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From:	 "Dave Tubbs" <davet@Censoft.com>
To:	 <press@censoft.com>
Subject: National & Century Announce Linux Set-top Box Offerings & Partnership
Date:	 Mon, 11 Jun 2001 11:03:36 -0600

Greetings!

Links to the online versions of these press releases
can be found at:

http://embedded.censoft.com/news/11June01_National_Century_PR.html
http://www.national.com/news/item/0,1735,660,00.html

The full Century press release follows.

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                 # # #   For Immediate Release   # # #


Century Embedded Technologies Selected by National Semiconductor
as Technical Partner for Linux Set-Top Box Tools

Partnership promotes open-source Linux solutions for set-top boxes
based on National Semiconductor's Geode processor family

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - June 11, 2001 - Century Embedded Technologies
and National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) announced today that Century
Embedded Technologies, a division of Century Software, will act as
Technical Partner for open-source software technologies for the
National(R) Geode(tm) SP1SC10 set-top box reference platform.

Century Embedded Technologies, a recognized leader and developer of
open-source software projects for the Linux operating system, will
provide all technical support for National's set-top box original
equipment manufacturers, distribution partners, development partners,
and customers.  This includes software ports to popular embedded
Linux distributions, on-going driver and application development
based on international video standards, and the design of tools and
development environments used to create set-top box applications
and customized user interfaces.  Century will also maintain open-
source projects based on National's set-top box hardware and
software technologies.

Century has developed WebMedia, a plugin-based application framework
that includes an integrated web browser, HTML-based menu system,
application manager, and a variety of plugins used to control all
facets of the set-top box.  WebMedia, when combined with open-source
drivers from National, form a complete top-to-bottom Linux software
solution for next-generation set-top boxes.

"There has been a great deal of interest from the Linux developer
community in National's set-top box solution," said Dave Pedersen,
set-top box business unit director at National Semiconductor.
"Linux software is touted as an ideal solution for the next generation
set-top box products.  To best serve these developers, we have entered
into this technical partnership with Century Software to ensure that
the best tools and highest level of technical support is available."

"A whole new dynamic has been created in set-top box technology by
combining National's engineering prowess in multimedia processor
development with Century's skills as a software developer and
integrator," said Gregory Haerr, founder and CEO of Century Software.
"The Geode processor's x86 architecture is unique in the set-top box
arena and provides the ideal power and performance for a Linux-based
system."

Next-generation set-top boxes will be the delivery point for new
entertainment programs and services soon to be offered in the home.
They will combine Internet access, browsing, streaming media playback,
DVD, video-on-demand, email, shopping, DTV/HDTV, home networking, and
a host of other features into a single, unified system.  According to
Strategy Analytics, interactive digital television is expected to reach
625 million viewers by 2005.  Forrester Research reports that 50% of
European households will have access to interactive DTV by 2005, and
that set-top boxes will be a gateway to more than $269 billion in
online orders - and will influence another $378 billion in offline sales.

"Century's experience with a variety of Linux distributions and our
background as developers of open-source projects such as Microwindows(tm)
and ViewML(tm) make us the ideal Technical Partner for National," said
Haerr.  "Our engineering staff includes experts in the fields of embedded
environments, advanced video technologies, networking, kernel development,
graphical user interfaces and the Internet.  As television, cable, and
satellite operators continue their move into digital broadcasting, new
opportunities will appear for interactive programming. Linux support for
set-top boxes will continue to grow in the software community, and
Century will play a key role in developing and coordinating dozens of new
open-source set-top box projects based on National Semiconductor's Geode
multimedia processor."

About Century Embedded Technologies
Century Embedded Technologies, a division of Century Software, Inc., is a
leading developer of core applications technologies for the worldwide
embedded Linux applications market.  These technologies include graphical
windowing system development and runtime environments, customized Internet
browsers and HTML viewers, and embedded multimedia technologies.  These
core technologies are designed specifically to enable chip manufacturers,
hardware board vendors, and their customers to build embedded applications
on most popular microprocessor architectures.  Additional company and
product information is available on the World Wide Web at
embedded.centurysoftware.com.

                                          # # #



Contact:

Dave Tubbs
Director of Video Strategies
Century Embedded Technologies
Tel: +1.801.268.3088
FAX: +1.801.268.2772
davet@censoft.com



Century Software, Century Embedded Technologies, Microwindows, and ViewML
are trademarks or registered trademarks of Century Software, Inc.  National
Semiconductor is a registered trademark and Geode is a trademark of National
Semiconductor Corporation.  Linux is a registered trademark of Linus
Torvalds.
All other trade names or marks are the properties of their respective
owners.

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