MOUNTAIN VIEW and FREMONT CA., September 6, 2005 - MIPS Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: MIPS), a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer and business applications and Virage Logic Corp. (Nasdaq: VIRL), a pioneer in Silicon Aware IP™ and leading provider of semiconductor IP platforms, today announced a simplified licensing model that will enable System-on-Chip (SoC) designers to license MIPS Technologies’ 32-bit processor cores with Virage Logic’s semiconductor intellectual property (IP), using a single license from MIPS Technologies.
The first MIPS Technologies’ core available for licensing under the new agreement was introduced today (see separate release “MIPS Technologies Expands Hard IP Core Family…”). Together with Virage Logic’s Area, Speed and Power (ASAP) Memory™ and ASAP Logic™ semiconductor IP, the MIPS32® 4KEc® hard core offers an easy, cost-effective, low-risk design path for startups, fabless semiconductor companies, and system OEMs to rapidly deploy a broad range of 32-bit embedded consumer electronics applications.
“SoC designers need to be able to deliver products for cost-sensitive and competitive markets easily and efficiently, and this streamlined licensing agreement allows them to do just that,” said Russ Bell, vice president of marketing at MIPS Technologies. “In one convenient transaction, our customers can license Virage Logic’s technology leading memory and logic IP that has already been incorporated directly into a MIPS Technologies’ hard core. This is a significant benefit for our customers in terms of convenience and performance, and reinforces the long-standing relationship we enjoy with Virage Logic.”
“Our collaboration with MIPS Technologies makes the successful deployment of next-generation products easier,” said Jim Ensell, vice president of marketing and business development at Virage Logic. “For years, we have worked together to help manufacturers address the critical need to reduce design time and silicon area, while maximizing performance and manufacturing yields. We are pleased to expand our relationship with the launch of this first hard core under this new licensing arrangement which offers designers a tremendous price/performance advantage, in addition to greater convenience.”
About the MIPS32 4KEc Hard Core
The MIPS32 4KEc TSMC 130 nm G hard core offers designers powerful performance and greater flexibility to achieve higher system throughput while controlling silicon cost. The flexibility and programmability enables upgrades in software as protocol specifications or market requirements evolve. With a worst-case frequency of 233 MHz and a die area of 2.5 mm2, including 8KB/8KB caches, the 4KEc hard core is an attractive solution for a variety of cost-sensitive embedded applications.
About Virage Logic's ASAP Memory and ASAP Logic Product Lines
- ASAP Memory - the ASAP Memory product line provides the largest selection of silicon-proven embedded memories designed for testability and manufacturability. The ASAP Memory product line is comprised of three separate families. The High-Density (HD) family is comprised of memory compilers optimized to generate memories for area. The High-Speed (HS) family contains memory compilers optimized to generate memories for speed applications. The Ultra-Low-Power (ULP) product line is comprised of memory compilers optimized for battery powered and hand-held applications.
- ASAP Logic - the ASAP Logic product line is comprised of several unique offerings. Metal Programmable Cell Libraries save configuration costs by reprogramming only a few masks. Standard Cell Libraries deliver up to a 30 percent area improvement over conventional standard cells. ECO Cell Libraries offer a unique solution based on Virage Logic's proprietary metal programmable technology that provides a high level of flexibility in implementing engineering changes in standard cell designs.
Virage Logic and MIPS Technologies
For years, licensees of MIPS® synthesizable cores and the MIPS32 and MIPS64® architectures have had access to Virage Logic’s ASAP Memory product line. Last year, the ASAP Memory HS was integral to the launch of the highly successful MIPS32 24K® core family, where it was used to help ensure that the high-performance cores would perform as intended and continues to give customers greater leverage to quickly achieve their design goals. This latest agreement regarding the MIPS32 4KEc hard core encompasses Virage Logic’s ASAP Memory and ASAP Logic products.
MIPS Technologies is also a long-time member of Virage Logic's VIP Partner Program which brings together technology and business alliances with partner companies to provide a broad range of complementary solutions for SoC design including Design Services, EDA/Test, Foundry, and Intellectual Property (IP). The VIP Partner Program helps increase interoperability and provides access to complete solutions that enable mutual customers to accelerate silicon success by reducing design time and improving manufacturability.
Availability
The MIPS32 4KEc hard core incorporating the Virage Logic semiconductor IP is available for licensing from MIPS Technologies by semiconductor and system companies worldwide. They are delivered with design kits composed of complete product documentation, design data, verification and simulation models, and include support and training. For more information, contact MIPS Technologies at +1 650 567 5000, http://www.mips.com/content/Products/Cores/HardIPCores or sales@mips.com.
About Virage Logic Corporation
Founded in 1996, Virage Logic Corporation (Nasdaq:VIRL) rapidly established itself as a technology and market leader in providing advanced embedded memory intellectual property (IP) for the design of complex integrated circuits. Today the company is a global leader in semiconductor IP platforms comprising embedded memories, logic, and I/Os and is pioneering the development of a new class of IP called Silicon Aware IP. Silicon Aware IP tightly integrates Physical IP (memory, logic and I/Os) with the embedded test, diagnostic, and repair capabilities of Infrastructure IP to help ensure manufacturability and optimized yield at the advanced process nodes. Virage Logic’s highly differentiated product portfolio provides higher performance, lower power, higher density and optimal yield to foundries, integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and fabless customers who develop products for the consumer, communications and networking, hand-held and portable, and computer and graphics markets. The company uses its FirstPass-Silicon™ Characterization Lab for certain products to help ensure high quality, reliable IP across a wide range of foundries and process technologies. Headquartered in Fremont, California, Virage Logic has R&D, sales and support offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.viragelogic.com.
About MIPS Technologies
MIPS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer and business applications. The company drives the broadest architectural alliance that is delivering 32- and 64-bit embedded RISC solutions. The company licenses its intellectual property to semiconductor companies, ASIC developers and system OEMs. MIPS Technologies and its licensees offer the widest range of robust, scalable processors in standard, custom, semi-custom and application-specific products. The company is based in Mountain View, Calif., and can be reached at +1 (650) 567-5000 or www.mips.com.
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MIPS, MIPS32, MIPS64, 24K, and 4KEc are trademarks or registered trademarks of MIPS Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks referred to herein are the property of their respective owners.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
Statements made in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including, for example, statements relating to trends, business outlook, products, customer relationships and our financial results for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2005. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which might cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include Virage Logic’s ability to forecast its business, including expected revenues, royalties and net loss for the third fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2005 and possible discrepancies between the preliminary results and the final results to be announced; the company’s ability to ship against existing orders or customer deadlines; Virage Logic’s ability to maintain and develop new relationships with third-party foundries and integrated device manufacturers; adoption of Virage Logic’s technologies by semiconductor companies and increases or fluctuations in the demand for their products; the company’s ability to overcome the challenges associated with establishing licensing relationships with semiconductor companies; business and economic conditions generally and in the semiconductor industry in particular; competition in the market for semiconductor IP platforms; and other risks including those described in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended September 30, 2004, and in Virage Logic’s other periodic reports filed with the SEC, all of which are available from Virage Logic’s website (www.viragelogic.com) or from the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov), and in news releases and other communications. Virage Logic disclaims any intention or duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release.
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