ARM Acquires Axys Design Automation, Inc.

Acquisition expands ARM RealView design tools portfolio with ESL expertise

CAMBRIDGE, UK – Aug. 16, 2004 – ARM Holdings plc [(LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq:ARMHY)], today announced it has agreed to acquire Axys Design Automation, Inc., a provider of fast, accurate, integrated, processor and system modelling and simulation solutions.  Axys, a 26-person company, is headquartered in Irvine, California, with a design center in Aachen, Germany, and has assets valued at $1.9 million.  Closing is subject only to confirmation by the California Secretary of State, which is expected to be given by August 18, 2004.

Axys’ ESL (Electronic System Level) products reduce overall system costs by allowing designs to be modelled early in the development cycle (pre-silicon), decreasing time-to-market and minimizing design errors.  With this acquisition, ARM will expand its existing RealView® design tools portfolio and further enable its Silicon and Systems Partners to reliably and efficiently develop advanced digital products.

“The industry trend toward greater complexity of systems has created a demand for tools that bridge the gap between software development environments and the hardware design tools from our EDA Partners,” said Warren East, CEO, ARM.  “Axys’ ESL products offer a high degree of integration with our existing RealView Developer Suite software design tools; when combined into an integrated offering, these will enable highly-optimized, cost-effective, system designs. Axys’ support for the SystemC modeling standard, along with their proven commercial success within a number of key customers made them a natural fit with ARM.”

“Axys and ARM have a successful, long-standing relationship,” said Vojin Zivojnovic, co-founder and CEO, Axys.  “Our technology and expertise in ESL, which helps to link embedded software and EDA solutions in the design flow, complements existing ARM® tools and modeling capabilities. We will continue to support our existing customers and Partners, bringing together ARM processors, OptimoDE™ Data Engines, AMBA™ interconnect and the software development process, with industry-leading third-party IP in a single, unified design environment.”

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, peripherals, software and tools, combined with the company’s broad Partner community, provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.

ENDS

ARM and RealView are registered trademarks of ARM Limited. AMBA and OptimoDE are trademarks of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names are the property of their respective holders. “ARM” is used to represent ARM Holdings plc (LSE: ARM and Nasdaq: ARMHY); its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional subsidiaries ARM INC.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan; ARM France SAS; and ARM Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; and ARM Belgium N.V.  

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