Chip Express Partners with iReady to Offer Verified Cores; iReady joins Chip Express' "OPEN CORE" program providing designers with fast turn silicon-verified cores.

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 1997--Chip Express Corp. (Santa Clara) today announced a partnership agreement with iReady Corp. (San Jose, Calif.) as part of Chip Express' OPEN CORE program which provides open access for core providers to verify their cores on silicon.

The program is aimed at enabling system designers to accelerate their time-to-market by using cores pre-verified on silicon. iReady furnishes the Internet Tuner, a system-level silicon design module, which adds built-in Internet connectivity to electronic devices and Chip Express provides 1 day prototyping services with a fast and smooth migration to any volume ASIC production.

"The addition of iReady to Chip Express' OPEN CORE program aligns perfectly with Chip Express' essence competency of time-to-market solutions," stated Zvi Or-Bach, Chip Express president and chief executive officer.

"The value of Intellectual Property (IP) is growing and is compelled with proof in silicon. Our objective is to create an open door approach so customers can choose their core suppliers independent from its silicon vendor. iReady's commercially available cores in addition to our offerings enable us to cut the design development cycle as we accelerate the manufacturing process."

iReady's intellectual property products are delivered in the form of a system-level silicon design module that can easily be integrated with other functions within consumer electronics products. The product's reusable off the shelf design element can significantly reduce the design time for new electronics products.

Combined with Chip Express' unique capability to provide fast ASIC solutions, the customer benefits from both the rapid time-to- market advantage and the reduced design-cycle time. The Internet Tuner technology will be licensed to electronic systems and semiconductor manufacturers.

"With Chip Express we are able to prototype hardware in the time that it takes to prototype software," said Ryo Koyama, iReady's president and CEO, and the chairman of the IP association RAPID. "With the coming age of `system-on-silicon' designs, the Chip Express system provides a distinct time to market advantage."

Chip Express Corp. is the world leader in "Time-to-Market Solutions" for high-performance, high-density ASIC devices. Chip Express provides the industry's fastest-turn ASIC products including a one day gate array prototyping service utilizing the QuICk laser micro-machining system; one week flexible production utilizing its innovative OneMask process to personalize a single wafer at a time; and a smooth transition to its TwoMask for cost competitive high volume production in one month.

Chip Express is a privately held corporation, founded in the United States in 1989. From its headquarters in Santa Clara, Chip Express services leading-edge computer, communications, military and consumer companies worldwide including Apple Computer, Hewlett Packard, 3Com, Adaptec, Bay Networks, Litton, Printronix and National Semiconductor.

iReady Corp., of San Jose, Calif., was founded in January 1996, to be the leading provider of enabling technology -- in the form of intellectual property rather than manufactured goods -- for the new generation of consumer electronics products. The company introduced -- in October 1996 -- the first Internet Tuner for adding Internet capability easily and at low cost to consumer electronic designs.

The company is funded by Telos Venture Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in semiconductor and electronic design-tool businesses. Cadence Design Systems Inc., a leading provider of electronic design automation products, is the limited partner in the venture fund managed by Telos. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: The text of this release as well as additional background information may be downloaded from our website at http://www.chipexpress.com

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