VIA Extends Licensing Agreement With ARM

VIA licenses ARM9™ family processors aimed for integration into next-generation of communication and multimedia solutions

TAIPEI, TAIWAN AND CAMBRIDGE, UK -  June 7, 2006 - VIA Technologies, Inc, a leading innovator and developer of silicon chip technologies and PC platform solutions, and ARM [(LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq: ARMHY)], today announced that VIA have extended their agreement with ARM by licensing the ARM926EJ-S™ processor and the ARM968E-S™ processor to further strengthen VIA’s product portfolio.

As users increasingly demand personal electronics with expanded feature sets and advanced connectivity, ARM® technology delivers flexible processing performance while maintaining low power consumption and system cost. Through the licensing of the ARM926EJ-S and ARM968E-S processors, VIA and its subsidiaries have a powerful component for integration into a wide range products lines ideally complementing VIA’s existing performance-per-watt leadership with the VIA C7™ processor platform.

“These processors, with their low-power consumption, flexible functionality, and low cost, will enable VIA to pursue new opportunities in emerging device categories,” said Roger Kay, leading analyst at Endpoint Technologies Associates, a technology market research firm. “This agreement with ARM will enable VIA to leverage its existing IP in connectivity, storage, and graphics to address exciting new products in the mobility and personal entertainment areas.”  

“As VIA looked to enhance existing product lines and move into new digitally intelligent device markets, the ARM family of processors stood out as the natural choice,” commented Tzumu Lin, senior vice president, VIA Technologies, Inc. “The licensing of these ARM processors will enable VIA to increase the functionality and performance of our solutions aimed at the mobile phone markets, and drive our expansion in areas such as set-top boxes, telematics and personal media players, where we see tremendous potential for growth.”

“Increasing needs for expanded functionality in a wide range of personal electronics is leading innovators such as VIA to choose ARM technology as the architecture of choice,” commented Ian Drew, vice president of Segment Marketing, ARM. “The ARM926EJ-S and ARM968E-S processors deliver a solid development environment and the power to run tomorrow’s applications. This license agreement is also an important step in accelerating the adoption of ARM processor technology into key digital device markets.”

About the ARM926EJ-S Processor

The ARM926EJ-S macrocell is fully synthesizable, and features a Jazelle® technology-enhanced 32-bit RISC CPU, flexible size instruction and data caches, tightly coupled memory (TCM) interfaces, memory management unit (MMU). It also provides separate instruction and data AMBA® bus-compliant AHB interfaces particularly suitable for Multi-layer AHB technology-based systems. The ARM926EJ-S processor implements the ARMv5TEJ instruction set and includes an enhanced 16 x 32-bit multiplier, capable of single cycle MAC operations.

About the ARM968E-S Processor

The ARM968E-S macrocell is a fully synthesizable 32-bit RISC processor aimed specifically at embedded real-time applications, and is the smallest, lowest power ARM9E™ family processor to date. The core implements the ARMv5TE instruction set and features an enhanced 16 x 32-bit multiplier capable of single cycle MAC operations, and 16-bit fixed point DSP instructions to accelerate signal processing algorithms and applications.

About ARM

ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from mobile, home and enterprise solutions to embedded and emerging applications. ARMs' comprehensive product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, 3D processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals, software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed connectivity products. Combined with the company’s broad Partner community, they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at www.arm.com.

About VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA Technologies, Inc. (TSE 2388) is the foremost fabless supplier of market-leading core logic chipsets, low power x86 processors, advanced connectivity, multimedia, networking and storage silicon, and complete platform solutions that are driving system innovation in the PC and embedded markets. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA’s global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and Asia, and its customer base includes the world’s top OEMs, motherboard vendors and system integrators. www.via.com.tw