Virata Unveils Innovative Multiple-Port Ethernet Design Kit for System Developers.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2001

New Reference Design Provides Enhanced Network Flexibility

and Manageability for Small/Medium Enterprise CPEs

Virata(R) Corporation (Nasdaq:VRTA) today announced the release of its multiple-port Ethernet reference design that, for the first time, enables broadband CPE manufacturers to provide multiple routed 10/100 Ethernet ports on a low-cost system. This innovation enables CPE developers to build gateways, routers and bridges that provide greater network flexibility and manageability by controlling network traffic between the LAN and WAN. The reference design integrates Virata's Helium(TM) 200 communications processor and Kendin Communications low-power KS8993 Ethernet Switch IC (integrated circuit).

"This innovative reference design supports multiple Ethernet ports using only two integrated chips, thereby allowing new low-cost gateways and routers to be developed with the benefits of multiple ports of Ethernet on the LAN side that increase a network's overall performance and support critical applications, such as security," said Duncan Greatwood, vice president of marketing at Virata. "Equipment manufacturers are already expressing significant interest in the high level of functionality this reference design will provide them, and especially in its ability to provide multi-port routing because routing can be used to provide security between individual Ethernet segments and between the LAN and the Internet."

Dr. Tian Liou, President and CEO of Kendin Communications, stated, "Virata's technology expertise and market leadership enabled us to apply the advanced features of the Kendin KS8993 Integrated Switch into the creation of a reference design that not only meets our mutual customers' performance requirements, but also provides the platform for them to build more flexible router products that meet the needs of a range of residential and business applications. We look forward to working with Virata to provide innovative and cost-effective designs that provide our customers with the resources and tools to stay ahead of the competition."

Available now, this reference design, called the RD6300 Multi-port Ethernet Design Kit, supports 10BaseT and 100BaseTX transmission conforming to IEEE 802.3 protocols. In addition, Virata customers can use Virata's Firewall solution with this reference design for enhanced security capabilities. This Firewall solution is available through Virata's Integrated Software on Silicon(TM) (ISOS(TM)) platform, which also offers other advanced home router functionality, including support for De-Militarized Zones (DMZ). For more information about the RD6300, please visit Virata's booth at Networld + Interop in Las Vegas, NV, located in the Embedded Networking Technology Zone, Central Hall 5, Booth no. 8705; or visit the Virata web page at www.virata.com. More information about Kendin's Ethernet Switch ICs is available at www.kendin.com or in their booth at Networld + Interop, Booth no. 8743.

About Virata's Helium 200 Communications Processor

For its networking and controller capabilities, the reference design uses Virata's Helium 200 chip -- a single chip communications processor designed for flexible, low cost, high functionality, high performance products such as DSL routers/gateways or USB modems located in CPE or CO equipment. The Helium 200 chip also supports 31 Utopia ports, an increase from the original Helium's 14 Utopia ports, making it ideal for implementing the control and aggregation functions of high density DSL line cards for DSLAMs and DLCs, which require more ports and extra performance. In addition, the Helium 200 chip is fully integrated with ISOS, which is a complete networking and protocol software suite that handles ATM, frame relay, routing, bridging and signaling functions, as well as SNMP management.

About Virata's ISOS Platform

Virata's ISOS is the common element among all of Virata's industry leading communications processors. The richly featured ISOS networking and applications software suite enables Virata's customers to reduce first time design cycles. Additionally, the fact that ISOS extends across Virata's entire communications processor family makes the savings even more dramatic for subsequent product generations, enabling Virata customers to take their own value-added software into their new designs without having to repeat existing software engineering efforts. The unique ISOS product line, which uses Virata's ISOS software, consists of the following: Azurite(TM), Virata's pre-integrated voice-over-DSL solution; Aluminum(TM), Virata's symmetric DSL family; Beryllium(TM), a communications processor integrated with an ADSL PHY; Helium(TM), the low-cost, PHY-neutral communications processor family; Lithium(TM), a low-cost, PHY-neutral communications processor for PCI applications; and Magnesium(TM), the industry's first ISOS voice processing product.

About Kendin Communications, Inc.

Kendin Communications Inc. designs, develops and markets networking ICs for Ethernet LAN applications, including multi-port Switch, MAC, and PHY products covering Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet configurations. Kendin's field-proven integrated Switch solutions ship in high volume to SOHO LAN and Enterprise LAN networking markets. The company's mixed-signal design technology optimizes LAN network performance for single-chip integration, superior network reach, and low power consumption, using cost-effective CMOS manufacturing technology. Kendin Communications was founded in January 1996 by Dr. Tian Liou and is privately held. For more information, visit www.kendin.com.

About Virata

Virata provides communications software and semiconductors to manufacturers of DSL, wireless, satellite, and other broadband networking equipment. Virata's suite of processor-independent software products provide developers with complete, field-proven implementations of networking functions, including MPLS and web servers, removing the need to write and validate new software code.

Virata also pre-integrates its extensive suite of communications software with its powerful and cost-effective communications processors to create ISOS products. These ISOS solutions assist customers in developing a diverse range of broadband wireless and wireline equipment including DSL modems, gateways, routers, and integrated access devices targeted at the voice and high-speed data network access and customer premises markets. Virata's products also help equipment manufacturers to simplify product development, reduce the time it takes for products to reach the market and focus resources on product differentiation and improvement.

Virata is a principal member of the ATM Forum, Bluetooth SIG organization, the DSL Forum, HomePNA, ITU, MPLS Forum, WC3 consortium, OpenDSL consortium and UPnP Forum. A publicly traded company on the Nasdaq Stock Market, Virata was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. For more information, please visit www.virata.com.

Note to Editors: Virata is a registered trademark, and Aluminum, Azurite, Beryllium, Helium, Lithium, Magnesium, ISOS, and Integrated Software on Silicon are trademarks of Virata. All other trade, product, or service names referenced in this release may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Except for historical information contained herein, this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Due to increasing uncertainties in the company's market, the company's degree of visibility on future revenues and earnings and associated confidence level in forecast information is less than in past quarters. Factors that might cause a difference include, but are not limited to, those relating to general business and economic conditions, evolving industry standards, the pace of development and market acceptance of our products, those of our customers and the DSL market generally, the rate of DSL deployments, commercialization and technological delays or difficulties, changes in customer order patterns and the product volume of such orders, the financial condition of our customers, risks of customer loss, the impact of competitive products and technologies, competitive pricing pressures, manufacturing availability and risks, dependence on third party suppliers, the uncertainties associated with international operations, the possibility of our products infringing patents and other intellectual property of third parties, risks due to limited protection of our intellectual property, product defects, costs of product development, our ability to attract and retain employees, the company's ability to extract value from acquisitions, manufacturing and government regulation and other risk factors listed from time to time in the reports and other documents Virata files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including without limitation, the report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2000. Virata assumes no obligation to revise or update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.