Sequans Communications Selects VeriSilicon's ZSP540 Processor for its WiMAX Silicon Products

• ZSP540 Quad-MAC Architecture Provides a Powerful and Flexible Solution For WiMAX Rapidly Evolving Market Needs
• ZSP Code Compatibility Protects Software Investment and Lowers Total Development Cost

PARIS, France and SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- October 10, 2006 -  Sequans Communications (Sequans), a leading supplier of silicon and software WiMAX chips and VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd. (VeriSilicon), a leading world class ASIC design foundry and semiconductor IP provider, today announced that Sequans Communications has licensed the ZSP540 core for its mobile IEEE 802.16e WiMAX silicon products.
 
ZSP540, a member of VeriSilicon ZSP G2 superscalar product family, features extremely high performance with best-in-class code density and power consumption. ZSP540 is a Quad-MAC, Six ALU sophisticated architecture. The core executes up to 4 instructions per cycle at frequencies in excess of 400 MHz on 90nm process technologies. It is the ideal customer choice for today’s advanced mobile applications requiring DSP intensive processing such as OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access).
 
“As the WiMAX technology continues to evolve from just a standard to being deployed in equipments worldwide, we have to maintain flexibility to support future changes in the standard as well to cope with interoperability issues. We had already adopted ZSP500 processor for an earlier product and we were very happy with its ability to meet our stringent power and silicon cost requirements. When it came to looking for a DSP for our next generation products, we selected ZSP540 because it adds the additional performance we need and it naturally preserves our software investments”, said Bertrand Debray, VP of engineering at Sequans.
 
“We are always very happy to work with market-leaders like Sequans to help solve their product line needs.  Sequans’ decision reflects a common trend where many customers have chosen a ZSP processor not only based on its best-in-class performance but also for its scalability for future devices.  The ZSP family of processor cores provides a range of different performance/silicon cost options to ideally meet the needs of different applications while maintaining full software compatibility”, said Federico Arcelli, Corporate VP of WW Marketing at VeriSilicon.
 
About ZSP®

ZSP is a family of licensable digital signal processing (DSP) cores and solutions from VeriSilicon. With more than 50 customers worldwide, the ZSP processor architecture enables customer innovation as the DSP of choice in many key vertical markets including 3G wireless handsets, multimedia and networked voice applications. The ZSP portfolio offers two generations of architectures, G1 and G2, with software compatible cores delivering performance points that meet the cost, power and efficiency constraints of today’s SoC designs. A number of standard products are also available for VoIP applications. ZSP Solution Partners augment the technology with world-class software tools, EDA modeling support and a large portfolio of application software. ZSP customers include Broadcom, Marvell, IBM, Renesas, Yamaha, Huawei, Datang, Murata, AVID and many other world-class companies.  More information is available at www.verisilicon.com/zsp
 
About Sequans

Sequans Communications is a leading supplier of fixed and mobile WiMAX silicon and software based on 802.16 standards. Offering both base station and subscriber station system-on-chips (SoCs) for both fixed and mobile WiMAX (802.16-2004 and 802.16e-2005), Sequans offers equipment manufacturers an all-in-one solution, including full MAC and PHY functionality, enabling them to build the complete range of WiMAX network components: high-end and pico base stations, outdoor and indoor subscriber terminals, home gateways, and all types of mobile devices. Sequans, along with its RF partners, provide the most complete WiMAX solution available to system manufacturers today.  Sequans’ fixed WiMAX products are certified 802.16-2004-compliant and its mobile WiMAX 802.16e-2005 products are expected to be certified quickly when the certification process begins. Sequans is based in Paris, France with offices in USA, Israel and Singapore. For more information please visit www.sequans.com
 
About VeriSilicon

VeriSilicon Holdings Co., Ltd. is a leading world class ASIC design foundry providing libraries, semiconductor IPs, design and turnkey manufacturing services with multi-fab capability supporting process technologies down to 90nm. VeriSilicon has achieved first silicon success and entered volume production of many complex, multi-million gates SoCs using leading wafer foundries in APAC and China. VeriSilicon has operations in US, China, Taiwan, Japan, France, and Korea. Over 500 customers worldwide have licensed VeriSilicon IPs and Standard Design Platforms. In 2005, VeriSilicon was ranked number three in Deloitte Technology Fast 50 China, the top 50 fastest-growing technology companies in China and number six in Deloitte Fast 500 Asia Pacific, the top 500 fastest-growing technology companies in Asia Pacific. VeriSilicon was also named one of the Red Herring 100 Private Companies of Asia, and selected as one of the EE Times 60 Emerging Startups. More information is available at www.verisilicon.com