PR releases

Altair steps into portable WiMAX arena with MIPS

Altair Semiconductor integrates MIPS Technologies’ analog and processor IP in ultra low-power mobile WiMAX processor baseband processor for handhelds.
Pushes MIPS® further into portable market.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. and HOD HASHARON, Israel - March 17, 2008 - MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NasdaqGS: MIPS), a leading provider of industry-standard architectures, processors and analog IP for digital consumer, home networking, wireless, communications and business applications, today announced that Altair Semiconductor, a fabless chip company developing the world's most advanced mobile WiMAX semiconductors for handheld devices, has integrated MIPS® processor and analog IP in its new ALT2150 mobile WiMAX baseband processor. The ALT2150 is the first baseband processor optimized for handheld devices, combining ultra-low power consumption, low cost and the smallest footprint.

"After exhaustively benchmarking several alternatives, we chose the industry standard MIPS32® architecture and Chipidea analog circuitry to help us achieve the best possible combination of power efficiency and performance for the ALT2150, the world's smallest and most power-efficient mobile WiMAX processor," said Eran Eshed, Altair's co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development. "The combination of our proprietary O2PTM PHY processor, together with industry-leading MIPS Technologies IP cores, enables us to offer a highly flexible and differentiated solution. The ALT2150 also outperforms state-of-the-art cellular chipset power consumption, which will be critical to the proliferation of mobile WiMAX handheld devices."

According to market research firm In-Stat, the total WiMAX user terminal chipset market will increase from $27 million in 2007 to reach almost $500 million in 2012, and WiMAX base station semiconductor revenues are expected to increase from $130 million in 2007 to approximately
$1.4 billion in 2012.

"Altair is an innovative and very promising startup in a burgeoning new market - battery operated WiMAX handheld devices," said Brad Holtzinger, vice president of worldwide sales at MIPS Technologies. "We're pleased that Altair has chosen IP from the MIPS Processor and Analog Business Groups for its groundbreaking new processor. This is yet another example of a device benefiting from the combined power of MIPS' analog and processor IP offering. Licensees like Altair continue to drive the value of MIPS even further into the area of portable devices."

MIPS Technologies' broad range of processor cores, from the low power MIPS32® M4K® core to the industry's highest-performing MIPS32® 74K® core, offer distinct cost advantages to semiconductor companies, ASIC developers and system OEMs worldwide. MIPS also offers a wide array of silicon-proven RF, analog and mixed-signal technologies for markets including wireless, digital media, power management, data transfer and connectivity.

About Altair Semiconductor

Altair is the world's leading developer of ultra-low power, small footprint and high performance mobile WiMAX semiconductors that take broadband bandwidth beyond notebooks and USB adaptors to un-tethered, battery-operated handheld devices. The company's products provide handheld device manufacturers integrating WiMAX into their products with a highly power-optimized, robust and cost-effective solution. Altair is privately held and had raised a total of $26M in two rounds of financing. For more information, visit www.altair-semi.com.

About MIPS Technologies, Inc.

MIPS Technologies, Inc. (NasdaqGS: MIPS) is the world's second largest semiconductor design IP company and the number one analog IP company worldwide. With more than 250 customers around the globe, MIPS Technologies powers some of the world's most popular products for the digital consumer, broadband, wireless, networking and portable media markets-including broadband devices from Linksys, DTVs and entertainment systems from Sony, DVD recordable devices from Pioneer, digital set-top boxes from Motorola, network routers from Cisco, 32-bit microcontrollers from Microchip Technology and laser printers from Hewlett-Packard. Today, the company owns more than 450 patent properties (patents and applications) worldwide. Founded in 1998, MIPS Technologies is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with offices worldwide. For more information, contact (650) 567-5000 or visit http://www.mips.com/news-events/newsroom/?i=2682