VIRTIO ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL PLATFORM SUPPORT FOR IBM WEBSPHERE® EVERYPLACE EMBEDDED™ SOFTWARE

Virtio Corporation, the creator of virtual platforms, today announced support for IBM's open standards-based WebSphere Everyplace Embedded software running on Virtio's VPXS Virtual Platform technology. VPXS is a software model of the IntelÒ PXA250 Applications Processor Development Board and supports a variety of operating systems and tool chains (See press release, "Virtio Introduces Virtual Platform For The Intel® PXA250 Applications Processor Based On The Intel® XSCALE™ Microarchitecture," dated February 25, 2002.) IBM's WebSphere Everyplace Embedded is an integrated device software platform for both native and embedded Java applications targeted at extending e-business to a wide range of devices. IBM's WebSphere Everyplace Embedded software is packaged with a POSIX-compliant Real Time Operating System (RTOS), an IBM embedded Java Virtual Machine (JVM), and the OSGi-compliant Service Management Framework, and includes an Eclipse-based Integrated Development Environment.

Serving as a beta site, IBM successfully downloaded and ran the IBM WebSphere Everyplace Embedded applications development environment on VPXS. Michael Karasick, Director of Embedded Development for IBM Pervasive Computing, said, "VPXS offers the flexibility to develop applications anytime and anyplace without developers requiring their own dedicated Intel hardware. As IBM continues to extend e-business to a wide range of non-traditional computing devices -- such as handhelds, cars and home appliances -- as part over our pervasive computing strategy, we will continue to work closely with companies like Virtio to help developers build embedded applications."

Shay Ben-Chorin, Virtio president and CEO explained, "Our goal is to provide VPXS to the widest possible audience of embedded developers. IBM's ability to rapidly download and run WebSphere Everyplace Embedded on VPXS shows the real value of our virtual platform technology in the development and deployment of software applications targeted for use on the IntelÒ PXA250 microprocessor."

Following its initial success in using VPXS, IBM will continue to evaluate the use of virtual platforms for the development of middleware applications. Ben-Chorin noted, "Virtio is the only company supplying full system board simulation for Intel's XScale technology. This type of simulation offers one of the first significant steps forward in terms of providing advanced development tools to embedded developers. In addition to eliminating the need for hardware, the virtual platform saves money; accelerates time-to-market and provides a development environment that is often easier to use and provides more visibility into the entire system than the real hardware."

About Virtio's Virtual Platform for Intel XScale –based processors (VPXS)

VPXS provides a software-based approach for developing software applications, middleware, and device drivers without the need for physical hardware. In addition, VPXS enables engineers to develop applications for the Intel® Personal Internet Client Architecture (Intel PCA) and other Intel XScale microarchitecture-based platforms without having to wait for development boards.

Virtio's VPXS offers significant software development benefits by providing:

• Accurate hardware behavior (binary compatible)
  
• Complete control and visibility of both the hardware and software environments
  
• Wide-spread access for continuous hardware/software integration
  
• Easy electronic distribution of the software development environment to colleagues, partners and customers
  
• Accurate model of the user interface
  
• High performance that supports booting operating systems and running applications
  
• Integration with industry-standard software development tools

Pricing and Availability: VPXS is priced at $1,990.00 and is available February 2002. Specific product capabilities/features include:

• Intel PXA250 applications processor
  
• SDRAM
  
• Boot ROM
  
• Flash Memory
  
• SRAM
  
• Touch Screen controller
  
• Audio CODEC
  
• LCD panel display
  
• Full function & Bluetooth UART serial port
  
• Secure digital memory or multi media port (SD/MMC port)
  
• I2C bus communications
  
• Eight 7 segment LED digits
  
• Eight discrete LEDs
  
• Eight discrete switches
  
• Two hexadecimal encoding switches
  
• Connectivity with real world:
  -PC Card slot
  -PS/2 keyboard & mouse
  -LAN – Ethernet
  -Audio Line-in and out
  -Serial Port

About Virtio

Virtio speeds the creation and distribution of software models of embedded systems for early software development. These software models, called virtual platforms, shorten the design cycle through early software development, improve product quality with early HW/SW integration and promote design collaboration via on-line access and easy electronic distribution. Virtio is based in Campbell, California in the U.S.A with development centers at Campbell and the Alba Centre, Livingston, Scotland. Additional information about Virtio is available at www.virtio.com.

Virtio, 1610 La Pradera Drive, Campbell, CA 95008. Tel: 408-341-0844; Fax: 408-341-0849.