Cavium Networks and AMCC Partner To Enable Next Generation Secure Networks.

Business/High-Tech Editors

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 10, 2001

AMCC Network Processors and Cavium's NITROX(TM)

Security Macro Processors Facilitate System Vendors

Building Secure Networking Equipment

Cavium Networks and Applied Micro Circuits Corporation's switching and network processing group (AMCC)(Nasdaq:AMCC) today announced a partnership to offer reference designs for development of high performance secure networking equipment.

Cavium's NITROX Security Macro Processor is a single chip, high performance security processing solution for both IPsec and SSL protocols. NITROX will be used in a wide range of networking equipment such as routers, switches, web-servers, server load balancers, firewalls, SANs, and VPN gateways to enable a secure and authenticated Internet.

AMCC's market-leading nP and nPX families of network processors, traffic managers, and switch fabrics address the high-performance needs of the evolving intelligent network. AMCC's semiconductor components are used in networking equipment made by market leaders.

"Time to market is everything. Providing a complete solution to the OEM significantly helps in reducing system design cycle times," said Syed Ali, President and CEO of Cavium Networks. "Combining AMCC's proven and widely deployed network processors with NITROX, the worlds fastest security macro processor will enable system vendors to quickly add comprehensive, high performance, feature rich, security functionality to their equipment."

Joint reference designs will incorporate AMCCs nP and nPX families with both the recently announced NITROX and the upcoming NITROX II to offer a range of 1 Gigabit to 10 Gigabit security solutions. In addition to processors, Cavium Networks provides the complete security software suite to implement IPsec or SSL. Cavium's TurboIPsec and TurboSSL software suites include source code for low level drivers and modified IPsec, IKE and SSL code, which has been optimized for multiple operating systems.

"Our relationship with Cavium Networks further demonstrates AMCC's leadership in enabling readily deployable networking solutions for a wide variety of applications," says Jeff Cashen, vice president and general manager of AMCC's switching and network processing division. "Through such partnerships we aim to enable our customers to garner ever increasing returns on their investment in products based on AMCC's network processor technology."

"Reference designs are key for system designers to efficiently and quickly evaluate different processors," said Linley Gwennap, principal analyst at The Linley Group. "The partnership between AMCC and Cavium will help both companies demonstrate their performance and easy integration. Both companies are providing a complete solution with hardware and middleware that promises to accelerate time to market for OEMs that adopt this solution."

About Cavium Networks

Cavium Networks is a semiconductor company focused on developing and manufacturing high performance security processing solutions that will enable the new Internet security infrastructure. Cavium's highly integrated, feature rich NITROX family of Security Macro Processors deliver unprecedented performance in SSL based secure e-Business and IPsec based network security applications while significantly reducing the cost and complexity of deployment. Cavium Networks is headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA with an IC design center in Marlboro, MA. For more information, please visit: http://www.cavium.com

About AMCC

AMCC designs, develops, manufactures, and markets high-performance, high-bandwidth silicon solutions empowering intelligent optical networks. AMCC utilizes a combination of high-frequency analog, mixed-signal and digital design expertise coupled with system-level knowledge and multiple silicon process technologies to offer integrated circuit products that enable the transport of voice and data over fiber optic networks. The company's system solution portfolio includes switch fabric, traffic management, network processor, framer/mapper, PHY and PMD devices that address the high-performance needs of the evolving intelligent optical network. AMCC's corporate headquarters and wafer fabrication facilities are located in San Diego, California. Sales and engineering offices are located throughout the world.

Forward Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements, including statements relating to the relationship and products discussed in this press release are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including the risk that the products would not be successfully or timely, developed or manufactured or achieve market acceptance, risks relating to general economic conditions, as well as the risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2001, and in other filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and AMCC does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Product photos, datasheets and application notes are available upon request. NITROX is a trademark of Cavium Networks, Inc. AMCC is a registered trademark of Applied Micro Circuits Corporation. nPcore and nPsoft are trademarks of AMCC Switching and Network Processing Corporation.