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Global Award Recognizes Exceptional Ethical Leadership Actively

Upheld Across Industries

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — March 22, 2011 — Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT), today announced it has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies. Out of a record number of nominations for the award, Hitachi Data Systems secured a hard-earned spot on the list by establishing a strict business practices program that is instrumental to the company’s success, benefits the community and raises the bar for ethical standards within the industry. Other 2011 winners include Adidas, American Express, eBay, Ford Motor Company, PepsiCo, Starbucks and Xerox Corporation.

"Hitachi Data Systems has always placed considerable emphasis on ethical behavior, and being named to Ethisphere’s 2011 World’s Most Ethical Companies list is a testament to the corporate culture we have built around this value," said Jack Domme, CEO, Hitachi Data Systems. “Upholding the highest levels of ethical standards is not just a business practice at HDS; it is the cornerstone of our company culture and a process of continuous improvement. We are committed to exemplifying an unwavering dedication to the highest integrity and ethical standards and our employees at every level of our organization display this on a daily basis.”

“As companies strive to maintain a competitive advantage, good ethics translate into better business, and better business means better bottom lines. Hitachi Data Systems recognizes the important role that principled practices play in brand reputation, which ultimately is the most valuable asset for a corporation,” said Alex Brigham, executive director, the Ethisphere Institute. “Ethisphere congratulates Hitachi Data Systems on being one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for 2011. We applaud HDS for its ethical leadership, which goes beyond lip-service and translates into action, showcasing a key component to its culture and strategy.”

About the Ethisphere World’s Most Ethical Companies

This is the fifth year Ethisphere, a think-tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability, has published the WME rankings, which appear in Ethisphere Magazine’s Q1 issue.

Ethisphere reviewed thousands of companies and evaluated a record number of applications utilizing its propriety methodology through in-depth research and multi-step analysis, naming 110 companies that surpassed their industry peers to this year's World's Most Ethical Companies list. The 2011 list features companies in 38 industries including 43 companies headquartered outside the United States.

The methodology for the WME ranking includes reviewing codes of ethics, litigation and regulatory infraction histories; evaluating the investment in innovation and sustainable business practices; looking at activities designed to improve corporate citizenship; and studying nominations from senior executives, industry peers, suppliers and customers.

Award Complements Strict Ethics Inside Certification

Hitachi Data Systems recently achieved the Ethisphere Institute’s coveted Ethics Inside Certification, which recognizes and rewards organizations with outstanding commitments to ethical business practices and provides foundational judging criteria for the World’s Most Ethical Companies awards. Ethics Inside Certification is given exclusively to companies that not only have implemented adequate standards, systems and programs to reasonably prevent compliance failures and ethical breakdowns, but that can also demonstrate the existence of a superior employee and leadership culture that promotes ethical business practices.

Hitachi Data Systems exceeded Ethisphere’s threshold of achievement across these categories and was also compared against Ethisphere’s extensive benchmarking database that reflects both industry-specific and overall data and best practices.

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About Hitachi Data Systems

Hitachi Data Systems provides best-in-class information technologies, services and solutions that deliver compelling customer ROI, unmatched return on assets (ROA) and demonstrable business impact. With a vision that IT must be virtualized, automated, cloud-ready and sustainable, Hitachi Data Systems offers solutions that improve IT costs and agility. With more than 4,500 employees worldwide, Hitachi Data Systems does business in more than 100 countries and regions. Hitachi Data Systems products, services and solutions are trusted by the world’s leading enterprises, including more than 70 percent of the Fortune 100 and more than 80 percent of the Fortune Global 100. Hitachi Data Systems believes that data drives our world – and information is the new currency. To learn more, visit: http://www.hds.com.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd., (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a leading global electronics company with approximately 360,000 employees worldwide. Fiscal 2009 (ended March 31, 2010) consolidated revenues totaled 8,968 billion yen ($96.4 billion). Hitachi will focus more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes information and telecommunication systems, power systems, environmental, industrial and transportation systems, and social and urban systems, as well as the sophisticated materials and key devices that support them. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.

Press Contacts:

Hitachi Data Systems
Melissa Rossiter
(408) 970-4849
melissa.rossiter@hds.com

Lois Paul & Partners
Anastasia Efstratios
(781) 782-5873
anastasia_efstratios@lpp.com

© Hitachi Data Systems Corporation 2011, Hitachi is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries. Hitachi Data Systems is a registered trademark and service mark of Hitachi, Ltd. in the United States and other countries

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