Hantro joins the MIPS alliance program to provide MPEG-4 solutions for advanced MIPS-based' applications

HANTRO JOINS THE MIPS ALLIANCE PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MPEG-4 SOLUTIONS FOR ADVANCED MIPS-BASED' APPLICATIONS

Scalable MPEG-4 Codec is a "Must Have" for 2.5G and 3G Wireless, Multimedia Messaging, Video Conferencing, Next-Generation Set-Top Boxes, and Internet Appliances.

OULU, Finland and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., (October 9, 2000) - Hantro Products Ltd., a leading developer of two-way video technology for wireless communications, and MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIPS, MIPSB) a leading provider of industry-standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer and network applications, have today announced a co-operative agreement under which Hantro joins the MIPS Alliance Program (MAP) and integrates its scalable MPEG-4 codec with the MIPS32 4K? family of processor cores. Together, the codec and processor cores form a high-performance media platform for next-generation screen phones, set-top boxes, Internet appliances, and video conferencing equipment.

Hantro?s technology, to be demonstrated at UMTS 2000 in Barcelona this week, provides high-quality video decoding and encoding at 15 frames per second. It is designed to scale from handheld-sized displays to full television size. The licensable MPEG-4 codec also scales from mostly software to predominately hardware, which, together with the range of MIPS? licensable cores, leads to a wide range of differentiated chips for cost-sensitive battery-powered devices. These applications also include advanced set-top boxes running sophisticated real-time operating systems (RTOSs), network protocol stacks, and processor-intensive applications.

?Hantro is pleased to enter the MIPS Alliance Program and partner to deliver next generation codec technology,? says Mr. Eero Kaikkonen, president and CEO of Hantro Products Ltd. ?We supplement MIPS Technologies? product portfolio with the attractive wireless video solution, and through the MIPS Alliance Program we are able to broaden our customer base as well as facilitate our product development. We chose MIPS due to its strong presence in relevant product categories such as handheld PCs, set-top boxes, and Internet infrastructure. Tomorrow?s convergence devices require the integration of building blocks which are each successful in today?s stand-alone devices.?

The MIPS Alliance Program provides members with broad marketing assistance, such as Internet and traditional marketing and promotional activities, as well as sales and technical assistance.

?Two-way video transfer will become a standard function in next-generation consumer devices,? explains Brian Knowles, vice president of marketing at MIPS Technologies. ?Hantro?s technology complements our microprocessor cores for wireless multimedia solutions. We are pleased to welcome Hantro to our Alliance program. Its MPEG-4 technology is an asset for our community of licensees who design and market chips for the consumer electronics market.?

About Hantro
Hantro Products Ltd. specializes in the latest video coding technologies and wireless communication. The company?s main product is an MPEG-4 codec, the world?s first commercially available two-way wireless image transfer for wireless appliances. Hantro?s MPEG-4 solution scales well from wireless handsets to advanced set-top boxes by optimizing for low power consumption and for low processor loading, respectively. The codec can be implemented either as a separate ASIC or as a part of a system on a chip (SOC).

Hantro was founded in 1992 in Oulu, Finland. Since its beginning, the company has concentrated on the design services for wireless technology. In 1994, Hantro launched its first IP Library that was ASIC-based Forward Error Correction library for wireless communication. For more information on Hantro and its products, please visit at www.hantro.com.

Hantro?s MPEG4 solution will be demonstrated at the UMTS 2000 event in Barcelona from October 11 through October 13, 2000.

About MIPS Technologies, Inc.
MIPS Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of industry standard processor architectures and cores for digital consumer and network 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, Inc. and its licensees offer the widest range of robust, scalable processors in standard, custom, semi-custom and application-specific products.

Licensees currently include: Alchemy Semiconductor, Inc.; Altera Corporation; ATI Technologies, Inc.; Broadcom Corporation; Centillium Communications, Inc.; Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing; CommQuest (IBM); Conexant Systems, Inc.; empowerTel Networks, Inc.; ESS Technology, Inc.; Gemplus; General Instrument Corporation; Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT); LSI Logic Corporation; Macronix; Metalink Ltd.; NEC Corporation; NeoMagic Corporation; NKK Corporation; Philips Semiconductors; QuickLogic Corporation; Sandcraft, Inc.; SiByte, Inc.; Sony Corporation; Synova; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Toshiba Corporation; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company; and Virata Corporation. Numerous companies utilize MIPS-based? intellectual property. MIPS Technologies, Inc. is based in Mountain View, California, and can be reached at +1 650-567-5000 or www.mips.com.

MIPS is a registered trademark and MIPS-based, MIPS32, and 4K are trademarks of MIPS Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All press materials are available on the World Wide Web via: http://www.mips.com.

Media Contacts:

Hantro Products Ltd.
Eero Kaikkonen
Tel.: +358 8 815 6301
email: eero.kaikkonen@hantro.com
MIPS Technologies, Inc.
Lee Flanagin
Tel.: +1 650-567-5180
email: flanagin@mips.com