Aware Announces Plans to Spin-Off Patent Licensing Operations

BEDFORD, Mass. – September 24, 2010 – Aware, Inc. (Nasdaq: AWRE), a leading technology innovator and software supplier to the telecommunications and biometrics industries, today announced its plans to pursue a spin-off of its patent licensing operations.

The spin-off will allow the spun-off entity to focus fully on patent licensing operations, including technology innovation, patent development and licensing.  After the spin-off, Aware will continue as a leading supplier of test and diagnostics products and imaging and biometrics software. 

Aware expects to file documents with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) over the next few months and to complete the proposed transaction in the first half of fiscal 2011. The spin-off will result in two, independent publicly traded U.S. companies. 

The proposed transaction is expected to be structured as a tax-free distribution to Aware stockholders, and is contingent upon a number of items including, but not limited to, receipt of a favorable ruling from the Internal Revenue Service as to the United States federal income tax consequences of the spin-off, a determination by Aware’s board of directors that the spin-off is in the best interest of Aware, and the completion of a review process by the SEC.

Aware also filed with the SEC today a proxy statement regarding a Special Meeting of Stockholders to approve amendments to existing equity plans to provide for an equity exchange program.

About Aware

Aware is a leading technology and supplier for the telecommunications and biometrics industries. Aware has pioneered innovations at telecommunications standards-setting organizations for DSL and networking. Telecom equipment vendors and phone companies use Aware's DSL test and diagnostics modules and Dr. DSL® software to provision and troubleshoot DSL circuits globally. Aware is also a veteran of the biometrics industry, providing biometric and imaging software components used in government systems worldwide since 1992. Aware's interoperable, standard-compliant, field-proven imaging products are used in a number of applications, from border management to criminal justice to medical imaging. Aware is a publicly held company (Nasdaq: AWRE) based in Bedford, Massachusetts. www.aware.com