ArcSys and ISS Announce New Company Name.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 12, 1995--ArcSys, Inc. and Integrated Silicon Systems, Inc., which have signed a definitive agreement to merge, today announced that the merged company will be named "Avant! Corporation."

"The worldwide electronics industry is migrating their integrated circuit designs to deep submicron -- with feature sizes of less than 0.5 microns," said Gerald C. Hsu, president and CEO of ArcSys.

"Avant! is in the business of developing deep submicron integrated circuit (IC) design tools, which require a new set of ground rules because the physical design is largely responsible for the overall performance of the IC. As the future Avant! Corporation, we understand these new ground rules and will continue to be entirely focused on bringing the best deep submicron physical design technology to the customer."

Mr. Hsu has been named chairman, president and CEO of Avant! Corporation.

(See Note to Editors)

The name of the company is taken from the the Italian word "Avanti!," meaning "Onward!," "Forward!," or "Let's go!" It is used to lead a group of people in moving forward quickly, and is commonly used during Italian soccer games to show competitive spirit. The related French word is "avant," as in "avant garde," used to describe a group of people dedicated to the invention and application of new techniques in a given field, such as computer software.

"The new name has a lot of significance for our company," said Gerald C. Hsu. "We are in the fastest growing segment of the electronic design automation industry, and our innovative technology is moving forward quickly in response to our customers' design requirements."

ArcSys and ISS signed their merger agreement in August and currently expect the merger to close in November. The closing of the merger is subject to regulatory and stockholder approval, the availability of pooling-of-interests accounting treatment, and certain other closing conditions.

About ArcSys and ISS

ArcSys, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARCS) develops, markets, and supports integrated circuit design automation (ICDA) software for deep submicron ICs, microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific standard products (ASSPs), and complex application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The company currently has about 85 employees.

ArcSys' products help lower IC development costs by reducing die size, reduce time to market by shortening the physical design cycle, and provide more competitive, higher-performance chips through timing-driven layout. Company headquarters are located in Sunnyvale, California, telephone [phone], fax [phone].

Integrated Silicon Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISSS) is a leading supplier of advanced software products for the ICDA market. The company currently has about 100 employees. The company's products enable design engineers to layout, verify, and analyze complex IC's and have become the industry standards for the verification of high-performance designs.

Company headquarters are located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, telephone [phone], fax [phone]. -0-

Note to Editors: The name is pronounced "Ah-VAHN-tee," with the exclamation point serving as an upside-down "i."

CONTACT: ArcSys, Inc.

Lois DuBois, 408/523-8857

email: [e-mail]