CompactPCI Market Leaders Collaborate To Address Next Generation Open Communications Platform Requirements

Agere Systems, Bustronic, Elma Electronic, FCI Electronics, Motorola Computer Group, Natural MicroSystems, Pigeon Point Systems, StarGen, and Sun Microsystems, to Deliver Proof-of-Concept System Designs Using Innovative Switch Fabric Technology

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - January 15, 2001 at Bus&Board 2001 - Today the StarFabric Working Group, a group of leading communications industry companies exploring next generation technologies compatible with CompactPCI, disclosed their activities and plans for 2001. The StarFabric Working Group companies share a common vision of the need to build on the success of CompactPCI in the communications market in order to meet critical customer requirements for next-generation equipment.

The working group is utilizing StarGen, Inc.'s unique universal switch fabric technology as the basis of proof-of-concept designs intended to illustrate various communications system solutions. StarGen's switch fabric is a high-speed, point-to-point backplane and chassis-to-chassis interconnect solution. Each proof of concept design will demonstrate how switch fabric-based systems can address critical requirements including system scalability, flexibility, high availability, and quality of service while maintaining compatibility with existing CompactPCI architectures.

"In order to continue its growth in the communication market, CompactPCI must evolve beyond its current bus-based architectures. The StarFabric Working Group is demonstrating a path forward that is attractive in both its advanced capabilities and its backwards compatibility," said Warren Andrews of Marketing and Technology Quarterly.

"The CompactPCI standards have provided the foundation for a dynamic and growing market for open communication platforms. Efforts like those of the StarFabric Working Group ensure that the CompactPCI architecture will continue to evolve in a compatible way to meet new and challenging market requirements. This type of evolution can open up and expand market opportunities for the entire CompactPCI community," said Joe Pavlat, president PICMG.

Companies participating in the working group are taking a lead in this process by investing in the development of proof-of-concept designs and functional prototypes for demonstration starting in April 2001. Mock-ups and paper designs are being shown at the Bus and Board conference this week. StarGen and the StarFabric Working Group intend to open the technology specification to the industry so all vendors can create compatible and interoperable products with no royalty or license fees.

"The StarFabric Working Group represents leading silicon, platform, software and application providers in the open communication platform market. This collaborative system-level approach to CompactPCI evolution will insure the total solution requirements of communication OEMs are met," said Tracy Richardson, president, StarGen, Inc.

The StarFabric Working Group currently includes Agere Systems (formerly the Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies), Bustronic, Elma Electronic, FCI Electronics, Motorola Computer Group, Natural MicroSystems, Pigeon Point Systems, StarGen, and Sun Microsystems.

About Agere Systems, formerly Lucent Microelectronics Group

Agere Systems' Integrated Circuits division designs, develops and manufactures communications products for wireless, access, networking and computing applications. Its Optoelectronics division designs, develops and manufactures optoelectronic components for long- and short-haul communications networks. It is the only major, stand-alone company with both optoelectronics and integrated circuits capabilities in-house and the systems expertise to develop end-to-end networking solutions that address the convergence of photonics and electronics. The new company will also provide wireless computer networking system solutions through its ORiNOCOTM product line.

About Bustronic

Founded in 1989, BUSTRONIC Corporation specializes in the design and manufacture of high-performance backplanes. BUSTRONIC has a complete line of industry-standard backplanes, including CompactPCI, VME, VME64x, V320, H.110 CTEL, and VXI. BUSTRONIC's custom design service combines creative engineering, highly sophisticated computer simulation and modern design techniques to offer customized backplanes that serve the high-growth telecom market and other specialized systems. A member of the ELMA Electronic group, BUSTRONIC is located in Fremont, California. BUSTRONIC is a member of PICMG(TM) and VITA and can be found on the World Wide Web at www.bustronic.com.

About Elma Electronic

Founded in 1962, Elma Electronic Inc. is an industry innovator in the design and manufacture of electronic enclosures and passive electronic components. Elma USA has achieved a leading position in the CPCI, VME/VME64x, VXI, and Rugged COTS packaging markets. Elma's component products consist of switches, collect knobs, and LED arrays. Headquartered in Switzerland, with offices in 22 countries, Elma has the ability to respond rapidly, with superior solutions to the requirements of its customers. Elma has a broad base of customers throughout the United States in diverse industries such as telecommunications, industrial control, medical electronics, military and defense.

About FCI Electronics

FCI is the world's second largest connector manufacturer headquartered in Paris, France and employing over 18,000 people worldwide. FCI operates more than 60 production facilities in 29 countries. FCI continues as a leader in design modeling and signal integrity simulation with its proprietary ICONSIM(R) software and other tools employing dedicated FCI development and test laboratories.

About Motorola

Motorola Computer Group is a business unit of Motorola Integrated Electronic Systems Sector (IESS). The organization was formed in 1985 and is the world's leading supplier of embedded computing platforms to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for use in telecommunications, network storage, imaging, medical equipment and semiconductor production and test equipment applications. It offers design and manufacturing capabilities, as well as a broad range of service, training and systems integration capabilities. Motorola Computer Group is headquartered in Tempe, Ariz. Additional information about Motorola Computer Group is available at www.motorola.com/computer. The Integrated Electronic Systems Sector (IESS) is part of Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT). IESS is a leading provider of advanced electronic products and systems - DigitalDNATM, chips, systems and ideas that help smart companies create smart products. Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 1999 were $33.1 billion. http://www.motorola.com/

About Natural Microsystems

Natural MicroSystems (NASDAQ:NMSS) is the technology leader making it possible for the world's top networking and communication equipment suppliers to create and accelerate communications infrastructure and services. The Framingham, MA company designs, develops and supplies network-quality hardware and software components and provides design and customization services that are enabling a new era communications. Deployed in more than 65 countries, NMS' products and technologies are at the foundation of today's high-value communications systems, including network-based enhanced service platforms, media and access gateways, media servers, voice portals, web-enabled call centers, unified messaging platforms and wireless networks. NMS has a long history of technology innovations that advance the rapid growth of the communications industry worldwide, including breakthroughs such as the first complete open IP gateway, the first complete open packet media server and leadership in bringing open, scalable CompactPCI to the telecommunications industry. More information about NMS is available at http://www.nmss.com.

About Pigeon Point Systems

Pigeon Point Systems (www.pigeonpoint.com) provides products and services that support the conversion of Internet and other communications infrastructure to the use of open, highly leveraged platforms such as CompactPCI. The first of those products, the Pigeon Point Hot Swap Kit, has been licensed to Microsoft for inclusion in a future release of Windows Embedded, and is immediately available to CompactPCI platform vendors to enable hot swap for Windows 2000 users of their platforms. Pigeon Point Systems authored much of the software content of the Hot Swap and Hot Swap Infrastructure Interface Specifications, chairs the Software Interoperability subcommittee and is active in other technical subcommittees of PICMG.

About Sun Microsystems

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision - The Network Is The Computer™ - has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW), to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to dot-com their businesses. With $17.6 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.

About StarGen

StarGen (www.StarGen.com) is a fabless semiconductor company that is developing new switch fabric technology for the communications industry. The technology will benefit vendors of carrier and enterprise communication platforms for next generation voice, data, and video networks. Early adopters will include those building open standards based access/edge equipment such as Voice over Network gateways, DSLAMS, wireless base stations, cable headend systems, edge routers, and remote access concentrators. StarGen's technology will provide a dramatic increase in equipment performance, reliability, and Quality of Service while providing for the retention of existing standards-based hardware and software investment. Founded in February 1999, StarGen is funded by a group of prestigious venture capital companies, including Morgenthaler Ventures (www.morgenthaler.com), St. Paul Venture Capital (www.stpaulvc.com), Commonwealth Capital Ventures (www.ccvlp.com) and Bessemer Venture Partners (www.bessemervp.com). StarGen is headquartered in Marlborough Massachusetts.