The folks at Harvard Centro in the U.K. sent in this news item:

AMINO SELECTS VIRATA'S INTEGRATED SOFTWARE-ON-SILICON PLATFORM TO POWER ITS NETWORK APPLIANCES

Helium is the first Virata ISOS solution to be deployed in Amino-designed set-top boxes and gateways

15 November 2000: Amino Communications, a network appliance technology provider, today announced that it has selected Virata® Corporation's (Nasdaq: VRTA) Integrated Software on Silicon (ISOS) platform. Virata is a leading semiconductor and software supplier for broadband communications. Initially, the Helium(tm) communications processor is being integrated into Amino designed set-top boxes and residential gateways to provide integral ADSL connectivity by end of 2000.

Virata was selected not only for the wide range of technology building blocks it provides, which include both silicon and communications software that runs on the chip, but also because the company's technology complements Amino's own speed-to-market ethos. Virata's solutions allow companies to develop new products at breakneck speed, just as Amino's IntAct technology radically reduces time to market. Amino licenses its patent-pending IntAct network appliance technology to service providers, network operators and consumer electronics manufacturers, many of which are currently planning to offer cutting edge services to consumers and businesses.

Amino has engineered a tightly integrated module exploiting the fast time to market and security characteristics of IntAct with Virata's ISOS products. The fusion of these technologies enables Amino customers to deploy DSL products and services faster than ever before. The modules are also ideally suited to future system upgrades on an almost unlimited range of physical networks.

"Speed to market is a primary concern for our customers, with the aim of capturing first mover advantage," said Martyn Gilbert, CEO of Amino Communications. "Providing support for ADSL is critical as this broadband technology is rolled out across the globe."

"The flexibility of the Virata solution, with the ability to handle ADSL, VDSL and other broadband technologies, is great news as it ensures we can meet our customers' very tight deadlines on time and ahead of their competition," concluded Gilbert.

"We are pleased that Amino has selected our flagship Helium product to power its next-generation network appliances," said Duncan Greatwood, VP of Marketing at Virata. "Amino recognizes the unique value Helium provides by integrating the core hardware and software elements onto one chip. This integration enables Amino to introduce custom-designed network products quickly and cost-effectively."

About Helium
Helium is a low-cost, PHY-neutral communications processor that enables high-speed Internet access capability for single- and multiple-user endpoint devices such as USB modems, home gateway devices and small office/home office (SOHO) routers. The Helium chip is fully integrated with a complete networking and protocol software suite that handles ATM, frame, routing, bridging and signalling functions, as well as SNMP management.

About Amino
Based in the UK's "Silicon Fen", Amino develops and licenses network appliance technology. This is used to design fast time to market products that deliver online services across a variety of networks. The company also provides e-business consultancy services to help clients exploit fully the business opportunities that the technology facilitates.

From a portfolio of pre-engineered modules, Amino can rapidly develop a diverse range of products to meet customers' requirements for communications, video, speed, power and expansion. The modules are connected using a patent-pending distributed architecture, IntAct. IntAct lies at the heart of Amino's approach to electronic product design. With the IntAct approach, engineering costs can be reduced by up to 80% and, more important, time to market can be reduced by up to 70%. This enables companies to quickly move into new markets and gives them the opportunity to react rapidly to changing market conditions. For more information, go to www.aminocom.com.

About Virata
Virata provides communications software and semiconductors to manufacturers of DSL, wireless, and other broadband networking equipment. Virata's suite of processor-independent software products provide developers with complete, field-proven implementations of networking functions, including ATM, MPLS, and web servers, removing the need to write and validate new software code.

Virata also pre-integrates its extensive suite of communications software with its powerful and cost-effective communications processors to create "integrated software on silicon" (ISOS) products. These ISOS solutions enable customers to develop a diverse range of broadband wireless and wireline equipment including DSL modems, gateways, routers, and integrated access devices targeted at the voice and high-speed data network access and customer premises markets. Virata's products enable equipment manufacturers to simplify product development, reduce the time it takes for products to reach the market and focus resources on product differentiation and improvement.

Virata is a principal member of the ATM Forum, Bluetooth SIG organization, the DSL Forum, HomePNA, ITU, MPLS Forum, OpenDSL Alliance and UPnP Forum. A publicly traded company on the Nasdaq stock market, Virata was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California. Please visit www.virata.com for more details about Virata and its products.

For further information please contact: Ben Taylor / Louise Mason
Harvard Centro
020 7494 6100
BenT@harvard.co.uk

Sarah Keefe
Amino Communications
01954 784500
skeefe@aminocom.com

Desiree Russell
Virata
919-862-1362
drussell@virata.com

Kelly Karr
Virata
408-566-1026
kkarr@virata.com

Photography can be found at: http://www.aminocom.com/press

Ben Taylor
Harvard Centro
Tel: 020 7494 6100
Fax: 020 7494 6111
Direct Dial : 020 7494 6104

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