Tensilica Technology Helps Power World’s Fastest Router

SANTA CLARA, Calif.– August 2, 2004 – Tensilica, Inc. today announced that Cisco Systems’ new Cisco Carrier Routing System utilizes Tensilica technology. Cisco software developers took advantage of Tensilica’s software tools and optimized Tensilica’s Xtensa configurable cores to develop the innovative 40 Gigabit per second (Gbps) Cisco Silicon Packet Processor used in the Cisco CRS-1.

“We’re delighted to congratulate Cisco on this amazing engineering innovation,” stated Bernie Rosenthal, senior vice president of marketing and sales at Tensilica. “By utilizing Tensilica’s software tools, plus the configurability and efficiency of the embedded Xtensa cores, Cisco is setting a new benchmark for communications performance.”

The Cisco CRS-1 is the industry's only carrier routing system that seamlessly scales up to 92 terabits per second, and enables service providers to deliver the most scalable, available and flexible converged packet infrastructure. . The CRS-1 can transmit information four times more rapidly and can expand to 100 times more overall capacity than any router in the industry. . At its highest capacity, and with the appropriate infrastructure, the CRS-1 system could run an 850 kilobit-per-second (Kbps) connection to every household in the United States, transfer the entire collection of the US. Library of congress in 4.6 seconds, or simultaneously connect three billion telephone calls.

About Tensilica

Tensilica was founded in July 1997 to address the growing need for optimized, application-specific microprocessor solutions in high-volume embedded applications. With a configurable and extensible microprocessor core called Xtensa, Tensilica is the only company that has automated and patented the time-consuming process of generating a customized microprocessor core along with a complete software development tool environment, producing new configurations in a matter of hours. For more information, visit www.tensilica.com.

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Editors’ Notes:

• Tensilica, and Xtensa are registered trademarks belonging to Tensilica Inc.
• Tensilica’s announced licensees include Agilent, ALPS, AMCC (JNI Corporation), Astute Networks, Avision, Bay Microsystems, Berkeley Wireless Research Center, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Conexant Systems, Cypress, Crimson Microsystems, ETRI, FUJIFILM Microdevices, Fujitsu Ltd., Hudson Soft, Hughes Network Systems, Ikanos Communications, LG Electronics, Marvell, NEC Laboratories America, NEC Corporation, NetEffect, Nippon Telephone and Telegraph (NTT), Olympus Optical Co. Ltd., S2io, Solid State Systems, Sony, STMicroelectronics, TranSwitch Corporation, and Victor Company of Japan (JVC).