Panasonic Wins Six 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Awards
---More 2006 IDEA Awards Than Any Other Organization---

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Osaka, Japan - Panasonic, the leading brand for which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is known, today announced that it has won six 2006 Industrial Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), including one Gold, two Silver and three Bronze awards. Among 1,494 entries from all over the world, Panasonic won the largest number of awards of any organization in this year's competition with its design concept that emphasizes high performance, universal design and consideration for harmony with the global environment.

Panasonic's NA-VR1000 Washer-Dryer received the Gold award in the competition. Its unique tilted form provides ease of use for most everyone, including children, the elderly and for those confined to wheelchairs. In addition, its "Heat Pump Drying System" dries clothes by exchanging heat through a heat-pump unit, and reduces the consumption of electricity, water and drying time to half compared to conventional washer-dryers. Innovative design combining both ease of use and high performance contributed to receiving the award.

Other IDEA award-winning Panasonic Products

Both the WV-CS954 Surveillance Dome Camera and NR-P550T Refrigerator won Sliver awards. The Solid-state Memory Card DVC PRO HD P2 AG-HVX200 Professional Video Camera, BF-104 Handheld, Battery Size-Free Flashlight, and the Panasonic-developed Household Fuel Cell Cogeneration System all won Bronze awards.

Co-sponsored by BusinessWeek Magazine and the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA), the IDEA award is regarded as the premier international product design award covering such diverse industries as consumer electronics, housewares, transportation, sporting goods, furniture and medical and scientific equipment.

Commenting on Panasonic's NA-VR1000 Washer-Dryer, John Paul Kusz, Co-Director, Center for Sustainable Enterprise, Illinois Institute of Technology, said: "A universal design with universal appeal, it expresses a simple and unobtrusive elegance that combines engineering innovation and thoughtful detailing, allowing for ease of operation by a wide range of users."

Richard Eisermann, founder of Prospect and also a juror of IDEA; said, "[This is] not the only tilted-axis washing machine on the market, but the most compelling. A strong design statement that conveys order, ease of use and beauty."

"In April 2002, Panasonic integrated and revitalized its design management activities, which had previously been carried out in individual division and affiliate companies, as part of our effort to promote Panasonic brand awareness and elevate trust in the reliability of Panasonic products," said Mr. Toyoyuki Uematsu, President of Panasonic Design Company, a division company of Matsushita Electric. "We are very honored to receive these six IDEA awards that are truly the reward for these efforts. Through its design which emphasizes innovative technologies, universal design and consideration for harmony with the environment, Panasonic aims to help people realize a better quality life."

About Panasonic
Best known by its Panasonic brand name, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a wide range of consumer, business, and industrial needs. Based in Osaka, Japan, the company recorded consolidated net sales of US$76.02 billion for the year ended March 31, 2006. The company's shares are listed on the Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, New York (NYSE:MC), Euronext Amsterdam and Frankfurt stock exchanges. For more information on the company and the Panasonic brand, visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net.

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