BIOS Firmware supports quad-core AMD Opteron(TM) processor.

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Original Press Release:

General Software, Inc. First BIOS Provider to Support AMD Barcelona

Embedded BIOS® with StrongFrame(TM) Technology Available Now for OEMs and System Builders Deploying New Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) Processor SEATTLE, WA - September 11, 2007 - General Software, Inc. is the first BIOS provider to offer commercially ready firmware for AMD's (NYSE:AMD) new Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) processor. Released in conjunction with yesterday's launch of Barcelona, General Software's Embedded BIOS® with StrongFrame(TM) Technology firmware is also the first to leverage AMD's new AGESA 3 software. The newest version of AMD's AGESA is required to enable all four processors on a single core. As the silicon industry continues to leap ahead and computing environments get more and more complex, General Software remains the leader in firmware innovations that unleash the power of CPU advances for the market benefit of OEMs and ODMs. A long-term AMD (http://www.amd.com/us-en/) partner, General Software gained early access to AMD's Quad-Core Opteron hardware and worked in concert with AMD to ensure optimal performance for mutual customers. The Quad-Core AMD Opteron(TM) processor that was announced yesterday comprises four processing cores on a single piece of silicon. AMD bills it as "the world's most advanced x86 processor ever designed and manufactured and the first native x86 quad-core microprocessor" delivering "dramatically escalating performance-per-watt emphasis." General Software provides firmware for a wide range of applications including telecom/datacom equipment, servers, blades, Ultra-Mobile PCs, industrial PCs, targeted PCs, differentiated mainboards, and embedded devices including medical, gaming, kiosks, point-of-sale, DVR and commercial and military avionics. Embedded BIOS® with StrongFrameTM Technology, already running some of the world's largest high performance data centers, increases performance and reliability while reducing support costs with proprietary features such as: o a High Availability (HA) subsystem that monitors entire system health and "self heals" itself by implementing configurable recovery policies, o remote provisioning and monitoring, o the fastest boot in the industry (0.085 second POST, 0.838 second Linux boot, and 24 second Windows Vista boot), o a robust set of diagnostics, and o advanced security options "General Software has consistently demonstrated its ability to support the latest silicon and technologies that drive industry innovation and enable OEMs to achieve faster time-to-market at lowered costs," said Craig Husa, General Software CEO. "The Quad-Core AMD Opteron processor answers the call for rugged and high-performance, high-demand computing required by large enterprises and intense computing requirements," continued Husa. General Software recently unveiled its flagship StrongFrame(TM) Technology, which enables targeted cores to be created for a wide range of applications. Unlike other firmware offerings, which have a centralized proprietary core and architectural modules for CPUs, chipsets, and other components underneath it, StrongFrame(TM) Technology allows the core itself to be a pluggable module, enabling many cores to be supported within the same framework. The individual cores then target specific markets, such as telecom, servers, UMPCs, targeted PCs, and embedded. StrongFrame(TM) Technology then leverages proprietary programming of CPUs, chipsets, SIOs, whole boards, and other building blocks across all General Software's specialized cores. The result is that the same set of silicon programming modules can be used across many unique applications. With StrongFrame(TM) Technology, OEMs can quickly produce and differentiate motherboards for multiple markets, saving money and time otherwise spent on having to independently build firmware for each of their markets. About General Software, Inc. General Software provides firmware for a wide range of applications including Ultra-Mobile PCs, industrial PCs, targeted PCs, differentiated mainboards, telecom/datacom equipment, servers, blades, and embedded devices including medical, gaming, kiosks, point-of-sale, DVR, and commercial and military avionics. Original Device Manufacturers (ODMs) choose the General Software® brand for the domain expertise that gets customers to market quickly, reduces project risks and enables market differentiation for highly successful products. For more information about General Software visit gensw.com, e-mail sales@gensw.com, or call us at 800.850.5755 or 425.576.8300.