"Ready for IBM Technology" program for semiconductor products expanded

Now includes foundry and ASIC solutions, in addition to PowerPC® offerings

New Orleans, LA - April 9, 2003 - At developerWorks Live! here today, IBM announced it is extending support for solution developers who are working with its semiconductor products.

IBM's Ready for IBM Technology program has been expanded beyond its standard PowerPC products to include foundry and ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) solutions, reinforcing the company's increased focus in all three areas.

"The expansion of the Ready for IBM Technology program is a win-win for IBM, Business Partners, and customers," said Jim Northington, vice president of marketing and business development, IBM Technology Group. "Adding foundry and ASIC solutions to the program helps customers speed their time to market, reduce their development risk, and generally make it easier to do business with IBM."

Under the IBM Ready for Technology program, Business Partners follow a set of procedures to ensure that their products will work with various IBM semiconductor solutions. Ready for IBM Technology solutions include software, complementary hardware, design tools and flow, libraries and IP, and design services. The complete business solution is validated, including processor and chipsets, operating systems, middleware, IP cores, foundry design flows and foundry libraries.

The Ready for IBM Technology offerings make it easier for Business Partners to work with IBM, helping customers create innovative technologies and respond quickly to market demand and opportunity. Participants use a mark to highlight validated solutions and gain exposure to those solutions on IBM Web sites.

As part of today's announcement, 13 IBM Business Partners for foundry and four IBM Business Partners for ASIC have validated their offerings and are now qualified to use the Ready for IBM Technology mark, demonstrating that third-party technology is compatible with a wide variety of IBM Microelectronics Division solutions. In addition, 15 IBM Business Partners have previously validated their solutions in combination with the IBM PowerPC microprocessor and related standard products.

The following IBM Business Partners have validated solutions and are qualified to use the Ready for IBM Technology mark:

ASIC solutions

• Denali Software Inc.
• Modelware, Inc
• Silicon Logic Engineering
• Tensilica

Foundry solutions

• Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
• insyte Corporation
• Kisel Microelectronics AB
• Magma Design Automation
• The MOSIS Service
• QThink
• RF Integration, Inc.
• Sierra Monolithics, Inc.
• Synopsys, Inc.
• Tahoe RF Semiconductor, Inc.
• TriCN Inc.
• Triscend Corporation
• Virtual Silicon Technology, Inc.

PowerPC and standard products solutions

• Abatron AG
• Corrent Corporation
• IP Infusion, Inc.
• Macraigor Systems
• Mai Logic Incorporated
• MontaVista Software
• NetConscious, Inc.
• Nexthop Technologies
• OSE Systems
• Prime Layer Software, Inc.
• Silicon & Software Systems
• SlickEdit, Inc.
• Spider Software
• Wasabi Systems
• Wind River Systems

The following IBM Business Partners are planning to validate their solutions with IBM Foundry technologies:

• ACCO
• Basecomm Pte Ltd.
• Envara Ltd.
• Ericsson Technology Licensing
• Nano Silicon Pte Ltd.
• Silicon & Software Systems
• SOCLE Technology
• TelASIC Communications

For more information on the Ready for IBM Technology program for semiconductor products, please visit http://www.ibm.com/chips/products/wired/alliances/.

About IBM Microelectronics
IBM Microelectronics is a key contributor to IBM's role as the world's premier information technology supplier. It develops, manufactures and markets state-of-the-art semiconductor and interconnect technologies, products and services. IBM Microelectronics activities are focused in three major areas: custom application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, PowerPC-based standard chip products, and high-tech foundry services. Its superior integrated solutions can be found in many of the world's best-known electronic brands.

IBM is a recognized innovator in the chip industry, having been first with advances like more power-efficient copper wiring in place of aluminum, faster silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and silicon germanium transistors, and improved low-k dielectric insulation between chip wires. These and other innovations have contributed to IBM's standing as the number one U.S. patent holder for 10 consecutive years. More information about IBM Microelectronics can be found at: http://www.ibm.com/chips.