Vitesse Honored in Aerospace and Defense Communications Field With Technology Innovation of the Year Award.

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Vitesse was presented with Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Technology Innovation of the Year Award at July 19th's Excellence in Emerging Technologies Awards Banquet for its innovative indium phosphide (InP) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) technology. This technology is applicable for the direct digital synthesis of high-frequency radio signals, which helps simplify the design of communication systems and reduce the number of discrete parts.

Each year, this award is given to a company that has carried out new research, which has resulted in innovations that can bring significant contributions to the industry in terms of adoption, change, and competitive posture. It lauds the quality and depth of the recipient's research and development program and the vision and risk-taking that enabled it to undertake such an endeavor.

"In a vote of confidence for Vitesse's technology, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $6 million contract to this California-based firm for the development of its VIP-2(TM) InP HBT technology," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Michael Valenti. "DARPA hopes to use VIP-2 in communications circuitries to reduce the size and weight of communication systems in places where space and payload are a premium, like in combat aircraft."

The 36-month contract is part of an overall DARPA contract worth more than $15 million. Vitesse has partnered with BAE Systems and the University of Illinois at Urbana Champain to fulfill this contract.

Vitesse selected InP for its HBT work because the material provides the requisite bandwidth and speed to enable the direct digital synthesis of high-frequency signals. Its VIP-2 process is an upgraded version of the VIP-1(TM) process the company uses to make InP transistors on four-inch diameter, semi-insulating substrates. Vitesse's goal with the first generation HBTs, as with all its new technologies, is to ensure development of a process that is reliable and can be manufactured and commercialized easily.

Vitesse worked on the second-generation HBT technology while developing the VIP-1. Under the leadership and support of Dr. John Zolper, Director of the Microsystems Technology Office, and Dr. Steve Pappert at DARPA, the agency's Technology for Frequency Agile Digitally Synthesized Transmitters (TFAST) program allows Vitesse to advance InP technology further and faster. The program's goal is to help drive InP HBT performance dramatically and demonstrate direct digital synthesis that is two, four, and eventually, 10 times the performance available today.

Like the first-generation HBTs, the VIP-2 transistors are made on semi-insulating InP substrates that are 4 inches in diameter. The process includes four levels of metal interconnect and passive elements. The VIP-2 transistors are characterized by ft=300 gigahertz(GHz) which is double the speed of the VIP-1 generation transistors. This was accomplished by shrinking critical transistor dimensions from 1.2 microns to 0.35 microns. Vitesse's engineers used established process techniques, such as the spacer technology used in Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor and gallium arsenide wafer processing. Circuit designers using VIP-2 are provided with the high-speed and high-voltage capabilities needed for analog, digital, and radio frequency circuits operating at 10 GHz and higher. Key benchmark demonstrations made with VIP-2 include a static divider operating at 150 GHz.

"Vitesse is also working with BAE to develop circuits to serve in varied electronic warfare applications where the high speed and integration of InP HBTs would simplify electronic warfare systems," says Valenti. "A communication system that once required a heavy, full rack of electronics in a high-value asset, such as an AWACS or command vehicle, can be substituted by a TFAST system made of inherently smaller, lighter, and cheaper electronic warfare nodes that can be widely deployed."

It is in recognition of the company's work in developing such innovative military communications systems technology that Vitesse has been bestowed with Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Technology Innovation of the Year Award.

Held in Boston, Frost & Sullivan's Excellence in Emerging Technologies Awards Banquet honors world-class companies for pioneering the development and introduction of innovative technologies into their markets. An annual event, the banquet recognizes the overall technical excellence of a company and its commitment towards technology innovation.

About Vitesse Inc.

Vitesse designs, develops and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, cost-competitive semiconductor solutions for communications and storage networks worldwide. Engineering excellence and dedicated customer service distinguish Vitesse as an industry leader in Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Ethernet-over-SONET, Advanced Switching, Fibre Channel, Serial Attached SCSI, Optical Transport, and other applications. Vitesse innovation empowers customers to deliver superior products for Enterprise, Access, Metro, and Core applications. Additional company and product information is available at www.vitesse.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com.