Site Links Customers with Altera IP and Consulting Partners to Accelerate System-on-a-Programmable-Chip Design
San Jose, Calif. and Santa Clara, Calif., July 24, 2000--Altera Corporation (Nasdaq: ALTR), a leading manufacturer of programmable logic devices (PLDs), and HelloBrain.com, creator of the world's first intellectual capital exchange, today announced an exclusive agreement to provide the programmable logic industry's first on-line exchange via Altera's web site IP Megastore. Through this joint collaboration, the new site will speed the development of system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions by bringing together buyers and sellers of intellectual capital.
The private exchange site provides the infrastructure for requesting, comparing and purchasing complex system-level solutions from Altera's partners in the Altera Megafunction Partners Program (AMPP) and the Altera Consultant Alliance Program (ACAP). Programmable logic customers can source design, intellectual property (IP), software development and board design solutions for a variety of application areas.
"Shrinking development schedules and increasing device capacity is creating a market environment that favors outsourcing product development whenever possible," said Craig Lytle, Altera vice president of the intellectual property business unit. "The on-line exchange benefits customers looking for programmable logic engineering expertise in specific end markets by providing them with a virtual design team via the web. This will allow customers to focus on areas of design where they can provide value based on their own distinct competencies."
"The relationship between HelloBrain.com and Altera will bring, for the first time, buyers and sellers together in a quick and easy exchange format to leverage programmable logic technologies," stated Craig Leclair, Altera director of on-line marketing. "We decided to develop the exchange with HelloBrain.com because of their comprehensive approach that addresses many of the challenges associated with sourcing both intellectual property and intellectual capital."
"We are pleased to partner with Altera in an agreement that enables customers to quickly and easily utilize intellectual capital from Altera partners," said Bharat Sastri, president and CEO of HelloBrain.com. "Today's announcement represents another step toward our vision of companies leveraging the Internet for intellectual capital exchange to solve complex technology solutions faster."
Altera's AMPPSM and ACAP Programs
The AMPP program was created to bring the advantages of megafunctions to users of Altera PLDs. The program works with leading independent IP providers and helps to deliver their expertise to Altera's customers in the form of IP cores.
The ACAP program is designed to provide expert design assistance to users of Altera PLDs. The consultants in the program specialize in niche areas, which makes them effective at solving specific problems and facilitating the urgent time-to-market needs of today's designers.
About HelloBrain.com
HelloBrain.com was formed to enable the attainment of critical mass in complex product development by creating the world's first intellectual capital exchange for technology solutions. The HelloBrain.com™ intellectual capital exchange provides all of the necessary components of a classical exchange, including buyers and sellers, liquidity, a transaction infrastructure, pricing mechanisms, information disclosure, and trust. In addition, HelloBrain.com provides specific additional capabilities necessary for virtual or Internet-based intellectual capital exchange for technology, including on-line collaboration, evaluation, verification, and delivery, as well as security, protection of intellectual property, and a natural on-line community. The bi-lateral intellectual capital exchange provides a market both for existing solutions and solutions created "on demand."
Since the HelloBrain.com exchange was launched in December of last year, over 300 projects have been posted on the exchange with solutions for more than half underway or completed. The exchange now includes contributors (problem solvers) from more than 100 countries worldwide with expertise in technology solutions from many different fields.
HelloBrain.com is based in Santa Clara, CA, and has received $33.5 million in venture capital funding from Accel Partners, Brentwood Venture Capital, Intel 64 Fund, Redpoint Ventures, and Thomas Weisel Partners. HelloBrain.com's intellectual capital exchange can be found on the Web at http://www.hellobrain.com.
About Altera
Altera Corporation, The Programmable Solutions Company®, was founded in 1983 and is a leading supplier of programmable logic devices (PLDs). Altera's CMOS-based PLDs are user-programmable semiconductor chips that enhance flexibility and reduce time-to-market for companies in the communications, computer peripheral, and industrial markets. By using high performance devices, software development tools, and sophisticated intellectual property cores, system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions can be created with embedded processors, memory, and other complex logic together on a single PLD. Altera common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol ALTR. More information on Altera is available on the Internet at http://www.altera.com.
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