Licensing Momentum Establishes ARM Mali Graphics Technology in the Mainstream

Unified Graphics Stack Targets Anything With a Screen; 18 Leading Licensees
Already Onboard

CAMBRIDGE, England, January 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ARM (LSE:ARM);
(Nasdaq:ARMHY) today announced that 18 ARM Partners are using products from
its Mali(tm) graphics portfolio. ARM(R) Mali55(tm) and Mali200(tm) graphics
processing units (GPUs) have been licensed by nine SoC vendors, including
Micronas Inc., and Zoran (who have incorporated it into their APPROACH(R)5C
multimedia processor), since their launch at 3GSM in 2007. In addition, the
ARM Mali-JSR184(tm) 3D graphics engine has been licensed by nine leading OEM
licensees including Samsung Electronics.
The sustained momentum among key OEMs and SoC vendors illustrates the
flexible nature of the ARM Mali graphics processing architecture. Three top
tier SoC licensees of Mali200 will apply this cutting edge 2D and 3D graphics
processing technology in cellular baseband, high-end applications processing,
navigation devices and set-top box (STB) markets. High-quality graphics are
no longer confined to games, with the ARM Mali portfolio extending to
numerous 2D and 3D applications and on any device with a screen.
However, functions like web browsing and navigation on small screens are
intensive pixel processing applications that require highly-integrated
solutions. Hardware acceleration is a crucial piece of the graphics puzzle
and OEMs are now looking to their SoC suppliers to deliver a more complete
graphics stack, incorporating complimentary graphics software API add-ons
such as JSR184, JSR226 shifting to JSR297 and JSR 287 during 2008 in order to
complete the graphics solution. ARM is now well positioned to address these
demands.
"Licensing momentum was strong during 2007 and we have seen a number of
market-leading SoC vendors come onboard, combined with a material increase in
OEM shipments of Mali-JSR184 technology. This has placed ARM in a unique
position to engage both OEMs and their SoC suppliers to build visually
exciting applications and services based upon a robust graphics stack," said
Michael Dimelow, director of marketing, Media Processing Division, ARM. "Much
has been made of the need to replicate the desktop experience on portable
devices and the ARM Mali graphics stack was developed with this consideration
in mind and when combined with ARM's business model will lower the barriers
to broader adoption of high performance, low power graphics for all "screen
based" product categories."
The Mali Ecosystem
ARM's unified graphics stack strategy places ARM software IP at the heart
of major OEM software teams and graphics hardware acceleration at the centre
of SoC design teams. The ARM graphics ecosystem enables collaboration among
market leaders to link the ARM platform with a community of complementary
solutions to shape the future of the graphics industry. With more
announcements due in 2008, ARM contributes its expertise as a processor, GPU
and tools vendor to enable application developers and device manufacturers to
create competitive and cutting-edge designs pre-silicon. This mutually
beneficial cooperation provides device manufacturers and software developers
with the differentiation necessary to lead in this competitive market.
About ARM Mali Processors
The ARM Mali processors deliver brilliant 2D and 3D graphics with 4x and
16x full scene anti-aliasing (FSAA) to "smooth" otherwise jagged lines
without any noticeable drop in performance. In addition to providing content
developers with the state-of-the-art programmable features in OpenGL ES 2.0
Mali products also support SVG and Flash through OpenVG for improved text,
navigation, UI and web-browsing experiences. Mali technology takes full
advantage of the ARM AMBA(R), CPU and fabric IP to deliver a powerful and
complete graphics experience on mobile phones, PDAs and GPS devices, with
sustained performance, very low power consumption and leading memory
bandwidth usage for up to 1080p resolutions.
The ARM Mali55 graphics processor brings visually enhanced user
interfaces, improved navigation experience and mobile gaming to the mass
market by enabling graphics acceleration for low-cost feature phones.
Measuring in at 1.0mm squared on a 65LP process, the Mali55 processor is the
world's smallest GPU for 2D and 3D graphics and brings unprecedented value to
mobile phones where area comes at a premium. With full scene anti-aliasing up
to 16x, the Mali55 processor can transform a VGA screen to resemble a
high-cost SVGA system for UI and gaming. The Mali55 processor is fully
compliant with both OpenGL ES v1.1 and OpenVG, further lowering integration
costs for ARM silicon Partners.
Availability
The ARM Mali graphics stack is available today. Further information on
ARM embedded graphics solutions is available at:
http://www.arm.com/products/esd/multimediagraphics_home.html.
About ARM
ARM designs the technology that lies at the heart of advanced digital
products, from wireless, networking and consumer entertainment solutions to
imaging, automotive, security and storage devices. ARM's comprehensive
product offering includes 16/32-bit RISC microprocessors, data engines,
graphics processors, digital libraries, embedded memories, peripherals,
software and development tools, as well as analog functions and high-speed
connectivity products. Combined with the company's broad Partner community,
they provide a total system solution that offers a fast, reliable path to
market for leading electronics companies. More information on ARM is
available at http://www.arm.com.
ARM is a registered trademark of ARM Limited. Mali, Mali55, Mali200 and
Mali-JSR184 are trademarks of ARM Limited. All other brands or product names
are the property of their respective holders. "ARM" is used to represent ARM
Holdings plc; its operating company ARM Limited; and the regional
subsidiaries: ARM, Inc.; ARM KK; ARM Korea Ltd.; ARM Taiwan Limited; ARM
France SAS; ARM Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.; ARM Belgium N.V.; AXYS Design
Automation Inc.; ARM Germany GmbH; ARM Embedded Technologies Pvt. Ltd.; and
ARM Norway, AS.
SOURCE ARM Ltd

Contact Details: ARM PRESS OFFICE: +44(0)208-846-0797, Haran Ramachandran,
Text 100, +44(0)208-846-0727; Lorna Dunn, ARM,+44(0)1223-400835