sci-worx and Japan's Toshiba Sign Strategic Agreement on IP Core Licenses

PALO ALTO, Calif. & HANOVER, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 2001--sci-worx GmbH today announced that it has signed a strategic agreement on intellectual property (IP) cores with Japan's Toshiba Corporation, the world's second largest semiconductor manufacturer. Under this agreement, sci-worx will license, to Toshiba, its world-class library of DesignObjects(TM), pre-designed soft cores that provide best-in-class quality and ease-of-use in the application fields of Networking, Telecommunications, Security and Multimedia. The DesignObjects(TM) library currently comprises over 65 soft cores, including a complete portfolio for 40Gbit/s SDH/SONET networking applications. Among other leading-edge technologies are a wide-range of compression standards for multimedia applications, a broad portfolio of security IP cores, such as AES Rijndael and interface cores like USB2.0.

``We are delighted reinforce our IP library with sci-worx's high quality IP cores,'' said Kiyofumi Ochii, General Manager of System LSI Design Division at Toshiba's Semiconductor Company. ``DesignObjects(TM) will help us improve turn-around-times in design and development of system LSIs and reinforce an IP strategy that has already made Toshiba a force in the System LSI market.''

Toshiba requires high quality IP cores that support design freedom and functionality while enhancing the quality and time-to-market of customer-specific solutions. sci-worx will help meet these demands and also foster system and application know-how.

``Toshiba is a strategic partner for sci-worx, and we are proud of being a partner for Toshiba in the development of their next generation leading-edge technologies products'' said Jurgen Ruprecht, CEO at sci-worx.

sci-worx is planning to expand its operations in Japan.

About sci-worx

sci-worx- Europe's leading Intellectual Property and Design Service Provider for Networking, Telecommunications, Security and Multimedia.

sci-worx is a leading microelectronics technology licensing and design company with more than 250 engineers. With a library of over 65 soft cores sci-worx is one of the world's leading IP providers. sci-worx' DesignObjects(TM) (synthesizable ASIC cores) come to the market as off-the-shelf solutions, thus reducing time-to-market and risk for new IC products and applications. Also, sci-worx' core verification program ensures high quality and performance of all DesignObjects(TM).

sci-worx is an approved ARM Design Center. This partnership enables sci-worx to access leading ARM technology for System-on-Chip micro processing applications.

sci-worx complements its DesignObjects(TM) with a comprehensive suite of design services including system integration, and software development, as well as system and IP validation. All this is based on mature application know-how and numerous years of design experience.

Headquartered in Hanover the company also has locations in Brunswick, Hamburg and Palo Alto. Visit the web site at http://www.sci-worx.com.