Altera Expands Access to Design Expertise With Nuvation.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2001

Altera Corporation (Nasdaq:ALTR), a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs), and Nuvation Labs Corporation, an embedded systems engineering design leader, announced today that both companies have entered into a partnership agreement through the Altera Consultant Alliance Program (ACAP(R)). The partnership gives Altera customers access to unparalleled engineering expertise for the rapid development of programmable devices from concept, through design and synthesis, and into testing and integration.

As the complexity of technology increases, it becomes mission-critical for leading technology companies to access immediate embedded system design expertise. This requirement has fueled a growing trend among leading technology companies to outsource PLD designs. To meet customers' demands, Altera created the ACAP program to identify and promote superior engineering consultants based on their knowledge of Altera's device architectures and tools as well as their proven ability to accelerate complex PLD design schedules.

Nuvation has built a reputation as the leading Silicon Valley engineering design house for complex PLD design and integration. Altera understands that high-tech companies require specialized skills and immediate resources to keep pace with today's market dynamics and chose Nuvation based on its diversity of skills, flexible resources and ability to deliver solutions where time-to-market is crucial.

In describing the importance of the alliance between Altera and Nuvation, Craig Lytle, vice president of Altera's intellectual property business unit, stated, "Nuvation is our first ACAP partner to come about through a field sales force nomination, which clearly indicates their value to our customers. Their reputation is well known and we are counting on their services to accelerate the complex PLD designs our clients require."

Michael Worry, Nuvation's CEO, added, "We have long valued our relationship with Altera. Together we can amplify the value statement of outsourced engineering, to the benefit of our mutual clients."

About Altera

Altera Corporation, The Programmable Solutions Company(R), was founded in 1983 and is a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs). Altera's CMOS-based PLDs are user-programmable semiconductor chips that enhance flexibility and reduce time-to-market for companies in the communications, computer peripheral, and industrial markets. By using high performance devices, software development tools, and sophisticated intellectual property cores, system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions can be created with embedded processors, memory, and other complex logic together on a single PLD. Altera common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALTR. More information on Altera is available on the Internet at http://www.altera.com.

About Nuvation

Nuvation is a leading engineering consulting firm that provides accelerated chip, board, and software design services for the embedded systems industry. Founded in 1997, Nuvation operates advanced design facilities in San Jose, California and in Toronto, Canada. The company's customers include a number of notable companies such as Altera (NSDQ:ALTR), Infineon (NYSE:IFX), SanDisk (NSDQ:SNDK), Finisar (NSDQ:FNSR), Trimble Navigation (NSDQ:TRMB) and InterWave (NSDQ:IWAV). More information is available at www.nuvation.com.

Note to Editors: Altera, The Programmable Solutions Company, ACAP, and specific device designations are trademarks and/or service marks of Altera Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.