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HITACHI AND IMAGINATION TECHNOLOGIES SIGN MULTI-CORE
LICENSING AGREEMENT
Hitachi To Offer Devices Integrating PowerVR IP Cores
 

TOKYO, JAPAN and LONDON, UK - April 19, 2002 - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501, NYSE:HIT) one of the world's leading global electronics companies and Imagination Technologies (LSE:IMG), the leading provider of human computer interface intellectual property (IP), today announced that they have signed a strategic, multi-use licensing agreement that enables Hitachi to integrate a number of PowerVR® graphics and video cores alongside Hitachi's SuperHTM family RISC microprocessors into SoC semiconductors targeting a broad range of consumer entertainment and information devices.

The SuperH family of high-performance 32-bit processor cores is ideally suited for digital consumer, automotive, gaming and telecommunications applications. By licensing the PowerVR family, Hitachi can develop high speed and low power consumption SoCs (System-on-Chip) with embedded GPU (Graphic Processor Unit) technology suitable for advanced graphics applications. The partnership will enable Hitachi to provide its customers with a range of innovative microprocessors incorporating advanced 3D and video technologies from Imagination Technologies. These products will be marketed by Hitachi into the amusement, car navigation / entertainment and mobile markets. Both companies will co-operate to cultivate the target markets for the products resulting from this partnership.

PowerVR's unique tile based graphics cores offer scalability and performance with unparalleled memory efficiency and image quality. These cores, together with the PowerVR range of complementary IP cores for digital video and display management, provide a rich set of building blocks for emerging markets.

Under the terms of the agreement Imagination Technologies receives license fee and royalty revenues from the agreement.

Seiichi Ueda, Director, System Solution Business Unit, Semiconductor & Integrated Circuits of Hitachi said: "Selection of the best, proven graphics and video technology partner was critical to continue the success we have with Hitachi's consumer entertainment and multimedia products. We are therefore delighted with the agreement we are announcing with Imagination Technologies. By combining technologies from both Hitachi and Imagination Technologies we can target a wide range of markets that are demanding increased graphics and video functionality. Hitachi will make use of Imagination Technologies' IP across an extensive range of applications and markets with first silicon products expected to reach market in two years."

Hossein Yassaie, CEO, Imagination Technologies said: "The combined strength of our PowerVR IP cores and Hitachi's extensive range of silicon technologies, including their advanced processors, address the challenges of the emerging consumer markets. This strength together with the wide-ranging manufacture and marketing capabilities of Hitachi, one of the leading electronics companies in the world, will ensure the success of this partnership."

*SuperH TM is a trade mark of Hitachi,Ltd.

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is one of the world's leading global electronics companies, with fiscal 2000 (ended March 31, 2001) consolidated sales of 8,416 billion yen ($67.9 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 http://global.hitachi.com.
*At an exchange rate of 124 yen to the dollar.

About Imagination Technologies
Imagination Technologies Group plc is an international IP licensing company that develops, licenses and supplies market-leading 2D/3D graphics, digital video, Digital Signal Processing, audio and speech technologies for the consumer entertainment and PC markets. It supplies both licensable IP (Intellectual Property) and advanced development tools to leading semiconductor and consumer electronics companies worldwide. Imagination Technologies Group plc has its corporate headquarters in the United Kingdom and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE:IMG). See: www.imgtec.com.

 

Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.


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