Virtio Virtual Platforms Enable Texas Instruments to Accelerate Software Development and Customer Time-to-Market


CAMPBELL, CA-September 29, 2005- Virtio Corporation announced today that Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) has entered into a one-year agreement with Virtio to leverage Virtio's Virtual Platform for several of TI's solutions, including its OMAP(TM) platform for mobile devices. By using the Virtio Platform to speed software development schedules, TI is enabling customers and third parties to more rapidly introduce new devices and applications into the marketplace based on TI technology.

Virtio's Virtual Platforms give handset manufacturers and third parties a full-function hardware-equivalent solution, enabling software developers to boot an operating system and debug application code long before hardware becomes available. Once physical boards become available, Virtio Virtual Platforms provide a stable environment for developers to do fine-grained, multi-core debugging using existing software development tools and debuggers.

TI uses Virtio's products and services to accelerate embedded software development and system-level validation of TI OMAP application processors, reference designs and development systems. Both TI and Virtio will work together to proliferate this model for developing complete solutions to TI's OEM customers and third parties.

"By using Virtio's Virtual Platforms, TI is able to develop software and silicon in parallel, which enables us to deliver mature code and drivers to customers faster and speeds their time to market. This software development schedule savings equates with significant bottom-line benefits for TI and our customers," said Avner Goren, marketing director of TI's Cellular Systems Business.

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TI is currently using Virtio's Virtual Platforms and Platform Development Kits for its OMAP application processors, the OMAP-Vox(TM) family of wireless solutions, 2.5G and 3G chipsets, and the DA295 and other imaging and audio processors.

TI Cellular Systems Group is currently using Virtio's Virtual Platforms and Platform Development Kits for their OMAP(TM) processors, the OMAP-Vox(TM) platform, and 2.5G and 3G chipsets. In addition, the TI Imaging and Audio Groups use the platforms and kits for the DA295 and other processors.

Shay Ben-Chorin, CEO of Virtio, stated, "Virtio's expertise and rich library of system-level IPs enable timely modeling of TI's complex SoCs and boards. The consequences of missing market windows for the bottom line of a TI OEM are huge. OEMs and ISVs using Virtio platforms significantly reduce this risk. Actual customer experience with Virtio platforms demonstrates a productivity improvement of 2x to 5x compared to traditional development practices. The ability to develop, integrate, run and test full system software without depending on physical hardware gets products to market faster and increases profits." Ben-Chorin concluded, "Virtio Virtual Platforms take simulation to a level software developers need in terms of speed and capabilities."

As previously announced in June 2004, TI reached an agreement with Virtio to create simulation technology for next-generation baseband platforms and to develop Virtual Platforms for TI's next-generation wireless silicon. This agreement results, in part, from the productivity gains achieved with Virtual Platforms that Virtio has developed for TI's OMAP processors and platforms (http://virtio.com/newsroom/pressRelease/0,1551,607,00.html).

About Virtio
Virtio powers dramatic gains in software development by delivering early access to fast, full-function software emulation of embedded devices. Virtio is based in Campbell, California, in the U.S.A with development centers in Campbell, the Alba Centre, Livingston, Scotland and Moscow, Russia. Additional information about Virtio is available at www.virtio.com.

About TI
TI is the leading manufacturer of wireless semiconductors, delivering the heart of today's wireless technology and building solutions for tomorrow. TI provides a breadth of silicon and software and 15 years of wireless systems expertise that spans handsets and base stations for all communications standards, wireless LAN, GPS, mobile TV, Bluetooth® and Ultra Wideband. TI offers custom to turn-key solutions, including complete chipsets and reference designs, OMAP application processors, as well as core digital signal processor and analog technologies built on advanced semiconductor processes. Please visit www.ti.com/wirelesspressroom for additional information.

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Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

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Virtio is a trademark of Virtio Corp. OMAP is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies and should be treated as such.

North American Sales Contact: Virtio Corporation, 1688 Dell Avenue, Suite 210, Campbell, CA 95008, Tel: 408-341-0844, Fax: 408-341-0849, Email: sales@virtio.com.

International Distributors: Sightsys, Ltd. in Israel at +972-3-9222771; Toyo Corporation, Ltd. in Japan at +81 (0) 3-3279-0771; MDS Technology Company, Ltd. in Korea at +82-2-2106-6072;
and CMI Technologies, Inc. in Taiwan at 886 (-2) 23516362 or SuperLink Technology Corporation at 886 2 26983456.

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