Arkle Res Regulatory News (ARK)

28 Mar 2007 07:04

Arc International PLC28 March 2007 Media Contact: Lee Garvin Flanagin ARC International +1 408 437 3433 lee.flanagin@arc.com Phison Electronics Adopts ARC's Configurable 605 Core For Next Generation Flash NAND Drives Phison Strengthens ARC's Position as One of the Leading Processor Architectures for Flash and USB Devices ELSTREE, England, March 28, 2007 - ARC International (LSE: ARK) today announcedthat Phison Electronics Corp., one of Taiwan's top fabless semiconductorcompanies and winner of the "Gold Medal" Award by Taiwan's Ministry of EconomicAffairs, has adopted the configurable ARC(R) 605 core for development ofPhison's next-generation NAND devices. Phison selected it after a thoroughevaluation showed the configurable ARC 605 core offers a smaller gate count andlower power consumption compared to competitive offerings, and because of ARC'sleadership position in the flash storage market for memory devices incorporatinga 32-bit microprocessor. This announcement is part of a series of new licensingagreements with semiconductor companies throughout Asia made today by ARCInternational. See companion news release dated March 28, 2007 for moredetails. ARC's configurable processor architecture is widely recognized as a de factostandard for flash memory products because of its ability to provide customers acompetitive advantage through the creation of devices that are unique and cloneresistant. Phison's adoption of ARC's configurable 605 core strengthens ARC'sleadership position in the flash market where tens of millions of ARC-BasedTMproducts are shipped annually from ARC customers. Ayck AW Yong, vice president of R&D at Phison Electronics Corp., said, "Phisonhas maintained the leading edge in USB and NAND flash applications by providingadvanced technology. ARC's configurable processor brings our next-generationdevices the benefits of a more advanced 32-bit solution, which will help usmaintain a competitive advantage and increase our share of this rapidly growingmarket." Derek Meyer, senior vice president of sales and marketing at ARC International,said, "This is another milestone for ARC as we continue to experience rapidadoption of our patented configurable processor technology within Taiwan'sfabless semiconductor industry. Furthermore, this underscores the ongoing trendof industry leaders that are using ARC to develop innovative and uniquesolutions for high-growth applications. We welcome Phison to the ARC communityand look forward to their success with ARC-Based solutions in the coming years." The Configurable ARC(R) 605 CoreThe ARC 605 processor core is an ultra low power, ultra small configurable32-bit core. In a 0.13 micron process, it offers a maximum clock frequency of400 MHz, power consumption of 0.06 mW/MHz and a die size of 0.31mm2. Theconfigurable ARC 605 core is ideal for a wide range of embedded control andcomputing functions within SoCs. The core is designed for hard real-timeprocessing, where high speed and deterministic response are required. All of ARC's cores are created with ARChitectTM - ARC's revolutionary patentedconfiguration tool. ARChitect's GUI-based development environment offers SoCdesigners a simple drag-and-drop menu from which they can select from up to20,000+ pre-configured options or create custom instruction extensions that areoptimized to the ARCompactTM ISA. In minutes, customers can use ARChitect tocreate a highly differentiated, proprietary ARC-BasedTM processor that providesa competitive advantage while consuming less power and containing fewertransistors than fixed architecture alternatives. # # # About ARC International plcARC International is the world leader in configurable subsystems and CPU/DSPprocessors that are used by semiconductor companies worldwide to createsystem-on-chip (SoC) designs that provide a strategic competitive advantage.ARC's patented configurable products are smaller, consume less power, are lessexpensive to manufacture, and provide a higher degree of differentiation overwhat can be created using "fixed architecture" core alternatives. ARC International maintains a worldwide presence with corporate and research anddevelopment offices in California and Elstree, UK. For more information visitwww.ARC.com. ARC International is listed on the London Stock Exchange as ARCInternational plc (LSE: ARK). ARC, ARCompact, ARC-Based, ARChitect, and the ARC logo are trademarks orregistered trademarks of ARC International. All other brands or product namescontained herein are the property of their respective owners. This pressrelease may contain certain "forward-looking statements" that involve risks anduncertainties, including the development, implementation, and release offeatures described herein. These are at the sole discretion of ARCInternational. For other factors that could cause actual results to differ,visit the company's Website as well as the listing particulars filed with theUnited Kingdom Listing Authority and the Registrar of Companies in England andWales. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange