Microsoft and MIPS Technologies Form Alliance With Leading Silicon Vendors to Drive MIPS-Based Designs in Digital Consumer Devices

ADMtek, AMD, ATI Technologies, Broadcom, Marvell, NEC Electronics, PMC-Sierra, Texas Instruments and Toshiba First to Join Alliance and Optimize MIPS-Based Processors For Windows CE .NET

REDMOND, Wash. -- Feb. 5, 2003 -- Microsoft Corp. and MIPS Technologies Inc. today announced the formation of an alliance of leading silicon vendors to help make the industry-standard MIPS architecture and the Microsoft® Windows® CE .NET operating system the technologies of choice for OEMs developing next-generation digital consumer devices. MIPS Alliance for Windows CE members include ADMtek Inc., AMD Inc., ATI Technologies Inc., Broadcom Corp., Marvell Technology Group Ltd., NEC Electronics Corp., PMC-Sierra Inc., Texas Instruments Inc. and Toshiba Corp. Microsoft is hosting more than 50 executives from MIPS licensees today in Redmond, Wash., for the first MIPS and Microsoft Executive Summit, to share the latest Windows CE and MIPS technology road maps and business strategies.

"The MIPS Alliance for Windows CE is a win-win partnership," said Tony Massimini, chief of technology at Semico Research Corp. "The pairing of two best-in-class companies will bring an optimized MIPS/Windows CE solution closer to the digital home entertainment environment. System OEMs and, ultimately, the consumer will be the greatest beneficiaries."

"Microsoft is pleased to be a leading participant in the alliance with MIPS and the member companies," said Keith White, senior director of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft. "The alliance will result in more MIPS processors being supported on Windows CE .NET, with its rich capabilities for smart mobile and small-footprint devices, offering OEM customers a greater range of choices designed for specific devices such as automotive infotainment, residential gateways, set-top boxes and voice-over IP phones."

"Industries such as the automotive, digital television and residential gateway segments, as well as voice-over IP phones, require innovative system-on-a-chip (SOC) solutions that deliver an optimized user experience," said Kevin Meyer, vice president of marketing at MIPS Technologies and one of the executives who will be attending the summit. "MIPS Technologies continues to work with its leading licensees and partners to ensure that OEM customers have a full choice of 32- and 64-bit MIPS-based solutions supported by the Microsoft Windows CE .NET development platform."

Microsoft and MIPS Technologies
The MIPS Alliance for Windows CE builds upon the 10-year relationship of Microsoft and MIPS in response to the increasing demand for Windows CE support on 32- and 64-bit MIPS-based microprocessors. As a result of the alliance, companies such as Toshiba have dedicated engineering and marketing resources to optimize the Windows CE .NET platform for the MIPS32 (TM) and MIPS64 (TM) architectures.

The MIPS and Microsoft Executive Summit is an invitation-only two-day workshop that will provide MIPS partners with information about the latest MIPS and Windows CE technologies and business opportunities available through integration of the MIPS architecture and Windows CE .NET. Topics to be covered at the summit include marketing strategies, technology road maps, silicon-vendor case studies of successful embedded solutions and technical overviews. Keynote presentations will be given by Todd Warren, general manager of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft; Kevin Meyer, vice president of marketing for MIPS Technologies; and Keith Diefendorff, vice president of product strategy for MIPS Technologies. Demonstrations will show the capacity of Windows CE to create custom Windows Powered devices that include rich networking, multimedia and Web browsing functionality. Products to be demonstrated include Windows CE .NET and products that take advantage of Windows CE, including eHome, MSN®, Windows for Automotive and Windows Media®. More information on the summit can be obtained at wcesvr@microsoft.com.

About the Microsoft Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group
Microsoft Windows Embedded operating systems and tools provide comprehensive software platforms for building the next generation of intelligent, 32-bit connected Windows Powered devices that demand rich applications and Internet services for a wide range of flexible solutions. In addition, Microsoft offers a wide range of programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of Windows Embedded customers, industry partners and developers. The Windows Embedded operating systems currently include Windows CE and Windows XP Embedded. The Server Appliance Kit for Windows 2000 helps OEMs build Windows Powered server appliances, including Network Attached Storage (NAS) and Web servers. Windows CE was honored at the 2003 International Consumer Electronics Show for innovations in the category of Software/Embedded Technologies. The Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group also delivers the Windows CE for Smart Display software technology that powers a wide range of Smart Displays to extend the Windows XP experience to any room in the home. Currently in development is "Media2Go," which is the code name for a new device platform for powering the next generation of portable media player devices that enable consumers to enjoy their videos, music and pictures on the go.

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, semicustom and application-specific products. The company is based in Mountain View, Calif., and can be reached at (650) 567-5000 or http://www.mips.com/.

About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software -- any time, any place and on any device.

Microsoft, Windows, MSN and Windows Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.

MIPS is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries.

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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Supporting Industry Quotes
"Using the industry-standard MIPS architecture with Microsoft's Windows CE operating system, ADMtek can produce world-class SOC solutions for the high-performance SOHO gateway and emerging home entertainment networking markets." (ADMtek has been a MIPS licensee since 2002, when the company licensed the MIPS32 4Kc (TM) and 4Kp (TM) cores.)

Hong-Yuh Lee
CEO
ADMtek

"One of the tenets of the AMD strategy is to align ourselves with key industry partners such as Microsoft and MIPS. We have dedicated engineering and marketing resources to optimize our AMD Alchemy (TM) Solutions to the rich functionality of Windows CE .NET and MIPS32 architectures. It's this type of collaboration that moves the industry forward."
Phil Pompa
Vice President, Marketing
Personal Connectivity Solutions Group
AMD

"As the world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative graphics and highly integrated digital television solutions, ATI Technologies is a strong supporter of the MIPS Alliance for Windows CE. ATI's DTV solutions benefit greatly from these two technologies. Our customers recognize that this coordinated effort results in a more integrated development environment, greater functionality and performance, and faster time to market."
Daniel Eiref
Director, DTV Marketing and Business Development
ATI

"As a leading provider of MIPS-based system-on-a-chip solutions for digital communication platforms, Broadcom is pleased to be working closely with Microsoft and MIPS Technologies. Our work with the MIPS Alliance for Windows CE is enabling our customers to develop next-generation residential gateways and voice-over IP appliances that will deliver a superior end-user experience."
Paul Shore
Director of Marketing, VoIP Client Products
Broadcom

"We are pleased to work with Microsoft and MIPS Technologies to create breakthrough integrated gateway system solutions based on the Marvell Link Street gateway router. Marvell has been able to combine its expertise in routing, switching, firewall and IPSec security with Windows CE .NET and MIPS RISC CPU technologies to deliver a highly integrated SOHO and residential gateway solution."
Benjamin Niu
Product Marketing Manager
SOHO Gateway Routers and Switches
Marvell

"NEC Electronics has long-standing relationships with both Microsoft and MIPS Technologies, and we worked closely with them to optimize Windows CE .NET for the MIPS architecture. Our broad line of high-performance and low-power MIPS-based VR Series (TM) microprocessors encompassed the industry's first 32- and 64-bit processors supported by Windows CE .NET operating system. Combining the media and networking capabilities of Windows CE .NET with NEC Electronics' VR Series processors, we believe, provides digital consumer device OEMs with a compelling hardware and software product solution."
Arnold Estep
Senior Marketing Manager
Standard LSI Solutions Strategic Business Unit
NEC Electronics

"PMC-Sierra's RM5200 family evaluation platform supports Windows CE .NET for companies that are developing high-performance consumer appliances such as advanced digital set-top boxes, personal video recorders and home gateway systems. By joining the MIPS Alliance for Windows CE, PMC-Sierra will help drive the industry-standard MIPS architecture with the Windows CE .NET operating system as the technologies of choice for next-generation digital consumer devices as well as networking applications."
Tom Riordan
Vice President and General Manager
MIPS Processor Division
PMC-Sierra

"The pressure for high-performance and feature-rich networking solutions at reasonable price points is increasing daily. Our customers should find this alliance compelling, as the MIPS cores implemented in TI's broadband processors provide added horsepower, and Microsoft's Windows CE .NET offers a feature-rich software platform. We fully anticipate OEMs and ODMs to embrace these combined solutions in their next-generation designs."
Tom Flanagan
Director, Broadband Strategy
Texas Instruments

"MIPS Technologies' powerful 32- and 64-bit architecture combined with Microsoft's excellent Windows CE .NET technology allows Toshiba to produce world-class SOC solutions for the emerging market."
Kazutoshi Eguchi
General Manager, System and Software Division
Toshiba Semiconductor