Matsushita Enters License Agreement With Rambus Inc. For Semiconductor-Interface Technology

Business Wire, March 9, 1998

OSAKA, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 1998--

For Use in Consumer and Other Applications

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (MEI) and its subsidiary, Matsushita Electronics Corporation (MEC), today announced an agreement to license Mountain View, CA-based Rambus Inc.'s high-bandwidth semiconductor-interface technology.

The Rambus interface technology is a high-speed method of transferring data between semiconductor chips. Matsushita will use this technology in semiconductors for consumer products as well as other applications.

"We are pleased with the agreement with Rambus Inc.," said Mr. Masao Kayahara, director of Matsushita's Microcomputer Division. "Their interface technology will enhance our ability to develop faster semiconductor products that will meet our customers' growing need for high-speed applications."

The Semiconductor Division of MEI and MEC regard the Rambus interface technology as an important method of achieving rapid data transmission between semiconductor chips in consumer and multimedia equipment. Both MEI and MEC will begin to develop, produce and distribute chips that incorporate the interface technology covered under this agreement.

"As a recognized world leader in consumer electronics, Matsushita's choice of Rambus technology further extends our acceptance into this high-volume market segment," said Mr. Geoff Tate, president and CEO of Rambus Inc.

Although the Rambus interface technology has been widely used in such products as computers, telecommunications equipment and video game consoles, Matsushita's Semiconductor Group will apply the technology to their semiconductors for high-performance consumer products as well as to those for these applications.

In the initial phase of commercialization, Matsushita will manufacture Image-Signal-Processing chipsets for use in consumer products and Direct Rambustm DRAMs by the end of fiscal 1999 (ending March 2000). With the Rambus interface technology, Matsushita will provide its customers with cutting-edge memory, logic LSI and other high-performance semiconductors as comprehensive system solutions.

Established in Osaka, Japan in 1918, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (NYSE: MC) is one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. Annual sales for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1997 reached $61.9 billion. Matsushita has more than 270,000 employees worldwide. Overseas operations include 203 companies in 46 countries. Matsushita's products are marketed under the Panasonic, Technics, Quasar and National brand names in over 170 countries. Takatsuki, Japan-based Matsushita Electronics Corporation, which specializes in R&D and production of semiconductors, electron tubes and lighting products, is a wholly-owned subsidiary. Additional information on Matsushita is available at http://www.panasonic.com.

Rambus Inc. (NASDAQ:RMBS) develops and licenses high-speed chip-to-chip communications technology that enables semiconductor memory devices to keep pace with faster generations of processors and controllers. Providers of Rambus-based integrated circuits include the world's leading DRAM, ASIC and PC controller manufacturers. Even while delivering higher performance, Rambus technology enables low pin-count, high-bandwidth components to use conventional integrated circuit fab processing, packaging and printed circuit-board designs; the result is low-cost, compact systems. Currently, eight of the world's top 10 semiconductor companies license Rambus technology and seven of the world's top PC makers ship systems are using the technology. More information on Rambus Inc. and its high-bandwidth interface technology is available at http://www.rambus.com. -0- Direct Rambus is a trademark of Rambus Inc.

CONTACT: Kurt Praschak

Panasonic Corporate News Center

201.392-6124