Marvell Announces First Family of High Performance Embedded Microprocessors Utilizing the Arm Architecture
Marvell signs broad architectural licensing agreement with ARM for long-term strategy of providing unified embedded microprocessors for high-volume SoCs targeting consumer entertainment, networking and storage applications
Cambridge, UK and Sunnyvale, California (May 19, 2004) –
Marvell® (Nasdaq: MRVL), a technology leader in the development of extreme broadband communications and storage solutions, and ARM [(LSE:ARM); (Nasdaq:ARMHY)], the industry’s leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, today announced that Marvell has signed a full architectural licensing agreement that enables them to produce a new family of high performance, proprietary embedded microprocessors that will fully run the ARM® architecture. The new microprocessors incorporate advanced RISC design techniques normally found in high-end microprocessors and achieve 500+MHz-operating frequencies using standard foundry CMOS processes. By using Marvell proprietary targeted custom design techniques, the new microprocessors are able to achieve many times the typical operating speed of fully synthesizable processor cores.
Marvell, only the second company to announce a product family based on the full ARM architecture, is using the new processor family in Marvell system-on-chip (SoC) products. Additionally, Marvell offers access to these high-performance processors for integration with select high volume customer ASICs. This important initiative of integrating the ARM Architecture technology with Marvell’s SoCs and ASICs will directly benefit customers by enabling a time-to-market advantage. Leveraging the network of development tools and third-party software supporting the ARM architecture through the ARM Connected Community program further enhances this time-to-market advantage.
“The key to many of our successful products is our mixed signal and DSP capabilities designed in Marvell’s SoCs,” said Dr. Sehat Sutardja, Marvell’s President and CEO. “We feel that it is becoming increasingly important though to embed high performance microprocessors in consumer SoCs, as our customers look to deploy more functionality and complex applications. Marvell’s investment in developing customized high performance, embedded microprocessors is targeted squarely at this market to provide the best and most unique solution to our customers.”
“This partnership with Marvell is an endorsement of the ARM architecture in high-performance embedded applications,” said Warren East, CEO, ARM. “Marvell will now be able to offer enhanced microprocessor-based SoCs that provide the high processing capabilities that are needed in the consumer entertainment, networking and storage space. ARM is committed to achieving significant growth in the embedded control market and the ARM-Marvell relationship will accelerate us towards that goal.”
There are many end markets where customers can benefit from high performance embedded microprocessors. Among the largest market opportunity is the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) market. In the traditional HDD market, faster processors translate to faster access times and transaction throughput. The new emerging consumer audio and video end markets will also benefit from small form factor and low cost HDD devices that can implement a variety of media decoding formats, such as MPEG4 and MP3. Previously these functions would have been handled using a combination of complex hardwired digital logic and one or two microprocessors versus using only one new, Marvell high performance microprocessor. This new solution not only can achieve a lower system cost but the embedded high performance microprocessor enables future upgrades to the system.
Another market that will benefit from higher performance microprocessors is the printer market. This market is a good example of where a higher performance microprocessor is always needed. Higher performance equates to more pages per minute for the end user. Similarly, low power, high performance PDAs will also benefit tremendously from high performance microprocessors and longer battery-life.
Additionally, many of Marvell's leading wired and wireless LAN communication solutions will also benefit from the new embedded microprocessor technology enabling faster, more functional switches and routers to support expanding Quality of Service, System Management, and Security capabilities.
Availability
The new embedded microprocessors are already being integrated into Marvell products. Custom ASICs are available now to high-volume customers.
About Marvell
Marvell (Nasdaq: MRVL) is the leading global semiconductor provider of complete broadband communications and storage solutions. The Company’s diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless, and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home, and storage networking. As used in this release, the terms “Company” and “Marvell” refer to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries, including Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. (MSI), Marvell Asia Pte Ltd. (MAPL), Marvell Japan K.K., Marvell Taiwan Ltd., Marvell International Ltd. (MIL), Marvell U.K. Limited, Marvell Semiconductor Israel Ltd. (MSIL), RADLAN Computer Communications Ltd., and SysKonnect GmbH. MSI is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and designs, develops and markets products on behalf of MIL and MAPL. MSI may be contacted at (408) 222-2500 or at www.marvell.com.
About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM’s 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines, peripherals, software and tools, combined with the company’s broad Partner community, provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is available at http://www.arm.com.
Safe Harbor Statement of Marvell under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “can,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “shall,” “continue,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements in this release. Statements referring to or based on uncertainties also identify forward-looking statements. These statements include those relating to the products operating speed and those relating to the identification of end markets expected to benefit from high performance embedded microprocessors. All forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in these statements. Some risks and uncertainties include the timing, cost and successful completion of development and volume production, end-customer qualification and adoption, and the timing, pricing, rescheduling, or cancellation of orders. For other factors that could cause Marvell’s results to vary from expectations, please see the sections titled “Additional Factors That May Affect Future Results” in Marvell’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2004 and Marvell’s subsequent reports on Form 10-Q. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements.
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