Cupertino, CA, February 2, 2004 – Version 4.0 of the MultiMediaCard specification, offering wider bus width, dual voltage operation and the highest transfer speeds available, was introduced today by the MultiMediaCard Association (MMCA), a standards organization that promotes the worldwide adoption of MultiMediaCards (MMCs).

The new, feature-rich version 4.0 specification represents a major expansion of the MultiMediaCard standard, opening new levels of sophistication and marketing opportunities to the digital imaging and mobile phone industries.

To ensure smooth transition from previous versions of the MMC standards, the new specification defines backward compatibility paths for both legacy cards and host devices that accept MultiMediaCards. The specification is provided to all MMCA members.

Three key features of the new specification are:

· Wider bus-width: The new multiple (x1 bit, x4 bit and x8 bit) bus-width feature now allows for host design flexibility and higher data transfer bandwidth at a given clock speed, to accommodate the more data intensive content in cell phones and digital cameras;

· Higher clock frequency: Extending the maximum clock frequencies from 20 MHz to 26 MHz and 52 MHz allows higher data transfer rate and better compatibility to mobile phone architectural requirements. Operating at 52 MHz in x8 bit mode, data can be transferred at up to 52 Mbyte/sec., a 20-fold improvement from the previous standards. This is the highest data transfer rate of all flash memory card form factors available today.

· Dual voltage operation: The MMC specification is the first small form factor memory card standards to define both 3.3 V and 1.8 V operations. 1.8 V compatibility is especially important for the new generations of cell phones and small mobile devices that operate at lower voltages for lower power consumption.

Definition of the specification is the culmination of the work and major contributions from Nokia, Hewlett Packard, Renesas Technology, Samsung Electronics, Infineon Technologies Flash, Micron Technology, SanDisk, and other member companies in the Association. It was approved and adopted by the full body of the MMCA Executive Membership.

According to Joe Unsworth, Semiconductor Memory Analyst at GartnerDataquest, “The MMCA has made a strategic decision to target the mobile phone market, and because that segment is forecast to be the leading application for flash cards by 2006, it has given new life to the format.”

According to Juergen Hammerschmitt, President of the MMCA and Vice President, Business Development, Infineon Technologies Flash, “As a major driver of the mobile memory standards, the MMCA is again demonstrating its commitment to innovative customer solutions with this new specification. The market demands MMCs with high-speed data transfer, low power consumption and in minimum size. This specification, available to all MMCA members, will enable new services in attractive new devices for everyone in the growing mobile community.”

"This updated specification greatly expands the horizons for OEMs, network operators and content providers of mobile video and gaming applications,” said Yves Leonard, MMCA Board Chairman. “Consumers will soon see an explosion of multimedia content both on preloaded MMCs in stores, and downloadable from cell phone networks.”

According to Victor Tsai, MMCA Marketing Committee Vice-Chair and Segment Marketing Manager at Renesas Technology America, Inc, "Once again, the MultiMediaCard standard delivers what the market has demanded for next-generation mobile electronic devices -- small size, fast data transfer, low operating voltage, and above all, flexibility and compatibility. The new version 4.0 specification represents a comprehensive memory card roadmap that bridges the mobile digital storage applications of today, tomorrow and beyond.”

Gen Shueh, MMCA Marketing Committee Vice-Chair and Chief Strategy Officer of Power Digital Card adds, “Technology breakthroughs achieved by the combined efforts of MMCA members allow Version 4.0 MultiMediaCards to offer the fastest data transfer rate of all available flash memory cards today. This will open new horizons for advanced applications especially in the mobile and digital imaging industries, as transfer speed is no longer an issue. A lot of thanks should be given to the member companies who worked so closely to make this possible.”

“Both of our target markets, cellular communications and digital imaging, will benefit from the features in our new MMC specification,” said Andy Prophet, Executive Director of the MMCA. “Data transfer rate and operating voltage requirements of these applications have changed over time and, as in the past, we listen to the market and provide host manufacturers with solutions to their customers’ demands.”

The specification is available at no cost to MMCA members.

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