Press Releases

TEL AVIV, Israel and MAARSEN, the Netherlands, Dec. 3, 2002 – MontaVista Software Inc., the company powering the embedded revolution™, and Araneo Ltd, a developer of IP TV platforms, today announced a joint technology collaboration for the digital television market.

Araneo’s IP TV Platform™, developed on the MontaVista Linux OS and development platform and using IBM’s STB integrated controllers, receives MPEG video streams that are delivered over DVB (Digital Video Broadcast) or IP, and played directly on televisions. Using highly integrated devices, the platform provides a powerful PowerPC405 core, high-density memories, and a fast 100 MBits Ethernet interface, along with hardware decoding of video and audio streams including lip synchronization.

Araneo set out with the goal of building customized IP TV solutions in a very short period of time. The company quickly realized that in order to meet that goal, it needed to use MontaVista Linux, a leading Linux-based systems software platform. MontaVista Software also provided and supported Araneo in implementing Java on its platform.

“Our main objective was to produce the most efficient, cost-effective and small-footprint platform for streaming digital video,” said Raymond Eskenazi, CEO, Araneo Ltd. “We met that goal with MontaVista Linux. We are pleased to be working with MontaVista Software, which has been leading development of key technologies for a broad range of consumer electronics devices.”

Linux is increasingly being used in digital TV system designs. MontaVista Linux brings particular benefits to this market, delivering a very stable and adaptable open source operating system with enhanced real-time capabilities. It provides support for some of the leading CPUs that consumer electronics OEMs need, along with the right mix of development tools (KDevelop IDE, Target Configuration Tool, Library Optimizer Tool, etc.) and a set of key software drivers (Ethernet, i2c, etc.). Araneo is pushing the envelope of digital television development with plans that include set-top box modules within a standard television set, and provisioning of IP streaming enabled by MontaVista Linux.

“Araneo is helping mass-market digital TV become a reality by offering equipment manufacturers a range of robust, cost-effective, flexible and open-standard IP television solutions, ” said Cees Boshuizen, vice president, EMEA Sales, MontaVista Software. “We are pleased Araneo has chosen MontaVista Linux as a foundation for its core product development. ”

About MontaVista Linux
MontaVista Linux, one of the most widely used embedded Linux operating systems and development platform, includes an impressive array of cross-development tools for system and application code, unparalleled processor and board support, native real-time performance in Linux, and hundreds of deployable utilities, libraries, drivers, and other run-time components. Providing a standard development platform for designs, it enables developers to create a broad range of embedded applications, from solutions for consumer devices to highly available telecommunications and data communications equipment.

About Araneo
Araneo develops core technologies and applications for enabling the delivery of premium video on demand content to viewers. The company’s flagship IP TV modules, which are driven by IBM's advanced STB chips, enable accessing any type of digital video content and viewing it over existing equipment. Araneo’s modular software components are customized in a fast time-to-market to provide the basis for OEM partnerships with leading providers, equipment manufacturers and content creators. For more information, please visit www.araneo.com or e-mail info@araneo.com.

About MontaVista Software
MontaVista Software is a leading global supplier of systems software for intelligent connected devices and their associated infrastructure, for applications ranging from communications infrastructure to consumer electronics. MontaVista powers the embedded revolution by providing GNU/Linux based open-source systems software solutions. Founded in 1999 by real-time operating system (RTOS) pioneer James Ready, MontaVista Software’s principal products include MontaVista™ Linux® Professional Edition and MontaVista™ Linux® Carrier Grade Edition. The Professional edition comprises a Linux-based embedded source and binary distribution, cross development environments, and a versatile set of tools for the x86/IA-32, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS, SH, ARM, XScale, Xtensa and other microprocessor architectures. The Carrier Grade Edition is a next-generation high availability product that is the first commercial off-the-shelf Linux (COTS) platform for telecommunications and carrier-grade applications. MontaVista Software also provides several complementary technology products addressing specific customer needs, such as Java development and runtime, powerful graphics capabilities and more.

Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, in Sunnyvale, Calif., MontaVista Software is a privately held company funded by leading investors such as Alloy Ventures, US Venture Partners, RRE Ventures, WR Hambrecht + Co., IBM, Intel Capital, Panasonic, Sony and Yamaha Corporation.

For more information about MontaVista Software, please visit http://www.mvista.com, email to info@mvista.com or call (408) 328-9200.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. MontaVista is a trademark of MontaVista Software Inc. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective companies.

Contacts
Araneo:
David Anaton
VP of Business Development
Araneo Ltd.
Phone + 972 9 957 5476
E-mail: davida@araneo.com

MontaVista Software:
Joe Samagond
Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications
MontaVista Software Inc.
Phone (408) 328-9234
E-mail: jsamagond@mvista.com

Patricia Colby
PR Strategy and Business Development
Pacifico Inc.
Phone (408) 293-8600 ext. 340
E-mail: pcolby@pacifico.com