TUXIA and RISE Form Strategic Alliance to Deliver Best-Performing Embedded Linux Solution for IA Market.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

TAIWAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 2001

TUXIA, a manufacturer of embedded Linux software for information appliances, today announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding and strategic partnership agreement with RISE, one of the leading SOC solution providers in the United States and Taiwan.

The new alliance will enable TUXIA and RISE to bring enhanced embedded Linux solutions for the emerging Thin Client and Information Appliance (IA) market.

As part of the alliance, TUXIA's embedded Linux software suite, TASTE(R) (TUXIA Appliance Synthesis Technology) will be employed by RISE and be applied to both Thin Client and IA products. Using TASTE's block compression technology, which allows a 3:1 file compression for minimized memory footprint and maximum cost efficiency, and complementing with RISE's high performance, low power consumption and full x86 compatibility System-on-Chip (SOC) product family, TUXIA and RISE are creating the ideal solution for the embedded Linux IA market.

"Rise Technology's System-On-Chip solutions provides a level of hardware quality that is unmatched in the embedded system marketplace," said Franz Hintermayr, Chief Marketing Officer of TUXIA. "The low power consumption and high performance standards of its SOC family products are the perfect solution of real-time implementation of the Linux kernel, thus offering optimum power performance at a very competitive cost for the consumer IA market."

"The combination of RISE's SOC's compatibility with TUXIA's TASTE capability provides the most highly integrated, best performing solution on the market today," said Mr. Taylor Hsian, Vice President of RISE Technology. "The open source Linux environment reduces costs, allows access to new applications, and provides a stable and secure platform, making Internet access affordable to common households and providing an ideal solution for the IA market."

The market for information appliance devices is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years. Research firm IDC forecasts that the worldwide market for information appliances will grow from more than 31 million units in 2000 to more than 168 million units by 2005.

Franz added, "The new partnership with RISE will provide the best embedded solutions for information appliances, and will further demonstrate our commitment to providing OEMs and vertical solution providers with the most reliable and flexible package, allowing them to capitalize on the explosive growth of broadband Internet and reap the maximum benefits from the emerging IA market."

About Rise Technology

Rise Technology Company delivers extremely low power, sixth-generation x86-based SOC solutions ideal for Information Appliances, driven by the demands of emerging customers in the rapidly converging Consumer, Communication, and Computing markets. Customer demands are comprised of various applications such as Consumer Internet Appliances, Set-top Boxes, Routers, Network Disk Servers, Thin Clients, PDAs, and Internet Cellular Phones. For mobile applications, Rise's smart on-chip power management feature meets the critical need for longer battery life. Rise's proven CPU technology utilized in its SOC product family provides the low power consumption, high performance, and full x86 compatibility essential for Information Appliance solutions. Rise is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California with offices located in Taipei and Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. The company can be reached at [phone], or visit their corporate web site at www.rise.com.

About TUXIA

TUXIA is blazing a new path in the field of embedded Linux systems by delivering the full Internet experience to network computing and information appliances, such as Set-top boxes, thin clients/web terminals, and PDAs. Leveraging more than eight years of experience in pioneering turn-key Linux devices, TUXIA has engineered a new generation of embedded systems with TASTE (TUXIA Appliance Synthesis Technology). TASTE features a Linux Kernel 2.4 operating system, an embedded Mozilla browser called Nanozilla(R) and a full complement of plug-ins and other functionalities that are configured according to the use of an information appliance. Using block compression technology, TUXIA(R) has engineered TASTE to have the smallest memory footprint of any media-rich embedded Linux system available today, which yields dramatic savings for device manufacturers. With TUXIA's development kit TSE (TUXIA Synthesis Environment), the appliance software can be easily customized and extended to customers' needs. With centers of excellence spanning four continents, the growing 120-member TUXIA(R) team is one of the leading players in the embedded Linux revolution. TUXIA's strategic partnerships include ACCESS, Citrix, Insyde Software, FOCUS Enhancements, M-Systems, MGI, National Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics and Tvia. TUXIA is also spearheading the Embedded Linux Consortium Europe. Additional information about TUXIA may be found on the Internet at www.tuxia.com.