FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


PANASONIC INTRODUCES MORE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES
IN ITS 2003 CORDLESS TELEPHONE LINE

LAS VEGAS (January 8, 2003) 3/43/4 Panasonic is proud to announce the
expansion of accessibility features throughout its 2003 cordless telephone
line.  The company was recently honored by the Consumer Electronics
Association's Innovations Award program for its model KX-TG2258S digital
cordless telephone in the new Accessibility category.  The phone includes
several innovative features that assist people who are hearing impaired,
visually impaired or blind.

Panasonic's commitment to accessibility for consumers with disabilities is
a natural extension of its business philosophy, created by the founder of
its parent company, Konosuke Matsushita.   He believed that a company is
indebted to the society in which it operates, and is therefore responsible
for giving back to the community; and that the benefits of technology
should be readily available and abundant for all to enjoy.

"To achieve this goal, Panasonic has been devoting research and development
resources addressing accessibility to ensure that its products use all
readily achievable means to make them ever more accessible to, and usable
by, people with varying ability levels," said Eugene Seagriff, Product
Accessibility Manager for Panasonic.

        The Innovations Award winning model KX-TG2258S and other Panasonic
2003 digital cordless phone models feature Talking Caller ID.  Used in
conjunction with the Caller ID* service that may be available through the
local telephone company, this feature enables users to hear who is calling
before they even pick up the phone. True text-to-speech software converts
the incoming Caller ID data into sound, enabling the phone to actually
speak the name of the party calling.  The audible announcement is heard
through a speakerphone on the handset as well as on the base unit, so users
can hear who is calling anywhere they take the phone.  There's no need for
consumers to refer to the LCD, which also displays the caller's name and
number, if they have difficulty reading the screen or if they have their
hands full.

        "Previously, this feature was available only on top-of-the-line
cordless phones, " said Frank Lasorsa, Group Merchandising Manager for
Panasonic's Communications/Home Office Products Division.  "This year, it
is featured in products starting at a suggested retail price of $79.95**."

To make telephone conversations easier to hear and understand, Panasonic's
exclusive Voice Enhancer Technology analyzes the incoming speech signal and
recreates most of the upper and lower frequency bands that are typically
lost over normal telephone transmission.  The recreation of more of the
whole spectrum of the human voice improves audibility and voice quality.
This feature is found in many Panasonic cordless phone models in the new
2003 line.

"In addition to the long range and excellent clarity offered by our
cordless phones, we are very happy to announce that our 2003 line includes
more innovative accessibility features in more models," said Lasorsa.

Other innovative features that are found throughout Panasonic's line are:
*       Slow Talk (in models that include digital answering systems):
Allows playback of messages left on an answering machine at 30% slower than
normal speed, without changing the pitch of the voice.

*       Handset locator:  To help one find a misplaced handset, just push a
button on the base unit and the handset will beep.

*       Beep alert:  The handset beeps when properly placed in its cradle
for recharging.
*       Buttons that are differentiated by size, shape and tactile marks,
to make it easier to recognize and use features such as speed dial and redial.

*       Visual ring indicator:  An indicator  lights up when the phone rings.
*       Handset speakerphone: A speakerphone conveniently located on the
handset enables users to conduct multiple-party conversations anywhere they
take the handset.

*       Lighted keypad: Provides enhanced visibility of the phone's buttons.
*       Headset jack:  Can be used to connect assistive listening devices.
*       TTY compatibility: TTYs, or tele-typewriters, are used by people
who are deaf or hearing impaired to make and receive calls on their home
phones.  Users type their messages on a device which turns the letters into
electrical signals for transmission over phone wires.  When the signals
reach their destination, they are converted back into letters, which appear
on a display screen.  This feature is also found in Panasonic's Allure*
phone, the first TTY-compatible wireless telephone.

*       Any Button Answer:  To answer the phone, the user can push any
keypad button on the handset without having to search for the "Talk" button.

*       Large buttons:  Model KX-TG2208B features large buttons on the
handset that are twice the size of conventional keypad buttons found on
cordless phones.

"Our model KX-TG2208B not only features large keypad buttons," said
Lasorsa, "but it also has Voice Enhancer, a handset speakerphone, handset
locator, headset jack and visual ring indicator * and it has a suggested
retail price of just $39.95**.  We are very excited to make these kinds of
features more affordable to anyone."

        Panasonic continually strives to explore and utilize new
technologies in order to bring freedom and independence to consumers with
disabilities.  Information about Panasonic accessibility programs and
products is available at www.panasonic.com/accessibility.  Consumers may
contact Panasonic by e-mail at [log in to unmask], by phone at
800-211-7262 or by TTY at 877-833-8855.

Panasonic consumer electronics products are marketed in the United States
by Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.  The company is a division of
Matsushita Electric Corporation of America, the principal North American
subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., (NYSE:MC) of Japan,
one of the world's largest developers and producers of innovative
electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use.
 Media can access press releases via the Panasonic Pressroom web site,
www.panasonic.com/pressroom, or through the company's toll-free fax-back
system at 888-734-7490.

* Requires subscription to optional services that may be available through
the local telephone company.
**Manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP.)  All prices are in U.S.
dollars.
Panasonic cordless phones make and receive calls within a range determined
by maximum power allowed by FCC rules.  Range depends on local reception
conditions.

Specifications subject to change without notice.



Editorial Contacts:

William Pritchard
Panasonic
201-348-7182
[log in to unmask]

Jo Ann Guear
New Directions
609-951-2230
[log in to unmask]


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