, manufacture, quality assurance, service and support. As a result, Panasonic Toughbooks are known for having the lowest failure rates in the industry. Government, industrial, and commercial users--from Fortune 1,000 companies to small businesses--rely on solutions from Panasonic, wherever their work takes them.

All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic's full line of notebook PCs for mobile professionals can be obtained by calling 800-662-3537 or at http://www.panasonic.com/toughbook.