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Together with representatives of 13 other members of the initiative "Going to Work Environmentally Friendly", Micronas Managing Director, Nikolaus Kaeppeler, received the ´Eco Traffic Award´ from the Mayor, Dr. Matthias Schmelas. Through this award the city of Freiburg acknowledges the commitment of the initiative to an environmentally friendly rushhour traffic, launched in 1991, by the works council of the semiconductor company.

At CeBIT 2002, Micronas unveils the company's first application board for the development of audio players with an interface to IBM's MicrodriveTM. The Micronas ColumbusDRIVE features a SDRAM buffer memory and memory management system that will extend playtime three to four times than that of battery operated audio players retrieving their data from spinning media, and completes Micronas' range of solutions supporting flash-based media such as SD cards and MMC.

Angesichts der anhaltend positiven Marktbedingungen und positiver Geschäftsentwicklung kündigt Micronas heute eine Kapitalerhöhung zum geltenden Aktienkurs an, welche zur Refinanzierung von akquisitionsbedingtem Fremdkapital verwendet wird, um die finanzielle Flexibilität zu erhöhen. Das Angebot umfasst maximal 5.35 Millionen Namenaktien (inklusive einer Mehrzuteilungs-Option von maximal 0.7 Millionen Namenaktien).

At CeBIT 2002, Micronas unveils the world's smallest USB-headset connector, designed small enough to fit into the palm of a hand. Fitting into a USB connector, it integrates a complete audio system enabling system manufacturers to develop a huge variety of new digital headsets, and free users of the restrictions and inconvenient handling of conventional analog headsets.

Micronas kündigt heute an, dass sie unter der Voraussetzung stabiler Aktienmärkte in naher Zukunft eine Kapitalerhöhung in Betracht zieht, um Fremdkapital zurückzuzahlen, welches die Gesellschaft im Zusammenhang mit der Akquisition des Image- und Video Geschäfts von Infineon im Jahr 2000 aufgenommen hat. Micronas hat genehmigtes Kapital im Umfang von bis zu 5.35 Millionen Namenaktien zur Verfügung.

Die Micronas Gruppe konnte ihren konsolidierten Nettoumsatz im vierten Quartal gegenüber dem Vorquartal erneut um 3,9 Prozent steigern. Für das Geschäftsjahr 2001 erhöhte sich der Umsatz gegenüber dem Vorjahr um 15,6 Prozent auf CHF 566,7 Millionen. Akquisitions- und währungsbereinigt entspricht dies einem Umsatzrückgang von nur 8,6 Prozent.

Today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN) and Thomson multimedia (Paris Euroclear 18453; NYSE: TMS) will hold the world's first public demonstration of the SmartRight™ copy protection and content management system, designed to protect video content on digital home networks.

Micronas announced today that the company will start volume production of its scan-rate converter chips VSP 94x7B in the second quarter of 2002. In addition to 100-Hz conversion, the VSP 94x7B chips support conversion in to progressive scan display formats as required for optimized image quality in NTSC TV-sets (NTSC is a broadcasting standard in the USA, Japan and Korea) and for new flat panel technologies such as LCDs and plasma displays.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Micronas announced that it will be the world's first to integrate BBE Sound Inc.'s (BBE) High Definition Sound technology into the USB audio environment. The BBE sound processing algorithms will significantly enhance the listening experience of digital music in multimedia applications such as PCs and set-top boxes.

Micronas announced the launch of a video processor specifically designed for use in television sets with flat-panel displays (liquid crystal displays and plasma displays). The DPS 9450 supports display resolutions from VGA (640 x 480 pixel) to WXGA (1365 x 768 pixel). By offering display processors for both cathode ray tube displays (CRT) and flat-panel displays, Micronas completes the company's platform concept for TV applications.

Micronas today announced an extension of its audio chip family with the new SAC 3590A. Together with the universal processors of the Zenon™ product family and the audio processors of the MASF product family, the new SAC components form a consistent platform for the processing of digital music.

The third quarter of 2001 brought the first signs of stabilization for the Micronas Group as sales increased by 7 percent compared with the second quarter, bucking the overall market trend. However, the tight squeeze on earnings continued, with capacity loading as low as 60 percent. To ensure effective market penetration and safeguard our short- to-medium-term innovation potential we continued our programme of investments in R&D and marketing despite the continuing weakness of the market.

Micronas Halbleiterentwicklungs GmbH is the first research & development center for microelectronics that has moved into the Technology Park Villach-St. Magdalen in Austria.

Micronas, the Germany-based IC developer, today announced that it has chosen the world-leading semiconductor foundry, UMC (NYSE: UMC) for the production of its MDE 9500 IC, the industry's first hybrid analog/digital TV decoder. The MDE 9500 is the flagship of Micronas' mixed-signal decoder family and will use UMC's 0.18 micron technology to target the upcoming hybrid digital/analog TV market.

NetSilicon GmbH, the leading provider of integrated hardware and software for intelligent, networked devices, Micronas GmbH, a leading developer of microchips for the consumer electronics, multimedia and automotive industries, and Germany's FS Forth-Systeme GmbH, a designer and manufacturer of electronic devices, today announced their cooperation in developing a high performance MP3 Internet radio application, called NetworkAudio^TM.

Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN), and Thomson multimedia (Paris Euroclear: 18453; NYSE: TMS) today announced their collaboration in the future development of the SmartRightTM technology designed to protect digital content from illicit access and distribution.

Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN) announced today that it has secured Macrovision certification for its Video Pixel Decoder VPX 3226E. The Micronas chip incorporates a certified detection apparatus to detect and decode Macrovision protected analog video, allowing content owners to protect their videocassettes, digital Pay-Per-View programs and Digital Video Disks (DVD) from unauthorized recording.

Samsung Electronics, a major player in the global TV market, has formed a strategic alliance with Germany's Micronas GmbH, a world-class developer of essential semiconductor chips for consumer electronics, multimedia and automotive electronics. The partners will co-develop chip sets used in next-generation TVs.

Micronas has opened the way to cost-effective integrated digital television (IDTV) sets with its introduction of the first real single-chip digital TV decoder. The chip, called the MDE 9500, also meets the requirements of the multimedia home platform (MHP) standard. MDE 9500 is the product of a joint development effort with Zoran Corporation (NASDAQ:ZRAN) and incorporates intellectual property from Zoran and Micronas as well as new IP jointly developed for this decoder.

Micronas has started volume production of its scan rate converter chip VSP 94x2A, a single-chip solution used for the conversion of television pictures to 100 Hz.

Micronas presented its M2 highly integrated chip that enables TV sets to receive TeleWeb services. The M2 offers high performance at low cost and has been deployed in the majority of TeleWeb-equipped TV sets developed to date.

Micronas and BBE Sound Inc. have signed a partnership program agreement allowing Micronas to license the sound process algorithms of BBE. Micronas already implements the Sonic MaximizerTM technology of the US company in its DSP-based MSP family of ICs.

Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN) today announced that it has been presented the Supplier of the Year Award by Grundig for its outstanding performance in quality, service, and customer loyalty. Selection criteria for the annual award are not only quality and service, but also faithfulness to deadlines and pricing policies. Of Grundig's approximately 600 suppliers worldwide only ten were honored with the best supplier award for the year 2000.

Micronas will supply its highly integrated audio controller for applications for the XboxTM video game system from Microsoft. The digital audio USB codec UAC 355xB integrates all mixed-signal components such as headphone amplifiers and microphone preamplifiers. The resulting small form factor makes the device an ideal choice for system manufacturers.

Nach den hohen Wachstumsraten der letzten zwei Jahre konnte die Micronas Gruppe im ersten Halbjahr 2001 aufgrund der sehr verhaltenen Entwicklung ihrer Absatzmärkte akquisitions- und währungsbereinigt einen Rückgang von Umsatz und Gewinn nicht vermeiden.

ARM [(LSE: ARM), (Nasdaq: ARMHY)], the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, and Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN), a pioneer of solutions for MP3 players, today announced the extension of their license agreement for the ARM7TDMI® microprocessor core.

Micronas today introduced Zenon, the first programmable universal controller on the market to address the latest security requirements for electronic music distribution. The highly secure microcontroller, built around an ARM7TDMI 16/32-bit-microprocessor core, supplements the very successful MASF product family of audio processors.

Die Micronas Gruppe konnte ihren Netto-Umsatz in den ersten drei Monaten 2001 im Vergleich zum entsprechenden Vorjahresquartal um CHF 47,8 Millionen oder 44,8 Prozent auf CHF 154,4 Millionen erhöhen. Akquisitions- und währungsbereinigt entspricht dies dem Niveau des ersten Quartals 2000.

OpenTV (NASDAQ: OPTV and AEX: OPTV), the world's leading interactive television and media solutions company, announces an agreement to license its technology to Micronas Munich (formerly the consumer division of Infineon Technologies), a market leader in TV & multimedia system solutions.

Micronas announced they were presented Samsung's prestigious Award of Contribution at the annual Samsung Visual Media Division meeting. The Award of Contribution is presented in recognition of on-time and reliable delivery of audio and video ICs for Samsung Television Sets. Samsung presents the award annually to their best supplier and cooperative partner.

Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN) announced it has successfully integrated two Hall plates, the specific sensor elements, on a single Hall sensor chip at about half the cost of existing solutions. The new HAL 700 family of sensors is designed for contactless detection of speed and rotary direction in automotive applications such as sliding roofs, windshield wipers, seat adjusters and power windows.

Micronas announced a newly designed and highly integrated family of universal serial bus (USB) audio controllers to drive digital music from the PC deeper into home entertainment systems. Digital music files, once decompressed on the PC by using the computer's processing power, can be streamed into stereo or TV set via the USB.

Im Geschäftsjahr 2000 vermochte die Micronas Gruppe die hochgesteckten Erwartungen auf der ganzen Linie zu erfüllen. Wie bereits am 19. Februar 2001 berichtet, erhöhten sich alle wichtigen Leistungswerte in zum Teil ausgeprägtem Ausmass. Im laufenden Jahr hingegen wird sich der starke Aufwärtstrend der letzten zwei Jahre aufgrund der schwierigen Marktkonstellation temporär verflachen.

At the 7th annual Premier Automotive Suppliers' Contributions to Excellence (PACE) Award ceremony in Detroit Monday night, Micronas GmbH from Freiburg, Germany was presented the PACE Award for best European product for its Linear Hall-effect sensors.

Die an der Schweizer Börse und am Frankfurter Neuen Markt notierte Micronas Gruppe vermochte ihren Reingewinn im Geschäftsjahr 2000 mit CHF 63,5 Millionen mehr als zu verdoppeln. Die am Netto-Umsatzerlös gemessene Rendite erreichte 12,9 Prozent. Der Gewinn pro Aktie stellt sich auf CHF 29.71, verglichen mit CHF 13.29 im Vorjahr. Der Gruppenumsatz erhöhte sich um 47,4 Prozent auf CHF 490,3 Millionen.

Micronas today introduced a reference design for building digital audio players that supports the Secure Digital (SD) flash card design, compliant with the security standards of the SD Card Association. To address audio compression and copy protection issues, which are still largely unsettled, the reference design from Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN), co-developed by SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), is designed to support the Secure Digital Music Initiative specifications.

Nach Zustimmung durch die zuständige Kartellbehörde wurde die Übernahme des Bereiches "Image und Video" von Infineon Technologies AG, München, durch die Micronas Holding GmbH, Freiburg i.Br., vollzogen. Der neue Geschäftsbereich der Micronas Gruppe wird mit Wirkung ab 1. Oktober 2000 konsolidiert.

At Electronica 2000, Micronas announced three new families of its Low Emission Automotive Processors (LEAP) based on an ARM7TDMI® CPU: The Car Dashboard Controller familiy (CDC), the Car Body Controller family (CBC) and the Car Entertainment Controller family (CEC).

Micronas introduced at Electronica the first all CMOS integrated circuit (IC) for the entire demodulation of the IF signal used in TV sets. In addition to the new DRX chip, only one simple and cost efficient surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter is required. The DRX provides the initial technology enabling TV sets to receive digitally broadcasted programs.

Micronas announced that it has sold 100 million units of its Multistandard Sound Processors (MSP) chip family, making it the industry's most successful chip family in its class. Integrated in the MSP chips are demodulator and baseband functions for use in TV environments

The new VCT 38xxA family of highly complex ICs integrating video, controller and teletext functionality aims at applications in TV sets with picture tubes between 21 inch and 36 inch. This allows the manufacturer of TV sets to reduce the number of different chassis variations in order to reduce costs for logistics and production.

Micronas (SWX: MASN, Neuer Markt Frankfurt: MNSN) has expanded its range of existing Hall sensors and switches for automotive applications with the new HAL 810 and HAL 815 types. Micronas has developed the HAL 8xx family of CMOS sensors as a contactless alterna-tive to existing potentiometers and mechanical switches to avoid problems with dirt and wear.

Auch im dritten Quartal des laufenden Geschäftsjahres haben sich Umsatz und Ertrag der Micronas Gruppe sehr gut entwickelt. Im Berichtsquartal wurden ein Netto-Umsatz von CHF 119,1 Millionen und ein Reingewinn von CHF 19,9 Millionen erwirtschaftet. In den ersten neun Monaten 2000 konnte der Netto-Umsatz auf konsolidierter Basis im Vergleich zur Vorjahresperiode um 46,4 Prozent auf CHF 335,9 Millionen gesteigert werden.

Die Micronas Semiconductor Holding AG, Zürich, und die Infineon Technologies AG, München, haben heute bekannt gegeben, dass Micronas, mit wirtschaftlicher Wirkung zum 1. August 2000, den Bereich ICs für Consumer-Elektronik mit der Bezeichnung "Image und Video" von Infineon erwirbt. Die Transaktion mit einem Gesamtvolumen von 250 Millionen Euro umfasst die Übernahme von rund 130 Mitarbeitern inklusive der Entwicklungs- und Vertriebsaktivitäten.

Micronas (SWX: MASN; Frankfurt Neuer Markt: MNSN) has announced its latest Audio Box IITM product. The Audio Box II is a streaming interface that enables traditional home stereo equipment to be connected to the PC to deliver digital audio from the Internet. Audio

Micronas announced its latest MP3 chip enabling both decoding (playback) and encoding (recording) of music in digital MP3 format. Called MAS 3587F, the chip allows the development of MP3 recorder/playback products that do not have to rely on a PC or the Internet as the only source for MP3 music files.

ARM [(LSE:ARM); (NASDAQ:ARMHY)], the industry's leading provider of 16/32-bit embedded RISC processor solutions, and Micronas today announced that Micronas has licensed the ARM7TDMI® microprocessor core from ARM. Micronas will use the ARM® technology for next-generation automotive controller solutions including its dashboard controllers, which are used to process data from sensors and other devices and display it on the dashboard.

Micronas, supplier of chips for consumer and automotive applications, has licensed the ARM7TDMI processor core from ARM Ltd. Together with its partner, automotive supplier VDO, Micronas will develop and manufacture next-generation automotive controllers such as dashboard controllers, and a host of fast emerging applications automotive.

Micronas has introduced a new Hall-effect switch, called HAL 1000, for position and speed measurements that can replace traditional mechanical micro switches. Micronas is currently the world's leading manufacturer of Hall sensors based on submicron CMOS processes, which allows them to integrate the Hall plate, logic circuitry, DSP, and EEPROM on one chip.

Die Micronas Gruppe hat in den ersten sechs Monaten des laufenden Geschäftsjahres sehr gut gearbeitet. Der konsolidierte Nettoumsatz erhöhte sich in der Berichtsperiode im Vergleich zum ersten Halbjahr 1999 um 51.4 Prozent auf CHF 216.7 Millionen. Der Reingewinn konnte von CHF 5.5 Millionen auf CHF 32.6 Millionen gesteigert werden. Die Netto-Umsatzrendite stellte sich auf 15 Prozent. Der Gewinn pro Aktie nahm im Halbjahresvergleich von CHF 3.39 auf CHF 15.25 zu. Für das ganze Geschäftsjahr 2000 werden ein Umsatz von CHF 455 Millionen und ein Reingewinn von CHF 55 Millionen prognostiziert.