more news rolling in: RMBS and Tanisys agree to work...
Rambus and Tanisys Agree to Work Together on Affordable Rambus
Module Testers
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Tanisys Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: TNSU - news), a leading supplier of memory test equipment under its DarkHorse®
Systems brand, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Rambus Inc. (Nasdaq: RMBS - news) to cooperate on designing affordable testers for
RIMM(TM) memory modules using Rambus® 800MHz memory interface technology.
Management believes this agreement positions its DarkHorse testers to become the volume leader for memory modules utilizing Rambus' RDRAM® devices, which
are broadly perceived as the standard of the future. Rambus technology delivers 1.6 gigabytes per second of peak bandwidth from a single device, the DRAM
industry's highest level of performance to date.
''Intel, Compaq and Dell have publicly supported the Rambus architecture for future product plans,'' said Chuck Comiso, Tanisys CEO and President. ''We believe
this indicates that the market is likely to standardize on Rambus memory in the future. This Agreement helps set the stage for Tanisys to become a leader in the
development of testing equipment for modules based on the new Rambus chips. It also will enable the semiconductor partners in our C.L.A.S.S. manufacturing
services business who are Rambus licensees to benefit from our test expertise.''
''Tanisys Technology's DarkHorse tester line is a welcome addition to our list of partners and will help make Rambus technology the standard, mainstream
memory,'' said Allen Roberts, Vice President and General Manager of the Memory Technology Division at Rambus Inc. ''The agreement to work together to assure
the DarkHorse tester meets customers needs is key for Rambus, given Tanisys' success in supplying its testers to semiconductor and module companies.''
''Rambus technology provides the memory bandwidth needed for future Compaq AlphaServer enterprise computing systems,'' said Jesse Lipcon, Compaq's Vice
President and General Manager, High Performance Server Division. ''With major DRAM vendors supporting Rambus technology and affordable testers available
from suppliers like Tanisys, customers will benefit from the economies of a wide source of supply.''
''After reviewing the details of the DarkHorse plans, I am very pleased with the elegant approach for testing Rambus modules at full operating specifications,'' said
Jay Bell, Senior Fellow at Dell Computer Corporation. ''Products derived from this agreement may permit affordable testing of Rambus modules.''
''This will be a key market segment for module testers as we expect Rambus RDRAMs to be over half of the world's memory shipments in bits by 2001,'' said
Steve Cullen, Analyst at In-Stat. ''If DarkHorse can provide affordable testers for RDRAM modules through this agreement, then they will greatly facilitate the
industry transition to RDRAM.''
''Tanisys is on track to develop its engineering and manufacturing capabilities to support Rambus as we expect this technology to be a considerable share of the
memory module market by 2001,'' said Mario Morales, Director of Semiconductor Research at IDC. ''Designing affordable testers for Rambus modules under its
DarkHorse brand is a major leverage point that is unique to Tanisys.''
''Our DarkHorse product line has a deliberate strategy of being first to market with affordable testers for emerging standards,'' said Joe Davis, Chief Financial
Officer for Tanisys. ''The ability to upgrade our installed base of SIGMA*3 testers to support Rambus memory is an important step for Tanisys to maintain our
leadership in the industry's module tester installed base.''
With prices beginning at $100,000, the SIGMA*3 is the first affordable tester for the new 100MHz architecture memory modules shipping to customers. The
SIGMA*3 is designed for module manufacturers, semiconductor suppliers, PC manufacturers, system integrators and others needing to test memory modules. The
system has an upgrade plan to 800MHz Rambus architecture to permit customers to leverage their investment over time. For more information, contact DarkHorse
Systems at 800-219-2054 or visit darkhorsesystems.com.
Tanisys Technology, Inc. is a leading provider of customer-driven, quality computer products, as well as technical and logistical services to the electronics industry.
Its outsourcing services include production order management and fulfillment. Tanisys products include the market-leading DarkHorse memory testers (SIGMA*3,
SIGMA*2, SYNC*LC and SIGMA*LC), memory modules and Tanisys Touch patented touch technology. For more information, visit Tanisys Technology's
website at tanisys.com.
Rambus Inc., based in Mountain View, California, develops and markets high-speed, chip-to-chip interface technology that enables semiconductor memory devices
to keep pace with faster generations of processors and controllers. Direct Rambus technology will enable the DRAM industry's highest level of performance to date
-- 1.6 gigabytes per second of peak bandwidth from a single device -- and will span multiple generations of DRAM devices (through 1-gigabit densities). Currently,
14 DRAM manufacturers (which supply more than 95% of the world's DRAM market) are committed to deliver Direct RDRAM products and 23 module suppliers
are licensed to offer Direct Rambus modules. Rambus and RDRAM are registered trademarks of Rambus Inc. RIMM is a trademark of Rambus Inc.
This press release includes statements that may constitute ''forward- looking'' statements, usually containing the words ''believe'', ''estimate'', ''project'', ''expect''
or similar expressions. These statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking
statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause
or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, continued acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace, competitive factors, new
products and technological changes, product prices and raw material costs, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks detailed in the Company's
periodic report filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward- looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to
update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release. |
