Renesas Technology Licenses SMSC's MediaLB Technology Enabling New Automotive Multimedia Applications and IP for Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP); Renesas to Deploy SMSC IP in New Products Based on MOST(R) Standard.

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. & TOKYO -- SMSC (Nasdaq: SMSC) and Renesas Technology Corp. (Renesas) today announced that they have reached a licensing agreement enabling Renesas to incorporate SMSC technology providing Digital Transmission Content Protection (DTCP) for DVD audio and video, including copy-protected DVDs. Renesas is also licensing SMSC's MediaLB technology, supported by SMSC's network interface controllers for its Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST(R)). MOST is a de facto industry standard for automotive multimedia networking deployed by virtually every major European automaker.

Mandated by the rules of the DVD Copy Control Association, an organization including content owners, DTCP protects digital DVD audio and video transported over a network. MediaLB is the chip interconnect standard needed for connecting to SMSC's new network interface controllers for MOST. By licensing SMSC's HDL IP blocks for DTCP and MediaLB, Renesas will be able to integrate the technology into automotive Application Specific Standard Products (ASSPs) and Application Specific Custom Products (ASCPs) with seamless connectivity to all existing and upcoming MOST speed grades and physical layers, while enabling the transmission of digital content over MOST networks.

MOST multimedia networking technology enables new classes of multimedia applications in automobiles. It facilitates the efficient transport of real-time streaming multimedia, control and packet information over a single optical fiber or twisted pair wire, eliminating the need to run multiple wires throughout a vehicle, and enables automakers to decentralize infotainment functions into various components distributed around the vehicle.

"Renesas' selection of the MediaLB interface demonstrates the commitment of Renesas to supporting SMSC's multimedia networking technology," said Herbert Hetzel, Managing Director of SMSC's Automotive Infotainment Systems group. "Integrating DTCP functionality also enables Renesas to deliver new applications supporting the DVD Copy Control Association's requirements for securely transporting content over a digital network."

"This license enables us to quickly market new ASSPs/ASCPs integrating SMSC's market-proven networking technology, which automotive manufacturers have widely accepted to efficiently connect multimedia applications and distribute content," said Shiro Baba, General Manager of the Automotive Semiconductor Business Unit, System Solution Business Group, Renesas Technology. "We have established a leadership position in providing a wide variety of automotive solutions and powerful IP especially for Car Information System (CIS)/ Telematics with high performance car navigation CPUs. Now, with SMSC's IP for DTCP and MediaLB, we will provide a more attractive solution for MOST-enabled ASSP/ASCPs."

About Renesas Technology Corp:

Renesas Technology Corp. designs and manufactures highly integrated semiconductor system solutions for mobile, automotive and PC/AV markets. Established on April 1, 2003 as a joint venture between Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, NYSE:HIT) and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (TSE:6503) and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, Renesas Technology is one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world and the world's leading microcontroller supplier globally. Besides microcontrollers, Renesas Technology offers flash memories, system-in-package and system-on-chip devices, Smart Card ICs, mixed-signal products, SRAMs and more. http://www.renesas.com

About SMSC:

Many of the world's most successful global technology companies rely upon SMSC as a go-to resource for semiconductor system solutions that span analog, digital and mixed-signal technologies. Leveraging substantial intellectual property, integration expertise and a comprehensive global infrastructure, SMSC solves design challenges and delivers performance, space, cost and time-to-market advantages to its customers. SMSC's application focus targets key vertical markets including mobile and desktop PCs, servers, consumer electronics, automotive infotainment and industrial applications. The Company has developed leadership positions in its select markets by providing application specific solutions such as mixed-signal PC system controllers, non-PCI Ethernet, ARCNET, MOST and Hi-Speed USB.

SMSC is headquartered in Hauppauge, New York with operations in North America, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China and Europe. Engineering design centers are located in Arizona, New York, Texas and Karlsruhe, Germany. Additional information is available at http://www.smsc.com.

SMSC is a registered trademark of Standard Microsystems Corporation. Product names, company names and brand names are property of their respective owners.

Notes:

*1: DTCP (Digital Transmission Content Protection) is a method to protect digital DVD audio and video transported over a network. DVD players are subject to the rules of the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA), an organization that includes the content owners. These rules require that DVD content be protected before it can be sent over a digital network and mandate the use of DTCP. MOST was the first network to be fully approved by the DVD CCA to carry DVD content. SMSC's DTCP IP features a powerful M6 cipher engine and AKE (Authentication and Key Exchange), both required to use DTCP on MOST.

*2: MediaLB is a new inter-chip communication technology developed by SMSC and proposed to the industry as an open standard to efficiently transport multimedia data between ICs. Today's chip to chip interface solutions are lacking a high-speed but low pin-count bus able to carry all types of multimedia data which can occur in modern multimedia systems, such as audio and video streams, control data and packet data such as navigation map information. MediaLB is a local de-multiplexed version of MOST. It is a serial bus that can connect several ICs to the MOST network interface controllers and runs synchronous to MOST. MediaLB provides highly efficient access to the MOST network through a high-speed low-cost interface. SMSC's MediaLB IP implements both physical and application layers of MediaLB and supports up to 31 programmable logical channels and various host interfaces.