UltraCard Goes to Washington.

Business Editors, Technology Writers

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept 21, 2001

Upgrade International (OTCBB:UPGD) is pleased to announce that UltraCard, Inc. a subsidiary of Upgrade that develops high capacity data storage cards, has been contacted by government officials, biometric security firms, and other U.S. industry leaders concerning security uses of the UltraCard technology.

UltraCard executives will meet with government officials in Washington, D.C. next week to demonstrate the technology.

The UltraCard when commercially available will have 600 times the data storage capacity of a current 32kb capacity smart cards at a much lower cost. Because of this high storage capacity, the UltraCard can hold any form of personal identification, including, but not limited to: FBI level fingerprints, high-resolution iris scans, voice scans, photographs, and digital signatures. The UltraCard web site (www.ultracard.com) will be updated soon with an in-depth white paper covering the details of the use of biometrics, encryption, privacy and security technology that the UltraCard can provide.

While no other smartcard currently contains the capacity to hold the variety of security and biometric applications that UltraCard's capacity will allow once commercially available, the UltraCard will also provide unparalleled privacy. The UltraCard therefore will offer an ideal solution to our government's efforts to find security technologies that are effective, but that also ensure individual rights and privacy.

UltraCard technology is based on the hard disk drive technology that is employed in over a billion personal computers and other electronic devices. By using this proven technology in a credit-card format, the UltraCard once commercially can provide 20 megabytes of personal identification information without having to access a potentially hackable central database. All the data is stored on a single card that remains in the individual's possession. The data can provide positive identification for airline security, customs and immigration, public transportation, and government and industrial installations, including the most secure government facilities.

UltraCard is currently developing a pilot project involving many of the applications described above.

Upgrade International Corp. through its ownership interest in UltraCard Inc., Efornet Corp., and cQue Corporation is engaged in the development and commercialization of a patented ultra high capacity portable data storage technology. UltraCard's patented method for using existing hard disk storage technology provides both highly durable media in a credit card format and an inexpensive read/write device that together will become the next generation in personal portable data storage for a broad range of existing and new markets. Management believes that the UltraCard technology will potentially provide numerous industrial users with a combination of high levels of security and a vastly greater amount of personal transportable data storage at the lowest cost in the industry. In addition the acquisition and development of existing SmartCard solution providers represents a strategic market strategy designed to accelerate the integration of the vastly superior technology inherent in the UltraCard into existing and newly developing markets.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Daniel S. Bland President and Chief Executive Officer

This News Release may contain forward-looking statements relating to future results, performance, plans, events or other matters. Words such as "potentially", "will", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "expects", "future", "intends", and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. Such statements involve numerous risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties pertaining to development of the company's products and services and markets for such products and services, the timing and level of customer orders, competitive products and services and pricing, changes in economic conditions and the markets for the Company's products and services and other risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance, and events may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this News Release. The Company undertakes no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this News Release. Further information about the risks and uncertainties Upgrade faces can be found in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which can be accessed at www.sec.gov or www.freedgar.com.