Tensilica® and MontaVista Software partner to create first Embedded Linux
Operating System for a Configurable Processor

Companies Establish Technical and Marketing Alliance

SUNNYVALE, Calif., September 4, 2001 ‹ In a joint announcement, MontaVista
Software Inc., the company powering the embedded revolution and Tensilica,
the leading supplier of configurable processor cores for embedded systems
today disclosed a wide-reaching technical and marketing agreement. The pact
leads to the porting of MontaVista Software¹s Hard Hat� Linux®, one of the
most widely used embedded Linux distributions to Tensilica¹s Xtensa®
processor architecture.

The combination of Hard Hat Linux with the Xtensa architecture will enable
an entire category of devices, previously built with proprietary controllers
or rigid processors, to exploit the incredible flexibility of Tensilica¹s
configurable processor core.  For the first time SOC developers will be able
to harness the enormous array of Linux application software on an
application optimized processor.  Utilizing Tensilica¹s OSKit� technology
Hard Hat Linux will be automatically updated to fully support all possible
configurations that meet or exceed the minimum requirements.  This will
enable Hard Hat Linux to run ³out of the box² on the customized
configurations.
This is a good move for both companies,² said Jerry Krasner, Ph.D.,
Executive Director of CMP¹s Electronics Markets Forecasters. ³It¹s a big win
for MontaVista Software in that it will augment and accelerate the
diffusion of Hard Hat Linux in the embedded space. And for Tensilica,
adding a Linux port to the other supported RTOS¹s will make Xtensa an
even more attractive option to embedded systems designers.²
"We are committed to providing best-of-breed software foundations to our
customers,² said Tensilica¹s president and CEO, Chris Rowen. ³MontaVista's
Hard Hat Linux is the perfect marriage of the true industrial-strength Linux
operating system with optimized embedded support.  Few other embedded
processor architectures, fixed or configurable, can match our new advanced
memory management capabilities for robust software environments like Linux.
We welcome MontaVista to our partners Xtensions� Network and anticipate
close collaboration with them in proliferation of Linux across the full
spectrum of communications and consumer applications.²
"As the company powering the embedded revolution, we target the most
advanced products such as Tensilica's configurable architecture.² said Jim
Ready, CEO and President, MontaVista Software. "Together, Xtensa technology
and Hard Hat Linux bring a scalable, robust and flexible platform to
embedded developers, allowing them to reduce their time to market and total
costs. "  

The Xtensa processor is targeted at high volume applications including
datacom and telecom protocol processing, digital cameras, set top boxes,
office automation products, wireless communications devices, and a spectrum
of other consumer electronic products. Announced licensees of the Xtensa
processor include Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Conexant Systems, Fujitsu
Limited, Galileo Technology, Hughes Network Systems, Mindspeed Technologies,
National Semiconductor, NEC Corporation, TranSwitch and Zilog.

Availability

MontaVista Software Hard Hat� Linux support for Tensilica¹s Xtensa®
processor architecture will be available in second quarter 2002. It will be
included in Hard Hat Linux Professional Edition, which is available by
product subscription.

About Hard Hat Linux 2.0 Professional Edition
Hard Hat Linux 2.0 Professional Edition boasts unrivaled development support
for the broadest range of embedded processor architectures, with more than
480 fully tested and supported host-target combinations.  The feature-rich
product enables development and deployment for a wide variety of embedded
applications, providing a standard platform for designs in communications
infrastructure, networking, consumer electronics, instrumentation and
control.  

About Tensilica
Tensilica was founded in July 1997 to address the fast-growing market for
configurable and extensible microprocessor cores and associated software
development tools for high volume, embedded systems. Using the company's
proprietary Xtensa Processor Generator, system-on- chip (SOC) designers can
develop a processor subsystem hardware design and a complete software
development tool environment tailored to their specific requirements in
hours.
 
Tensilica's solutions provide a proven, easy-to-use, methodology that
enables designers to achieve optimum application performance in minimum
design time. The Company has over 140 engineers engaged in research,
development, and customer support from its offices in Santa Clara,
California; Burlington, Massachusetts; Princeton, NJ; Houston, Texas;
Oxford, U.K.; Stockholm, Sweden; Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.; and Yokohama, Japan.
Tensilica is headquartered in Santa Clara, California (95054) at 3255-6
Scott Boulevard, and can be reached at (408) 986-8000 or via
www.tensilica.com. 

About MontaVista Software Inc.
MontaVista Software Inc. is a leading provider of open-source systems
software solutions for embedded developers. Founded in 1999 by real-time
operating system pioneer James Ready, MontaVista's principal offerings are
the cross development tools and operating system tailored for embedded
developers. MontaVista products include Hard HatTM Linux®, a Linux-based
embedded source and binary distribution, development platform and tool kits
for x86/IA-32, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS, SH, ARM, and other microprocessor
architectures. MontaVista offers developers a family of products and
services for embedded design targeted for applications ranging from
communications infrastructure to thin-client and edge applications.
MontaVista Software also makes available valuable technology add-on packages
that address specific customer requirements such as the Java development
environment, High Availability technology, GUI toolkit and more.

Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, Calif.,
MontaVista Software is a privately held company funded by leading investors
such Alloy Ventures, US Venture Partners, RRE Ventures, WR Hambrecht + Co.,
and Intel Capital. For more information about MontaVista, please visit
http://www.mvista.com  or call (408) 328-9200.

###
Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Hard Hat is a trademark
of MontaVista Software Inc. "Tensilica" and "Xtensa" are registered
trademarks, and "OSKit" is a trademark belonging to Tensilica Inc.  All
other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks
of their respective companies.

Contacts:
Tensilica
Editorial:
Joany Draeger
Tanis Communications
650 365 3395
joany@taniscomm.com

Kim Alfaro
408 327 7343
kim@tensilica.com
                
Partners Program:
Larry Przywara
408 327 7383
larryp@tensilica.com

MontaVista Software:
Joe Samagond       
Director of Marketing
and Corporate Communications
MontaVista Software Inc.
Phone (408) 328-9234
E-mail: jsamagond@mvista.com

Patricia Colby
PR Strategy and Business Development
Pacifico, Inc.
Phone (408) 293-8600 ext. 340
E-mail: pcolby@pacifico.com