NewsCAST Inc. Joins Growing Ranks of VCX IP Vendors

October 25, 2002, Livingston, SCOTLAND and New Jersey, USA — Today the Virtual Component Exchange (VCX) announced that CAST Inc.of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, is to register its entire portfolio of general purpose IP cores on the VCX.

The VCX, developed by the Virtual Component Exchange Ltd, is the central Internet registry of IP components and provider of exchange software and services for the semiconductor IP industry.

CAST will profile more than 70 IP blocks on the VCX TradeFloorÔ including processor, bus & networking, mutlimedia, encryption, serial communications and peripheral controller cores. These cores will also be accessible to the 800+ registered VCX users through the VCX Gateway, located at quality, industry sites across the Internet. CAST will also use the VCX TransactionWareÔ supply chain software solution for lead-handling, NDA drafting and data disclosure.

"Having our IP on VCX and available through the VCX Gateway gives us excellent exposure to the SoC design community, and provides an efficient means of maintaining and distributing our data." said Hall Barbour, president of CAST. "We have already started using the VCX VC Profiler to capture our IP data in an industry-standard format and have found this to be an excellent tool for structuring our data and sharing it internally, as well as for transfer externally."

"We are confident that CAST will enjoy the significant benefits already experienced by VCX customers using the VCX toolsuite - increased efficency, reduced cost of sales and the ability to turn deals around much more quickly." said Andy Travers, VCX's CEO. "And of course, the addition of CAST's IP to the VCX TradeFloor takes the total number of virtual components to well over the 500 mark, providing registered users with even more quality IP to choose from."

About VCX

The VCX is a provider of custom software solutions for IP exchange and supply chain management, and developer of the central, Internet registry and exchange for semiconductor IP: the VCX TradeFloor. Powered by VCX TransactionWare, the TradeFloor tools link the Engineering, Procurement and Legal functions of both Buyers and Sellers with a common toolset and language. Alignment of data evaluation, access and contracting protocols between Buyers and Sellers, using industry standards, dramatically accelerates the speed of SIP transactions, fulfilling the common business imperative of getting more products to market in shorter time cycles. Distributed Internet access to the VCX TradeFloor is provided through the VCX Gateway - distributing VC data and transaction agents to the web-based market, extending the reach and value for Buyers and Sellers alike. To find out more about the VCX TradeFloor, or VCX software solutions, visit the web site at www.thevcx.com.

About CAST, Inc.

CAST provides general purpose IP (gpIP), a broad range of popular and standards-based cores that includes processors, interfaces, and application-specific functions for multimedia and encryption. Designers use these cores so they can concentrate on the more unique, creative aspects of their system designs, or to quickly incorporate technology beyond their normal expertise. Privately owned and operating since 1993 with a focus on making IP practical and affordable, the company has established a reputation for high-quality products, simple licensing, and responsive technical support. CAST is located near New York City, and works with an international network of IP developers and distributors.

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CAST, Inc.
11 Stonewall Court, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677 USA
Tel: 201/391-8300 info@cast-inc.com
Fax: 201/391-8694 www.cast-inc.com
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