Aptix and ZAIQ Ink Reseller Agreement to Improve Communication System Design Validation.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2003

Product combination validates designs with SPI-4.2,

Gigabit Ethernet, and PCI/PCIX components using

domain-intelligent transactions

Aptix Corporation, a leading supplier of pre-silicon prototyping tools and platforms for embedded system-on-chip (SoC) design, and ZAIQ Technologies, Woburn, Mass., a provider of design services and reusable intellectual property for communication system design and validation, today announced that Aptix is offering ZAIQ's Pre-Configured Reusable Environment for testing Platform (PREP(TM)) and SYSTEMware Component (SVC) Libraries to its customers.

The product combination permits Aptix customers to validate their FPGA-based pre-silicon prototypes based on Aptix products at the transaction level using ZAIQ's validation platform and validation intellectual property (IP). With an Aptix pre-silicon prototype, customers can apply ZAIQ validation IP to an FPGA-based design prototype, and since validation is done at the transaction level, speed-up their validation process.

Tom Huang, Aptix Chief Technical Officer, said, "Many of our customers are developing products that require interaction with one or more communication protocols. Validating performance is extremely difficult. With the Aptix pre-silicon prototypes and the ZAIQ transaction platform constructing the validation environment is easier and validation is faster."

Rich McAndrew, ZAIQ Chairman and VP of Business Development, added, "ZAIQ Technologies has always been focused on cost effective solutions and services for reducing design risks. The Aptix philosophy and product line fit well with ZAIQ's high performance transaction based verification architecture and verification IP. ZAIQ and Aptix have had great success working with joint customers to deliver transaction-based validation solutions for architectures like the AMBA bus. This Agreement formalizes our relationship and lets Aptix offer our full range of validation IP to its customers."

Products offered under the agreement include the PREP platform and SVC component library, which provides chip and system designers with a pre-fabricated verification environment for complex designs, along with a methodology to comprehensively, and efficiently test those designs. The SVC Component Library includes Ethernet, SPI-4, SPI-5, PCI, PCIX, CSIX, SFI-4, SFI-5, Optical Channel Bundle, and Packet Over SONET. Components will be made available incrementally, with first deliveries in Q2 2003. Pricing begins at $60,000 for a one-year term license for the PREP Platform and one SVC Component.

About Aptix

Aptix Corporation is a leading provider of high-performance pre-silicon prototype (PSP) solutions to System-on-Chip (SoC) developers, enabling them to accelerate their time-to-market, reduce costs and improve their product performance. Aptix's reconfigurable and portable PSPs enable hardware developers to integrate custom logic and to verify and debug complex SoC designs in a real-world environment and software developers to accelerate the firmware and application software development timeline. In addition, these flexible prototypes can be deployed for field-testing and to multiple customers for evaluation, providing a development head start. Visit Aptix on the web at http://www.aptix.com. Aptix is headquartered at 1338 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95131.

About ZAIQ Technologies

ZAIQ Technologies, Inc. is a recognized leader in system level design and verification for complex, high-performance, system-on-chip (SoC & SoPC), ASIC and FPGA based systems. ZAIQ enables its customers to meet critical product development objectives by offering a complete line of specialized design and verification technologies and services. ZAIQ offers a range of competitive business models to cost effectively meet customers product development objectives. Ranked on the Inc 500 list of fastest growing companies in both 2001 and 2002. ZAIQ Technologies is headquartered in Woburn, MA and has completed over 400 assignments. Additional information about ZAIQ and its products and services is available by phone at 877-351-8299, by e-mail at [e-mail], or on the internet at http://www.Zaiqtech.com.

Aptix is a registered trademark of Aptix Corporation. System Explorer, Aptix Prototype Studio and Software Integration Station are trademarks of Aptix Corporation.

ZAIQ, ZAIQ Technologies, and PREP are all registered trademarks of ZAIQ Technologies.

All other registered trademarks or trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Keywords -- ASIC, EDA, semiconductor, computer hardware, computers/electronics, networking, software, telecom, product