CEVA Announces Foundry Program Partnership With Tower Semiconductor
SAN JOSE, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 10-05-2004 --
CEVA, Inc., (NASDAQ: CEVA); (LSE: CVA), the
leading licensor of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) cores and
communications solutions to the semiconductor industry, today announced
that Tower Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ: TSEM); (TASE: TSEM), has joined
CEVA's foundry program and will offer CEVA's Xpert-Teak DSP platform to its
customers.
Xpert-Teak is a complete DSP system-on-chip (SoC) framework built around
CEVA's low-power, high-performance Teak DSP core and integrates the
complete range of system peripherals including memory, DMA and system
interfaces. Delivered as a pre-integrated DSP platform and proven on Tower
semiconductor's 0.18um process, Xpert-Teak provides Tower's customers with
significant cost and time-to-market advantages over the more traditional
approach of licensing a core without the associated sub-system peripherals
already integrated.
Tower's participation in CEVA's foundry program reflects the DSP market's
rapid growth. Analyst research firm Forward Concepts, forecast that DSP
market will grow 25% in 2004 over semiconductor revenues of $6.1 billion
achieved in 2003. Tower's specialized processes for digital imaging,
audio/video, mixed signal and wireless communications along with CEVA
Xpert-Teak's proven performance in these market segments, provides
customers with a silicon proven DSP core and platform enabling rapid-ramp
to market for their products.
"With the exponential growth in DSP based solutions, we are pleased to
partner with CEVA, a world leader in licensable DSP technology," said Doron
Simon, Vice President Marketing and President of Tower Semiconductor USA.
"This relationship will allow Tower to expand our 0.18um, inherently low
leakage exhibiting process, with this addition of Xpert-Teak DSP platform
from CEVA."
"Our partnership with Tower enables both companies to broaden our market by
enabling us to offer best-in-class silicon proven DSP solutions to the
broad base of Tower's customers," said Chet Silvestri, president and CEO of
CEVA. "Teaming with a semiconductor foundry like Tower will deepen our DSP
penetration in cellular markets and expand into the rapidly growing arena
of digital multimedia applications."
About Tower Semiconductor Ltd.
Tower Semiconductor Ltd. is a pure-play independent wafer foundry
established in 1993. The company manufactures integrated circuits with
geometries ranging from 1.0 to 0.18 microns; it also provides complementary
manufacturing services and design support. In addition to digital CMOS
process technology, Tower offers advanced non-volatile memory solutions,
mixed-signal and CMOS image-sensor technologies. To provide world-class
customer service, the company maintains two manufacturing facilities: Fab 1
has process technologies from 1.0 to 0.35 microns and can produce up to
16,000 150mm wafers per month. Fab 2 features 0.18-micron and below process
technologies, including foundry-standard technology, and will offer full
production capacity of 33,000 200mm wafers per month. The Tower Web site is
located at www.towersemi.com.
About CEVA, Inc - The DSP Powerhouse
Headquartered in San Jose, CEVA (NASDAQ: CEVA) and
(LSE: CVA) is the leading licensor of DSP cores and communications
solutions to the semiconductor industry. CEVA markets a portfolio of DSP IP
in three integrated areas: CEVA DSPs, CEVA Xpert Open Framework
Environment, and CEVA Xpert Applications, all supported by Xpert
Integration services. CEVA's products are used in over 50 million devices
each year. CEVA was created through the merger of the DSP licensing
division of DSP Group, and Parthus Technologies. For more information,
visit www.ceva-dsp.com.
Contacts:
CEVA, Inc.
Barry Nolan
Tel: 1-408-514-2900
Media Contact
Josh Shuman
Tel: 1-212-593-5886
shumanj@ruderfinn.com
