Bitboys, Developer of Mobile Graphics Processors, Joins OCP-IP

PORTLAND, ORE. and ESPOO, FINLAND — March 8, 2004 — Open Core Protocol International Partnership (OCP-IP), today announced that Bitboys, a provider of mobile graphic solutions, has become the latest member of the organization. Joining OCP-IP allows Bitboys to enhance IP core reusability, reducing design time and lowering both cost and risk. Bitboys plans to use OCP in their Acceleon™ family of graphics processors for embedded and mobile devices.

OCP-IP is a leading industry association delivering a common standard for intellectual property (IP) core interfaces, or sockets, that facilitate “plug-and-play” System-on-Chip (SoC) design. OCP-IP members receive free training and support, free software tools, and free documentation, enabling them to focus on the challenges of SoC design. Leveraging OCP-IP’s infrastructure eliminates the need to internally design, document, train and evolve a proprietary standard and support tools, freeing up critical resources for the real design work and providing enormous cost savings.

“As a provider of leading-edge solutions to improve graphics visualization on mobile phones, Bitboys recognized the need for an industry standard socket that is not limited or tied to specific application,” said Petri Nordlund, CTO of Bitboys. “There is tremendous value in using OCP as the industry standard protocol, and we are proud to support OCP-IP’s industry leading efforts.”

“The addition of Bitboys to our membership roster clearly illustrates that OCP is the industry socket standard,” said Ian Mackintosh, president of OCP-IP. “We are delighted to have them on board.”

About Bitboys
Finland-based Bitboys specializes in developing and licensing graphics processor IP solutions for mobile and embedded devices. Bitboys’ range of Acceleon™ graphics processors is the outcome of over 12 years of experience in graphics processor research and development. For more information, please visit www.bitboys.com.

About OCP-IP
The OCP International Partnership Association, Inc. (OCP-IP) was announced in December 2001 to promote and support the open core protocol (OCP) as the complete socket standard that ensures rapid creation and integration of interoperable virtual components. OCP-IP’s Governing Steering Committee participants are: Nokia [NYSE: NOK], Texas Instruments [NYSE: TXN], STMicroelectronics [NYSE: STM], United Microelectronics Corporation [NYSE: UMC], Toshiba Semiconductor Group (including Toshiba America TAEC), Sonics and other industry leading companies. OCP-IP is a non-profit corporation delivering the first fully supported, openly licensed core-centric protocol that comprehensively fulfills system-level integration requirements. The OCP facilitates IP core reusability and reduces design time and risk, along with manufacturing costs for SoC designs. VSIA endorses the OCP socket, and OCP-IP is an Adoption Group of the VSI Alliance. For additional background and membership information, visit www.OCPIP.org.