LVL7 and Marvell Combine Technologies to Create High-Performance Gigabit Ethernet Products.

Business Editors/High Tech Writers

NetWorld+Interop 2002 Las Vegas 

CARY, N.C. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 2002

Turnkey design combines Marvell(R) Prestera(TM) Ethernet switches

with LVL7 FASTPATH(TM) software for enterprise and metro markets

LVL7 Systems, a network processing software company that accelerates the development of network infrastructure equipment and Marvell(R) (NASDAQ: MRVL), a technology leader in the development of extreme broadband communications solutions, continued the push of Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop and the development of advanced metropolitan Ethernet and MPLS switches by today introducing a turnkey, production-ready platform.

The combination of Marvell's Prestera(TM) architecture and LVL7's FASTPATH software enables system manufacturers to shorten their time-to-market, while still providing their end-customers with a powerful and feature-rich architecture.

"We are excited by the rapid adoption and industry momentum behind the Prestera architecture by our customers and software partners," said Gary Smerdon, Marvell's vice president of marketing for the Communications Business Group. "Through the use of LVL7's FASTPATH software, system designers can significantly shorten the software development and test cycles for high-quality Gigabit Ethernet enterprise and metro systems."

Running on top of Marvell's sixth generation, high-density Gigabit Ethernet architecture, the LVL7 FASTPATH software offers managed Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 routing and Layer 4+ advanced services. This integrated, turnkey design provides all of the software required for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to rapidly introduce platforms all the way from a cost-effective 24-port Gigabit Ethernet desktop switch up to a Metropolitan Core Router supporting IETF Multiprotocol Label Switch (MPLS) and Ethernet-in-the-First-Mile (EFM). By using Prestera-MX620 or Prestera-EX120 packet processors, this flexible hardware platform supports all Layer 2 - Layer 4, MPLS and Service Level Agreements (SLA) functionality, with and without stacking, at a groundbreaking speed of 20 Gbps, or 20 billion bits per second of processing power.

"LVL7's FASTPATH networking technology platform and software products integrated with Marvell's Prestera processors will save OEMs millions of dollars in development, system integration and testing of high-performance Ethernet products," said Ernie Baker, president of LVL7 Systems. "This combination will enable system developers to begin volume shipments of fully tested Gigabit Ethernet desktop and metropolitan access products while lowering development risk and accelerating time-to-market."

With market conditions driving networking equipment vendors to outsource a growing percentage of their networking software product development, the industry is looking for turnkey products. Popular solutions include enterprise-focused, high-density Gigabit Ethernet desktop switches, Ethernet switches and routers with speeds that range from Fast Ethernet to greater than 10 Gbps, and metropolitan switch-routers that incorporate revenue-generating services. The technology integration between Marvell and LVL7 will enable networking OEMs to reduce R & D costs for Ethernet networking products aimed at the enterprise and Internet infrastructure markets.

Bob Wheeler, senior analyst at The Linley Group, added, "The Marvell Prestera products already provide a wide range of functionality across 100 Mbps, 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps speeds. The addition of an integrated software solution such as FASTPATH eliminates the need for extensive software development and should further enable system manufacturers to reduce their design cycles."

Demonstration showcased at NetWorld + Interop

Marvell will demonstrate the Prestera-MX620 with integrated FASTPATH software at the NetWorld+Interop tradeshow in Las Vegas in booth number 8085. This premier demonstration will preview a managed Layer 2 advanced switching solution on the turnkey design platform for the enterprise and metro access markets. LVL7 will demonstrate the complete FASTPATH suite in booth number 3314.

Marvell Prestera Ethernet switch family

The Prestera Ethernet switching family is the sixth generation of networking switching products developed by Marvell. The Prestera family is the first switching architecture to allow network systems manufacturers to easily and quickly develop a wide spectrum of switching solutions ranging from high-density desktop Gigabit Ethernet switches to metropolitan terabit routers. The Prestera architecture enables these systems to deliver richer content at higher speeds and with greater security to the Internet. The Prestera devices directly connect to Marvell's industry-leading Alaska(R) 10- Gigabit, Gigabit and Fast Ethernet physical layer products, enabling low power, high-density switching solutions.

FASTPATH works across multiple operating systems, silicon platforms

LVL7's FASTPATH software suite includes more than one million lines of production quality code - including integrated management applications, core protocols (such as Ethernet Switching, VLANs, OSPF, RIP, BGP4, DiffServ, MPLS) and device drivers - for switches, routers and access devices. As the only company to provide a flexible architecture that works across multiple silicon platforms and operating systems, LVL7 enables networking equipment manufacturers to reduce product development cycles and get to market faster.

About LVL7 Systems, Inc.

LVL7 (Level 7) Systems, Inc. offers a full suite of network processing software that accelerates the development of intelligent network infrastructure equipment, including switches, routers and access devices. As the only company to provide a flexible architecture that works across multiple platforms and operating systems, LVL7 enables networking equipment manufacturers to reduce product development cycles and get to market faster. LVL7's FASTPATH software includes verified protocols and applications, as well as assembly and device driver code. FASTPATH is available in function-specific packages or as an integrated suite to meet individual product and market demands. LVL7 is a member of the NP Forum and has partnerships with leading technology manufacturers, including AMCC, Marvell, NetLogic, SwitchCore, and Vitesse. LVL7 is a privately held company located near Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. For more information about LVL7's FASTPATH software, visit www.LVL7.com.

About Marvell

Marvell, a technology leader in the development of extreme broadband system-level IC solutions for Internet connectivity and infrastructure, comprises Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. (MSI), Marvell Asia Pte Ltd. (MAPL), Marvell Japan K.K., Marvell Taiwan Ltd., Marvell International Ltd. (MIL), and Galileo Technology Ltd. (GTL). On behalf of MIL, MSI designs, develops and markets integrated circuits utilizing proprietary Communications Mixed-Signal Processing (CMSP) and digital signal processing technologies for communications signal processing markets. MAPL is headquartered in Singapore and is responsible for production, distribution and design operations. GTL develops high-performance communications Internetworking and Switching products for the broadband communications market. As used in this release, the terms "Company" and "Marvell" refer to the entire group of companies. The Company applies its technology to the extreme broadband communications market where its products are used in network access equipment to provide the interface between communications systems and data transmission media. MSI is headquartered at 700 First Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif., 94089; phone: [phone], fax: [phone]. Marvell's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol MRVL. More information on Marvell is available on the Internet at www.marvell.com.

Safe Harbor Statement of Marvell under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release may contain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our products, our industry, our markets, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," and variations of these words or similar expressions, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, market results may differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements in this release.

Important risks, uncertainties and assumptions that may cause such a difference for Marvell in connection with the introduction of the LVL7 FASTPATH product for the Marvell Prestera Ethernet switching architecture and for Marvell's customers in connection with their commercial exploitation of this product's potential advantages as highlighted herein include, but are not limited to, the timing, cost and successful completion of technology and product development through volume production; the timing, rescheduling and/or cancellation of significant customer orders; general economic conditions and specific conditions in the markets we address, including periodic downturns in the integrated circuit industry; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt our products; and the timing and results of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products.

For other factors that could cause Marvell's results to vary from expectations, please see the section titled "Additional Factors That May Affect Future Results" in Marvell's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 2, 2002 and Marvell's subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.

Marvell(R), the Marvell logo, Prestera(TM), and Alaska(R) are trademarks of Marvell. LVL7(TM), the LVL7 logo and FASTPATH(TM) are trademarks of LVL7 Systems, Inc.