Wipro Aims to Soar With EagleWision; Structured, Well-Monitored Design Methodology to Enhance Design Success.

Business Editors

BANGALORE, India and SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- November 29, 2001

In a conscious move at differentiating its design services offering, Wipro Technologies (NYSE: WIT), a leading design services provider for the embedded as well as datacom and networking markets, today announced the launch of its EagleWision hardware design methodology.

The name articulates an eagle-like eye for scrutiny and detail in a design and execution framework that has been, and is being, practiced and refined everyday by nearly 500 hardware design engineers.

EagleWision is an IC and PCB design methodology that eliminates iteration. Every micro-aspect of every design phase is scrutinized continuously by monitoring tools. Powerful in-house developed tools automatically create components as rudimentary as a simple code template to something as dramatic as a full-fledged rapid prototyping platform; from a metrics collection script to a complete synthesis environment - all at the touch of a button.

"Some of our best design practices have distilled and matured over the years. By standardizing and formalizing a design flow that continuously scrutinizes every aspect of the design, we are ensuring zero defects, minimal rework and therefore cost-effective, first-time-right designs for our customers," said Mr. Vivek Paul, Vice-Chairman of Wipro Ltd. and CEO of Wipro Technologies.

Wipro not only sees the flow as an enabler for better designs, but is also looking at other business opportunities that it may generate. For fabless customers, Wipro has been offering its design methodology know-how in a consulting model. Further, reusable components of the automated flow are already attracting keen customer interest. Wipro's automated verification framework WAVe, for example, provides a full suite of easy to use modular test bench components. Wipro has design services engagements with some of the world's leading OEM and semiconductor players including Alcatel, Cisco, Hitachi, Intel, Sony and Texas Instruments. In the last 12-18 months, the VLSI Group has executed in excess of 31 IC designs and more than 40 PCB designs for customers in the US, Europe and Japan.

Mr. M. Divakaran, CEO of Wipro's Embedded & Internet Access Solutions Division said, "Evolving the right methodology and implementing it effectively has been the key to achieving first pass success in our hardware designs. The VLSI Group's EagleWision brand is our step towards ensuring and sustaining world class methodologies, high productivity levels and consistent quality."

Wipro is an approved design center for ARM, the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC microprocessor solutions. David Lewis, ATAP program manager for ARM, said "Through our working relationship with Wipro, we know that their hardware design service group delivers quality ARM(R) core-based designs. The development of EagleWision further highlights Wipro's strong `Solution on Chip' design practices."

Mr. Guy Gerot, General Manager, Research & Innovation of IC Design at the French company THOMSON Multimedia, whose IC development plans are supported by Wipro said, "Wipro technologies is organized to support all aspects of IC design, and has always met our requirements on top quality products."

"As a customer, we have been very satisfied with Wipro's services," said Ryuji Shibata, Senior Engineer, Semiconductor & Integrated Circuits at Hitachi, Ltd., for whom Wipro has executed several library designs. "They not only offer excellent designs, but are also a flexible business partner. Wipro has the potential to be a total design services provider to customers like us."

Mr. Gerard K. Yeh, Director - VLSI Design at US based Teralogic Inc. and one of Wipro's ASIC design customers said, "Wipro's VLSI engineering team demonstrates good design practices and design methodology. We've been pleased with the design successes in our project engagements with Wipro's VLSI design group."

For Wipro's VLSI/ System Design Group, the launch of the EagleWision brand is another step in the noticeable move up the value chain. Of late, the group has been focusing on strategic partnerships that will enhance the breadth of its services portfolio. After three years of a successful design partnership with ARM, the VLSI Group has been targeting foundry partnerships as well as alliances with backend assembly, packaging and test houses, thus attempting to assimilate the entire supply chain in its fold. The move is a strategic one that the VLSI/ System Design Group's Business Unit Head, A. Vasudevan, believes will be a valuable business asset for the future. A. Vasudevan said, "As customers outsource more and more of the supply chain, they will look for a model where they can depend on one vendor, rather than manage multiple relationships. That is where the value of a strong network of service providers, and the ability to offer one-stop-shop services will become evident."

About Wipro Technologies

Wipro Technologies is a part of Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT), and is a leading global provider of high end IT solutions. The IT solutions provided include application development services to corporate enterprises and hardware and software design services to technology companies. Our top clients include Lucent, NCR, Nortel, Transco, Thomas Cook and Compaq. Wipro Technologies was the first IT services provider in the world to be awarded the SEI-CMM Level 5 quality certification, a standard widely accepted in the software industry to measure the maturity and effectiveness of software processes.

For more information, please visit our websites at www.wipro.com and www.wiproindia.com.