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News Releases from Headquarters

October 11, 2000
Hitachi and STMicroelectronics Announce Plans
To Co-Develop the Next-Generation SuperH(R) Architectures,
the SH-6 and SH-7
Joint Engineering Partnership Continues to Expand
the SuperH Product Line from the SH-5 Into Higher Performing Embedded Processors for Digital Consumer Devices and
Home Networking Internet Appliances
#
Hitachi,Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) announced today that they 
are planning to co-develop the SuperH(R) SH-6 and SH-7 architectures, the upward
-compatible, next-generation architectures of the SH-5, which was jointly announced 
in October 1999.
	The two companies together plan to develop the new 64-bit RISC SH-6/SH-7 
(Hitachi) and ST60/ST70 (STMicroelectronics) product series following on from the 
successful co-development of the SH-5. Target applications for these advanced 
architectures will include the personal information electronics (PIE) markets of 
digital video cameras, video telephones, home networking Internet appliances and 
digital televisions but will be expanded into additional consumer devices as the 
market demands.
        By continuing to combine their efforts, the two companies' goal is to 
deliver high-performance, low-cost processors to the market more quickly than would 
have been possible working alone and to create an architectural standard for consumer 
multimedia systems.
	Operating up to one gigahertz (GHz) and delivering over 2GIPS (2000MIPS) 
performance, the SH-6 architecture will be compatible with the SH-5 architecture, 
which has just been released for manufacturing and will be sampling by the end of 
the year.  Building on the SH-5, the SH-6 architecture will include micro-architecture 
enhancements for more advanced interactive networking applications and is expected to 
be available in second half 2002.  The SH-7 architecture will expand on the SH-6 to 
provide an even more advanced CPU for multimedia applications. Features of the SH-7 
will largely be determined after the SH-6 is more fully developed and the market more 
defined in the next few years.
	"Combining Hitachi's RISC technology with ST's successful consumer technology 
will definitely continue to create new generations of SuperH architectures," said 
Kunio Hasegawa, Executive Vice President of Semiconductor and Integrated Circuits for 
Hitachi, Ltd. 
"In the growing age of personal information electronics, this collaboration will 
provide more flexibility, more performance and less cost for customers. The 
strengthening alliance between Hitachi and ST will also give further proof of SuperH 
as a leader in RISC processors worldwide."
	"ST is collaborating with Hitachi to co-develop SuperH CPUs which are an 
essential building block in ST's strategy of delivering system-on-chip solutions for 
digital consumer applications," said Philippe Geyres, Corporate Vice-President and 
General Manager, Consumer and Microcontroller Groups, STMicroelectronics." Co-
development allows ST to optimize the CPU for software porting, performance and cost 
while supporting a defacto standard CPU that attracts third-party software."
        STMicroelectronics and Hitachi have already achieved considerable success 
in the embedded microcontroller and microprocessor markets with their own product 
families.  Hitachi's semiconductors have been widely adopted for consumer, industrial 
and networking communication products such gaming consoles, personal information 
devices, auto navigation, cable modem, and audio and video equipment, while ST's 
products are used extensively in set-top box, automotive and global positioning 
systems.
	Both companies have successfully established proprietary processors in 
the market: Hitachi with its H8 and H8S series of 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers and 
its SuperH line of 32- and 64-bit microprocessors; and ST with its ST6, ST7, ST9, ST10 
and ST20 microcontrollers and ST40 and ST50 microprocessors. Both companies have an 
enormous range of peripherals that can be integrated with their processor cores to 
offer system-on-a-chip (SOC) solutions to their customers. The software expertise of 
the two companies will be used to create a comprehensive range of software development 
tools for reducing time-to-market and will use extensive libraries of application 
software for product differentiation.

About STMicroelectronics
	STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global 
independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock 
Exchange, on the Bourse de Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The company designs, 
develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits 
(ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, 
including telecommunications Hitachi and STMicroelectronics Announce Plans To Co-
Develop the Next-Generation SuperH(R) Architectures, the SH-6 and SH-7/Page 3-3-3

systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial 
automation and control systems. In 1999, the Company's net revenues were $5.056 
billion and net earnings were $547 million. Further information on ST can be found 
at URL:http://www.st.com/.

About Hitachi
       Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading 
global electronics companies, with fiscal 1999 (ended March 31, 2000) consolidated 
sales of 8,001 billion yen ($75.5 billion*). The company manufactures and markets 
a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and 
power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit 
Hitachi's web site at URL:http://www.hitachi.co.jp/. 
Hitachi's semiconductor business web site/home page address:
URL:http://www.hitachi.co.jp/Sicd/
*At an exchange rate of 106 yen to the dollar.

SuperH is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. 


Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE:HIT) and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) announced today that they 
are planning to co-develop the SuperH(R) SH-6 and SH-7 architectures, the upward
-compatible, next-generation architectures of the SH-5, which was jointly announced 
in October 1999.
	The two companies together plan to develop the new 64-bit RISC SH-6/SH-7 
(Hitachi) and ST60/ST70 (STMicroelectronics) product series following on from the 
successful co-development of the SH-5. Target applications for these advanced 
architectures will include the personal information electronics (PIE) markets of 
digital video cameras, video telephones, home networking Internet appliances and 
digital televisions but will be expanded into additional consumer devices as the 
market demands.
        By continuing to combine their efforts, the two companies' goal is to 
deliver high-performance, low-cost processors to the market more quickly than would 
have been possible working alone and to create an architectural standard for consumer 
multimedia systems.
	Operating up to one gigahertz (GHz) and delivering over 2GIPS (2000MIPS) 
performance, the SH-6 architecture will be compatible with the SH-5 architecture, 
which has just been released for manufacturing and will be sampling by the end of 
the year.  Building on the SH-5, the SH-6 architecture will include micro-architecture 
enhancements for more advanced interactive networking applications and is expected to 
be available in second half 2002.  The SH-7 architecture will expand on the SH-6 to 
provide an even more advanced CPU for multimedia applications. Features of the SH-7 
will largely be determined after the SH-6 is more fully developed and the market more 
defined in the next few years.
	"Combining Hitachi's RISC technology with ST's successful consumer technology 
will definitely continue to create new generations of SuperH architectures," said 
Kunio Hasegawa,
Hitachi and STMicroelectronics Announce Plans To Co-Develop the Next-
Generation SuperH(R) Architectures, the SH-6 and SH-7/Page 2-2-2

Executive Vice President of Semiconductor and Integrated Circuits for Hitachi, Ltd. 
"In the growing age of personal information electronics, this collaboration will 
provide more flexibility, more performance and less cost for customers. The 
strengthening alliance between Hitachi and ST will also give further proof of SuperH 
as a leader in RISC processors worldwide."
	"ST is collaborating with Hitachi to co-develop SuperH CPUs which are an 
essential building block in ST's strategy of delivering system-on-chip solutions for 
digital consumer applications," said Philippe Geyres, Corporate Vice-President and 
General Manager, Consumer and Microcontroller Groups, STMicroelectronics." Co-
development allows ST to optimize the CPU for software porting, performance and cost 
while supporting a defacto standard CPU that attracts third-party software."
        STMicroelectronics and Hitachi have already achieved considerable success 
in the embedded microcontroller and microprocessor markets with their own product 
families.  Hitachi's semiconductors have been widely adopted for consumer, industrial 
and networking communication products such gaming consoles, personal information 
devices, auto navigation, cable modem, and audio and video equipment, while ST's 
products are used extensively in set-top box, automotive and global positioning 
systems.
	Both companies have successfully established proprietary processors in 
the market: Hitachi with its H8 and H8S series of 8- and 16-bit microcontrollers and 
its SuperH line of 32- and 64-bit microprocessors; and ST with its ST6, ST7, ST9, ST10 
and ST20 microcontrollers and ST40 and ST50 microprocessors. Both companies have an 
enormous range of peripherals that can be integrated with their processor cores to 
offer system-on-a-chip (SOC) solutions to their customers. The software expertise of 
the two companies will be used to create a comprehensive range of software development 
tools for reducing time-to-market and will use extensive libraries of application 
software for product differentiation.

About STMicroelectronics
	STMicroelectronics (formerly SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics) is a global 
independent semiconductor company, whose shares are traded on the New York Stock 
Exchange, on the Bourse de Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. The company designs, 
develops, manufactures and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits 
(ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, 
including telecommunications Hitachi and STMicroelectronics Announce Plans To Co-
Develop the Next-Generation SuperH(R) Architectures, the SH-6 and SH-7/Page 3-3-3

systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial 
automation and control systems. In 1999, the Company's net revenues were $5.056 
billion and net earnings were $547 million. Further information on ST can be found 
at URL:http://www.st.com/.

About Hitachi
       Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading 
global electronics companies, with fiscal 1999 (ended March 31, 2000) consolidated 
sales of 8,001 billion yen ($75.5 billion*). The company manufactures and markets 
a wide range of products, including computers, semiconductors, consumer products and 
power and industrial equipment. For more information on Hitachi, Ltd., please visit 
Hitachi's web site at URL:http://www.hitachi.co.jp/. 
Hitachi's semiconductor business web site/home page address:
URL:http://www.hitachi.co.jp/Sicd/
*At an exchange rate of 106 yen to the dollar.

SuperH is a registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. 













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