ZiLOG® Forms 'ECOSystem' Collaborations to Deliver Total Design Solution for POS and Secure Transaction Products
SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 6 -- ZiLOG®, Inc., a leading provider of integrated microcontrollers (MCUs), universal remote control and secure financial transaction solutions, today announced details of a series of strategic collaborations that it has formed with key companies in the Point-of-Sale (POS) and secure financial transactions markets to develop the 'ZiLOG ECOSystem,' a comprehensive POS reference design kit for the company's ZA9L ARM-9® ASSP family that delivers all the elements necessary for companies to design and bring to market POS and secure financial transaction products quickly and easily. ZiLOG will showcase the ZiLOG ECOSystem POS reference design kit on stand 4M120 at the CARTES security show in Paris from November 7-9 2006.
The ZiLOG ECOSystem is a collaboration between ZiLOG, Advance Printing Systems, Inside Contactless, MPC Data and VirtualLogix, each of whom bring their expertise to the reference design. The result is a complete development environment which includes all the functionality needed to develop a payment solution, including certified EMV Level 1, secure Real-Time Virtualization(TM) software, a complete Linux port, low-cost, compact thermal printer and drivers, multi-standard contactless readers and drivers, and the ZA9L high performance ARM-9 ASSP. The combination of these elements reduces design and certification time and risk for customers, who can take the ZA9L POS reference design kit, which is fully customizable, and use it to develop and bring to market their own products cost effectively, securely and rapidly.
Commenting on the announcement, ZiLOG Interim CEO Robin Abrams said: "The development and introduction of the ZiLOG ECOSystem collaborations builds on the company's focus on solutions, rather than simply a supplier of silicon, a factor that really differentiates us from our competitors in this space. This approach provides our customers with a nearly complete system design, PCI PED compliant hardware and EMV Level 1 certified solutions for faster time to market, reduction in development cost and minimized risk. In addition to this initial set of ZiLOG ECOSystem collaborators, we are looking to expand our ZiLOG ECOSystem solutions specifically in the design services area with experienced partners specializing in the POS field that enables our customers to design their products quickly utilizing the design knowledge of already having worked with the ZA9L POS ASSP Family of devices."
ZiLOG is also working with Eigen Development Ltd. (www.eigendev.com) to combine Eigen's EMV Level 2 kernel with ZiLOG's EMV Level 1 certified drivers to enable a complete EMV solution. Eigen Development provides innovative payment processing solutions to merchants and financial institutions. It offers a complete suite of products including software development/licensing, hardware design/ licensing, consulting and transaction management services. The EMV Level 2 application kernel is the latest addition to Eigen's suite. Customers rely on Eigen's eighteen years of experience and large array of products to help meet all their transaction processing requirements. Eigen will be previewing an alpha version of its EMV Level 2 kernel at ZiLOG's booth at the CARTES. The kernel will be running on ZiLOG's ZA9L POS Reference Design Kit.
At the core of the POS reference design kit is ZiLOG's ZA9L Series of high-security, high-performance, 32-bit RISC ARM-9 microcontrollers offers unparalleled security, performance and communications features tailored to the specific requirements of secure transactions markets - POS terminals, PIN pads, ATMs, vending kiosks, ticketing and postage meters. The ZA9L embeds a number of system peripherals, such as card readers, physical and environmental protection and communications peripherals, into a small, low power device.
About the ZiLOG ECOSystem collaborators
Advanced Printing Systems (www.aps-printers.com) is an international company specializing in the design, manufacturing and customization of thermal printer mechanisms, controller boards and OEM finished printers. Established in 1995, APS achieved important results in just a few short years, becoming the world leader in its market segment thanks to its wide range of products and solutions for any specified industrial and retail applications. APS' patented easy loading printing solution for portable and industrial application is well known globally in the POS market. The company's latest printer mechanism and software drivers are being demonstrated with ZiLOG's POS Reference Design Kit.
INSIDE Contactless (www.insidecontactless.com) is a leading fabless semiconductor provider, delivering the most flexible, innovative, cost- effective, and trusted platform for contactless applications including bank card payments and Near Field Communications (NFC). INSIDE is involved in numerous industry initiatives, including the NFC Forum, which is driving the standardization of NFC. INSIDE's PicoRead(TM) RF chip, the pioneer and front runner in contactless Smart Card reader Interface Chips, integrates seamlessly into the ZiLOG ECOSystem Reference Design Kit.
MPC Data (www.mpc-data.co.uk) are embedded software specialists with a 22- year track record of delivering solutions to multinational clients. Working closely with those clients, MPC Data offers extensive knowledge of operating systems, device support and application development to complement in-house development teams enabling earlier, lower risk product entry into highly competitive markets. With over 15 years Linux development experience, MPC Data is the perfect choice to provide feature rich operating platforms for ZiLOG's ZA9L POS ASSP Family. Linux is the first 32-bit operating system to fully utilize the security features of the ZA9L and provides a wealth of device drivers including soft modem, smart card and magnetic card readers, Ethernet and USB.
VirtualLogix(TM) (www.virtuallogix.com) VLX Real-Time Virtualization software enables ZiLOG to deliver a single-chip, low-cost solution to Point of Sale (POS) terminal manufacturers. The joint solution gives manufacturers the ability to add rich, Linux-based applications on a single-chip using the ZA9L POS ASSP Family of processors, while maintaining strong PCI PED security between the open OS and the core payment services. With the rising demand for new features, increased adoption of Linux, and growing level of malware, VirtualLogix secure software architecture enables POS terminal manufacturers, Service Providers and Financial Services Operators to deliver more reliable, lower-cost POS terminals with a secure & fault tolerant architecture to the market.
Further information on CARTES can be found at www.cartes.com. Further information on ZiLOG's portfolio of product and services can be found at www.zilog.com
About ZiLOG, Inc.
ZiLOG, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZILG) Founded in 1974, ZiLOG won international acclaim for designing one of the first architectures in the microprocessors and microcontrollers industry. Today, ZiLOG is a leading global supplier of 8- bit micro logic devices. It designs, manufactures and markets a broad portfolio of devices for embedded control and communication applications used in consumer electronics, home appliances, security systems, point of sales terminals, personal computer peripherals, as well as industrial and automotive applications. ZiLOG is headquartered in San Jose, California, and employs approximately 500 people worldwide with sales offices throughout Asia, Europe and North America. For more information about ZiLOG and its products, visit the Company's website at: www.ZiLOG.com
Source: ZiLOG, Inc.
CONTACT:
Stew Chalmers
Positio Public Relations
+1-408-453-2400
stew@positio.com
Web site: www.zilog.com/
