Conexant to Offer Semiconductor Solutions for Intel's Next-Generation Audio Bus Architecture; Product Roadmap Includes Standalone Dial-Up Modems and Integrated Audio/Modem

Business Wire, Sept 16, 2003

Business Editors

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2003

Semiconductor Solutions for Notebook and Desktop PCs

Conexant Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CNXT), a worldwide leader in semiconductor system solutions for digital home information and entertainment networks, today announced that the company will support Intel's new serial bus architecture, code-named "Azalia," with a family of dial-up modem and integrated audio/modem semiconductor products for notebook and desktop personal computers. Conexant is working with Intel to define the specification and is providing prototype engineering support.

"We are pleased to be working with Intel to help define and develop a new bus architecture that will significantly improve the simultaneous delivery of audio streams and applications throughout the digital home for a richer, more immersive experience," said Akram Atallah, vice president of Universal Access products for Conexant. "As an analog modem semiconductor system provider, Conexant can leverage its expertise to help test and debug Azalia links on modem and audio/modem device prototypes in the Intel labs. We will continue to build on our model of providing both standalone and unique integrated audio/modem semiconductor solutions for major bus architectures, and plan to introduce our Azalia-compliant chipsets in the first half of 2004."

Conexant will continue to support AC-Link in its current modem product offering. The company will also provide a clear migration path for notebook manufacturers now using Conexant's AC-Link audio/modem combination products directly on their notebook motherboard to the Azalia bus architecture.

The Azalia bus is designed to provide higher bandwidth than AC-Link technology at a lower cost than peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus technology, and will improve audio quality and performance by enabling higher sample rates, more channels and greater resolution. The Azalia bus will also enable a single driver to be used with all core logic chipsets. Audio function drivers and Azalia bus drivers will be available as part of the Universal Audio Architecture (UAA), a class driver architecture for PC audio and modem solutions that Microsoft has said it will support in the next version of the Windows(R) operating system.

Conexant has a long history of technological innovation and leadership in modem technology, including development of the world's first dial-up modem chip. The company's products, which have enabled millions of users worldwide to access the Internet, encompass all major industry standards, and can be found in desktops, notebooks, handheld devices, video game consoles, set-top boxes and other platforms such as point-of-sale terminals.

About Conexant

Conexant's innovative semiconductor system solutions are driving digital home information and entertainment networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop leading integrated silicon solutions for cable, satellite, terrestrial data and digital video networks.

Key products include digital subscriber line (DSL) and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. The company also offers a suite of wireless data and networking components solutions that includes HomePlug(R), HomePNA(TM) and WLAN (802.11) components and reference designs.

Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company and has approximately 1,500 employees. The company is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, visit us at www.conexant.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements relating to future results of Conexant (including certain projections and business trends) that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry and the markets addressed by the company's and its customers' products; demand for and market acceptance of new and existing products; successful development of new products; the timing of new product introductions; the availability of manufacturing capacity; pricing pressures and other competitive factors; changes in product mix; product obsolescence; the ability to develop and implement new technologies and to obtain protection for the related intellectual property; and the uncertainties of litigation, as well as other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in the company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings. These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.