Winbond America Introduces New ISD5108 ChipCorder® Voice Record and Playback IC

San Jose, CA, May 19, 2003 - Winbond Electronics Corporation America, a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions to the consumer, computer, communications and electronics products markets, today introduced the ISD5108 ChipCorder. The chip represents the newest member of Winbond's ISD5100-family. It features 4-to-8 minute voice record and playback capability and digital data storage and is targeted at a broad spectrum of markets and applications including security, industrial and automotive. The ISD5108 is currently sampling and is priced at approximately $6.00 for 1,000/quantity.

The ISD5108 allows the user select sampling rates between 8KHz and 4KHz - with commensurate recording durations - allowing customers to choose the desired tradeoff for sound quality/duration. Additionally, part of the memory array may be used to store digital data. This feature allows the IC to record not only the sound file, but also a related data file, thereby simplifying customer designs. For example, a voice prompt could be stored along with associated text that could be displayed on a LCD.

The ISD5108 the newest member of the ISD5100-series family that also includes the ISD5116 (8-16 minute duration). Other chips in this family are planned for introduction later this year. The ISD5100-series of ChipCorder ICs provide a family of full-featured voice record/playback ICs, allowing easy migration to longer- and shorter-duration devices. The chips are based on Winbond's proprietary ChipCorder technology known for its low power operation, non-volatile message storage and industry-leading quality. The ISD5108 is available in 28-pin 300mil SOIC, and 8x13.4mm TSOP packages, as well as in DIE form.

"The ISD5108 is an ideal choice for embedded voice applications," said Peter Himes, vice president of marketing, Winbond America. "The chips' additional functionality permits customized voice prompts and additional digital data storage while retaining the ease of design and inherent flexibility that has made the award-winning family of ChipCorder voice record and playback ICs a market leader."

About Winbond

Winbond Electronics Corporation America, based in San Jose, California, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winbond Electronics Corporation, the largest branded IC Company in Taiwan and a leading supplier of semiconductor solutions worldwide. Winbond America designs, develops, markets and sells IC solutions to the global electronics marketplace. With a strong emphasis on mixed-signal solutions, Winbond America's primary mission is to serve the signal conditioning needs of computer, consumer and communications electronic manufacturers. Winbond Electronics Corporation has approximately 3,800 employees worldwide with design centers in Hsinchu, Taiwan; Shanghai, China; San Jose and Torrance, California; and Austin, Texas. The Company can be contacted via the web at http://www.winbond-usa.com for Winbond America, or through the corporate homepage at http://www.winbond.com.

Note: Winbond and ChipCorder are registered trademarks of Winbond Electronics Corporation. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.