Marvell Introduces the World's Smallest Gigabit Transceiver Device, Enabling the Copper Small Form Factor Pluggable --SFP-- Module Market.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 7, 2002

With Package Dimensions of Only 9 mm x 9 mm, the Alaska(R) Ultra

Device is Nine Times Smaller Than Competing Devices

Marvell (Nasdaq:MRVL), a technology leader in the development of extreme broadband communications solutions, today announced the industry's smallest Gigabit over copper transceiver device, enabling, for the first time, a new Gigabit Ethernet application -- the 1000BASE-T small form factor pluggable (SFP) module. The Alaska(R) Ultra device, the 88E1011S, features physical dimensions of only 9 mm x 9 mm, or 81 mm squared of PC board (PCB) real estate, making it the only device small enough to fit into the SFP module form factor. The Alaska Ultra is nine times smaller than competing 27 mm x 27 mm (or 729 mm squared of PCB real estate) single-channel Gigabit Ethernet transceivers currently in production.

The hot-swappable, plug and play, single-port SFP module used in today's Gigabit over fiber applications, benefits the user and/or systems manufacturer by offering flexibility in the selection of fiber media type (short or long wavelength optics) to support required cabling distances. And, with the availability of the 9 mm x 9 mm Alaska Ultra transceiver device, future versions of the SFP module will provide the user with a solution where copper and fiber connections are interchangeable.

The SFP module also offers several significant advantages over its predecessor, the GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converter), including lower cost, lower power and smaller size, which is approximately one-half the size of the GBIC. The width of the SFP module connector is slightly smaller than the width of an RJ45 connector. Thus, with the SFP form factor, both fiber and copper Gigabit systems may be developed, featuring similar port densities as copper-only systems using RJ45 connectors.

"We are pleased that Marvell has brought the Alaska Ultra device to market in the 9 mm x 9 mm package," said Dick Woodrow, Finisar's vice president of Sales and Marketing. "This device will allow Finisar to expand our Gigabit over copper module offering to include the SFP form factor. Using Marvell technology, Finisar is currently in volume production with our FCM-8519-3 1000BASE-T GBIC to serve the legacy Gigabit module market. Today, however, new Gigabit system designs are using the SFP module form factor almost exclusively as it offers a more cost-effective solution while doubling the port density."

"Marvell continues to provide state-of-the-art Alaska Gigabit Ethernet transceivers, enabling our OEMs to develop superior Gigabit systems products," stated Gary Smerdon, Marvell's vice president of Marketing for the Communications Business Group. "The Marvell Alaska transceivers have enabled new Gigabit markets such as copper SFP and GBIC modules, Gigabit LAN-on-Motherboard integration for the mobile computing market and high-density Gigabit switching systems -- up to 48 ports -- further accelerating Gigabit to the desktop."

The Marvell Alaska Family of Gigabit Ethernet Transceivers

The Marvell Alaska family of Gigabit Ethernet over copper transceivers, currently consisting of sixteen different devices, has offered the networking industry the enabling technology required to ease and accelerate the deployment of Gigabit Ethernet to the desktop and throughout the network. Marvell continues to be the technology and market leader in the Gigabit Ethernet PHY transceiver marketplace by setting multiple industry and technology milestones with its single, dual and quad-port Alaska family of Gigabit Ethernet transceivers.

With its first generation single-port Alaska and Alaska+ PHY transceivers, which are currently in volume production, Marvell set a new technology standard by offering the lowest power dissipation, smallest form factor packaging and highest performance devices. Leveraging this Gigabit Ethernet technology expertise, Marvell again led the market with the introduction of its Alaska II and Alaska II+ PHY transceivers -- the world's first dual-port Gigabit Ethernet PHY transceivers offering the networking industry even higher integration and lower system cost.

Targeted at high-density Gigabit Ethernet switches, the Marvell Alaska Quad Gigabit Ethernet transceiver family represented a significant technology breakthrough for the Gigabit Ethernet market by offering the world's most complex and highly integrated mixed-signal DSP-based quad-port communications devices ever developed. The Alaska Quad family offers the industry's lowest power and highest integration Gigabit Ethernet over copper PHYs. When used with stacked RJ45s, the Alaska Quad device enables 48-port Gigabit systems.

All of the Marvell Alaska Gigabit Ethernet transceivers, the Alaska+, Alaska II+ and Alaska Quad+ devices, provide system manufacturers with the ability to bridge fiber-optic and copper networks with the built-in serializer/deserializer (SERDES) function.

Availability

The Marvell Alaska Ultra transceiver, the 88E1011S, is supplied in a 96-lead BCC package with physical dimensions of only 9 mm x 9 mm. The device is priced at $29.00 at the 1,000-piece quantity and is currently sampling.

About Marvell

Marvell (Nasdaq:MRVL), a technology leader in the development of extreme broadband system-level IC solutions for Internet connectivity and infrastructure, comprises Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (MTGL) and its subsidiaries, Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. (MSI), Marvell Asia Pte Ltd. (MAPL), Marvell Japan K.K. (MJKK), and Galileo Technology Ltd. (GTL). On behalf of MTGL, 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 Marvell's production and distribution 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 645 Almanor Ave., Sunnyvale, Calif., 94085; 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 its 9 mm x 9 mm Alaska Ultra Gigabit transceiver products for the data communications market 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 rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt this product; the timing and results of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products; and, the timing, pricing, rescheduling, or cancellation of significant customer orders for our Alaska Ultra Gigabit transceiver products.

For other factors that could cause Marvell's results to vary from expectations, please see the sections titled "Additional Factors That May Affect Future Results" in Marvell's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended Jan. 27, 2001 and in Marvell's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended Oct. 27, 2001.

We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason.