Spreadtrum Communications Licenses ParthusCeva High Performance TeakLite DSP Core Technology

SAN JOSE and SUNNYVALE, California; November 22, 2002 - ParthusCeva, Inc. (Nasdaq: PCVA, LSE: PCVA), the leading licensor of digital signal processors (DSP) technology to the semiconductor industry, and Spreadtrum Communications, a leading provider of wireless integrated circuit (IC) software solutions, announced today that they have signed a strategic DSP technology licensing agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Spreadtrum has licensed ParthusCeva's TeakLite® DSP Core technology to develop its next-generation solutions for wireless communications.

The licensing of ParthusCeva's TeakLite DSP Core augments Spreadtrum's wireless solutions that currently include GSM/GPRS baseband chipset, protocol stack software, software application platform, and production ready reference design. Spreadtrum's SC6600 is a highly integrated GSM/GPRS single baseband mixed signal chip containing all digital and analog functionality of a GSM/GPRS wireless phone. It is designed as a single chip solution in a leading edge 0.18um CMOS. Spreadtrum's proprietary and innovative design methodology in analog and digital circuitries provides customers with best system performance, lowest power consumption and system cost. With in-house developed protocol stack software, and application platform, Spreadtrum can offer total solutions in many applications such as handset, data modem, and automotive GPS system.

"The TeakLite DSP Core provides a strong foundation for Spreadtrum products such as our baseband ASICs and other software based solutions. It enables us to implement our innovative system architecture design," says Ping Wu, President at Spreadtrum Communications. "We look forward to enhancing our integrated circuit solutions for next generation wireless terminals with ParthusCeva's TeakLite technology."

"We are pleased to announce our licensing agreement with Spreadtrum, a leading fabless supplier of 2.5G and 3G baseband technology," says Gideon Wertheizer, EVP of DSP Licensing at ParthusCeva. "Our licensing agreement with Spreadtrum underlines our position as the number one licensed DSP architecture for the wireless industry."

ParthusCeva is the leading licensor of DSP technology with an estimated market share of 69% in 2001 (Source: Gartner-Dataquest). TeakLite, the third generation of the SmartCores family, is a 16-bit fixed-point, general-purpose DSP core designed for low power, low voltage and high-speed digital processing applications. The core is designed as a solution for speech and audio processing, wireless communication (GSM, CDMA, TDMA, EDGE, GPRS, etc.), modems, advanced telecommunication systems, disk-drive controllers and embedded control applications. The binary code compatibility of the TeakLite DSP core with ParthusCeva's OakDSPCore® effectively eliminates the need to recompile or rewrite existing software modules during migration to the TeakDSPCore® family. The fully synthesizable, process-independent TeakLite is easily portable to any Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) library. The core can be used as an engine for DSP-based-ASICs, and is available as a DSP core in a standard-cell library applicable for custom chip design.

About Spreadtrum Communications

Spreadtrum Communication Inc. is a top fabless semiconductor company developing and marketing innovative digital wireless communications products. The company provides 2.5G, 3G base band chip set, protocol stack software, application software, and total solution for wireless equipment manufactures, mobile terminal vendors, and semiconductor companies. Spreadtrum leverages its expertise in mix signal design, software and software application, and wireless data communication to deliver customers with high performance, low power consumption, cost effective, and flexible and highly integrated turn-key solutions. More information about Spreadtrum can be found on its website at http://www.spreadtrum.com.

About ParthusCeva

Further information about ParthusCeva

A PDF copy of this press release is also available here

Safe Harbour Statement
This document contains "forward-looking statements", which are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including, without limitation, statements to the effect that the company or its management "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "plans" and similar expressions) should be considered forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include uncertainties relating to the ability of management to successfully integrate the operations of Parthus and Ceva, uncertainties relating to the acceptance of our DSP cores and semiconductor intellectual property offerings, continuing or worsening weakness in our markets and those of our customers, quarterly variations in our results, and other uncertainties that are discussed in the registration statement on Form S-1 of ParthusCeva (formerly called Ceva, Inc.), on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

TeakLite and TeakDSPCore are registered trademarks and SmartCores is a trademark of ParthusCeva, Inc. Other brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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