News Releases

12/04/2006

Hitachi America Ltd. XBRL Business Unit Introduces Xinba™ 2.0

-- New Software Tool Allows XBRL Users to Easily Use and Analyze XBRL Information in Microsoft® Excel® --

BRISBANE, Calif., December 4, 2006 -- Hitachi America, Ltd. XBRL Business Unit, which develops and delivers eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) solutions for corporate and government customers, today announced Xinba™ 2.0 Reader and Analyzer, a desktop-based Microsoft® Excel® add-in that gives users the capability to import, open, and manipulate XBRL financial information directly in Microsoft Excel, the standard for financial and numerical communications within the enterprise.

Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer allows end-users to import XBRL 2.0a and 2.1 compliant financial information directly into Microsoft Excel by using Web Services to access taxonomies and instances which can be stored locally or -- if they do not want to store the data locally -- over a network or anywhere on the Internet. Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer supports Web Services standards such as SOAP and WSDL so that end users can send requests and receive instance data provided by third party data vendors using Web Services. Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer supports both the US-GAAP and IFRS taxonomies.

With Xinba 2.0 Reader, users can analyze XBRL data in the same manner as they are accustomed to when using Microsoft Excel for financial analysis.

• Xinba 2.0 Reader provides XBRL Worksheet Functions, allowing an XBRL dataset to be displayed in an Excel spreadsheet. From Balance Sheet to Cash Flow Statement, Xinba 2.0 Reader utilizes the XBRL dataset to the fullest extent of its capabilities.

• Xinba 2.0 Reader allows users to customize the display of financial information by selecting just an individual element with its sub-elements or an entire category such as Income Statement or Earning Release.

• Xinba 2.0 Reader’s Presentation Setting allows the display of Labels in different languages, allowing the user to easily switch Labels from one language to another.

• Xinba 2.0 Reader’s Presentation Setting offers a roll-up calculation option. Upon selection, the aggregated value of a group of elements defined by the Calculation Linkbase is displayed in Italics if the subtotal is not reported.

• Xinba 2.0 Reader provides consistency check on the Calculation Linkbase relationship between a reported element and its sub-elements and reports any inconsistencies found.

• Xinba 2.0 Reader allows users to select from a list of already-registered Web Services or register a Web Service to retrieve remote XBRL data.

Xinba 2.0 Analyzer offers a wealth of extra capabilities such as pre-defined templates, the ability for users to customize their own templates using template management functionalities, the Plug-in Framework, and VBA automation.

• Xinba 2.0 Analyzer allows users to examine and analyze XBRL financial data and generate customized financial reports and graphs such as KPI (Key Performance Indicators) graphs. Analysis can be performed on the data using standard Microsoft Excel functionality. The Xinba template can be displayed and saved as a standard Excel worksheet.

• Xinba 2.0 Analyzer’s easy-to-use templates eliminate manual “cutting and pasting” of data; an XBRL dataset can easily be imported for analysis in a straightforward manner. Xinba 2.0 Analyzer keeps track of available templates, offering users a list of available pre-defined templates whenever they open an instance file.

• Xinba 2.0 Analyzer’s XBRL Function Builder allows users to create their own templates. Function Builder allows users to search and specify the XBRL functions they would like to use – such as particular Labels, Values, Units, Contexts and Footnotes -- and automatically inserts them into the new template.

• Xinba 2.0 Analyzer’s Plug-In Framework allows users to add new applications to Xinba by inserting new plug-in modules or creating their own using an open API. Users can simply copy plug-in files to the Xinba install directory to activate them. Two plug-ins – a SEC plug-in and a FDIC plug-in – are included free with the full version of Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer.

• Xinba 2.0 Analyzer’s allows users to create complex Excel spreadsheet models by utilizing Microsoft Excel VBA.

Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer runs on all versions of Microsoft Excel: 2000, XP, and 2003 and is offered with both the Hitachi XBRL Reporter and Hitachi XBRL Controller products. Pricing for the Xinba 2.0 Reader and Analyzer is $400 with $80 per year annual maintenance; a volume discount is available. A 30-day trial version with the SEC plug-in can be downloaded for free at www.hitachixbrl.com.

HAL XBRL Business Unit delivers superior eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) solutions that improve corporate governance, restore shareholder confidence and enable market agility by delivering correct actionable data in real time.

Hitachi is a pioneer in the development of XBRL products and services for the financial and business communities at large. In addition to developing its own offerings, Hitachi partners with other firms – including systems integrators, auditing firms, and service providers – to create innovative XBRL solutions. The company has working partnerships with Merrill Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Hitachi America, Ltd. XBRL Business Unit focuses on developing business relationships with four types of companies: those who want to reduce their time for financial analysis and reporting; those with multiple divisions that are in a merger/acquisition process; those trading on foreign or multinational exchanges; and those that want to be perceived as leaders in technology adoption. A copy of the business unit’s white paper “The XBRL-Enabled Company” can be downloaded at www.hitachi.us/XBRL.

For more information, please visit http://www.hitachixbrl.com or contact Hitachi at 1-888-HITACHI, or info@hitachixbrl.com.

Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., markets and manufactures a broad range of electronics, computer systems and products, and consumer electronics, and provides industrial equipment and services throughout North America. For more information, visit http://www.hitachi.us.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 356,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2005 (ended March 31, 2006) consolidated sales totaled 9,464 billion yen ($80.9 billion). The company offers a wide range of systems, products and services in market sectors including information systems, electronic devices, power and industrial systems, consumer products, materials and financial services. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.