C-Port and Power X Announce Agreement to Deliver Integrated Solution for High-Performance Networking Applications.

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. and MANCHESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- March 29, 1999--

C-Port's C-Ware(TM) communications platform and Power X's

TeraChannel(TM) switch fabric combine to enable ISPs, carriers and

enterprises to keep pace with the explosive growth and complexity of

Internet traffic.

C-Port Corporation, the pioneering communications platform company, and Power X Ltd., the leading switch chip manufacturer, today announced an agreement to deliver a highly integrated solution that enables network vendors to build high-performance networking products quickly and cost-effectively. Network vendors using the joint solution will be able to develop world class systems that combine the power and flexibility of C-Port's C-Ware communications platform with the performance and scaleability of Power X's TeraChannel interconnect silicon.

This announcement represents the culmination of many months of co-development, during which the two companies conducted rigorous design verification to ensure interoperability between their architectures. As a result, the Power X TeraChannel protocol-independent switching fabric chips will interface directly with C-Port's Digital Communications Processors, which are the only full-custom micro-multiprocessors optimized for communication applications. Additionally, the companies will create a common development environment that will enable vendors to easily design and test products built using components from the two companies.

"The unique design of the C-Ware architecture permits users to add value and differentiation while benefiting from readily available silicon," said Russell Johnson vice president of sales and marketing at Power X. "Individually we have applied our expertise to create a best-of-breed integrated solution without compromise of either the fabric or communications processor."

"We designed the C-Ware architecture as an open platform so that network vendors would be free to choose the switch fabric and other components that best meet their product needs," said Clint Ramsay, vice president of marketing for C-Port. "As a leading high-end switch fabric company, Power X provides an excellent choice for network vendors developing scaleable multi-layer switches, multi-service access systems and core switch routers."

The C-Ware communications platform is a three-dimensional architecture that consists of state-of-the-art micro-multiprocessor technology, industrial-strength software components, and an advanced software development environment, all specially tailored to the needs of the communications industry. The C-Ware platform enables vendors to develop high-speed networking products quickly and cost-effectively, shrinking their development cycles and freeing them to concentrate on delivering innovative features and services for their enterprise and service provider customers.

The Power X TeraChannel is a high performance, protocol-independent interconnect subsystem. The use of their novel high-speed, low-power serial links and an efficient, programmable scheduling and arbitration unit facilitates high-density, high throughput switching systems. The TeraChannel architecture scales from a few gigabits per second to several hundred gigabits per second and on into the multi-terabit per second domain.

About Power X

Located in Manchester, England, Power X Limited is a privately owned fabless silicon vendor. Funded in March 1996, the company now employs more than 45 people with a mix of ASIC, hardware, and software skills. The company has developed TeraChannel, a low-latency, high-throughput switching silicon chip set for high performance data movement in the communications and computing industries. Power X can be reached on the web at http://www.px.uk.com/, by telephone at [phone], or email [e-mail].

About C-Port

C-Port Corporation is a privately held startup company focused on radically improving the networking industry's ability to develop, deploy, and provision communications services. Combining expertise in full-custom microprocessors, networking, and software development tools, C-Port's unique team offers the industry's first communications platform, called C-Ware(TM). The company brings together seasoned veterans from leading companies such as 3Com (NASDAQ:COMS), AMD(TM) (NYSE:AMD), Cyrix(R)/National Semiconductor Corporation(R) (NYSE:NSM), Digital Equipment Corporation/Compaq (NYSE:CPQ), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP) , and Nortel Networks (NYSE:NT).

For more information on C-Port, visit our web site at www.cportcorp.com. Customers interested in additional information can contact C-Port sales at 978-773-2368, or send e-mail to [e-mail].

Note: TeraChannel is a trademark of Power X Ltd. C-Port, the C-Port logo, C-Ware and DCP are trademarks of C-Port Corporation. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.