NEWS FOR RELEASE: 6/15/00
Contacts: Darlene Perry David Bondurant
Pacifico, Inc. Enhanced Memory
(408) 293-8600 (719) 481-7003
RAMTRON SUBSIDIARY ANNOUNCES
COMPLETION OF MUSHKIN ACQUISITION
Leading Specialty DRAM Company Solidifies Plan to Grow
High-Performance Semiconductor Memory Component Business
Colorado Springs, Colo., June 15, 2000 - Ramtron International Corporation
(Nasdaq: RMTR) along with its subsidiary, Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc., today
announced that Ramtron consummated, by way of a merger, the acquisition of
Denver-based Mushkin Inc., a leading e-commerce distributor of high-performance
computer components. The merger, which was announced on May 11, 2000, has
resulted in Mushkin becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Ramtron. Ramtron
issued approximately 952,000 shares of stock to Mushkin shareholders in the
merger. In addition, this acquisition allows Enhanced Memory Systems to
establish a strategic distribution channel for high-performance memories and
provide the benefits of a direct sales solution to the company's end-users,
resellers and OEM customers.
Mushkin has a large number of end-user, reseller and OEM customers and is a
well-known supplier of high-performance memory modules to high-performance
computer users in over 60 countries. Mushkin is the exclusive on-line
distributor of the Enhanced Memory Systems unique high-speed SDRAM (HSDRAM)
module products and will continue to operate as a stand-alone division
supporting the Enhanced Memory Systems group.
"This acquisition increases our presence in the computer memory market," said
Craig Rhodine, Enhanced Memory Systems vice president and general manager.
"Mushkin is a leader in direct sales of memory modules and other components on
the Web."
"Our close relationship with Enhanced Memory Systems allows us to offer memory
modules and components designed, manufactured and qualified to outperform
industry standard SDRAM and DDR. Our performance PC, workstation and server
customers will now have a state-of-the-art e-commerce memory manufacturer
providing products designed, specified and tested by some of the finest chip
engineers in the world. We couldn't imagine a better match for us than
Enhanced," said Bill Mushkin, president of Mushkin Inc.
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High-Performance DRAM Products
Enhanced Memory Systems is a leading specialty DRAM company. Enhanced began
shipping its first low-latency enhanced DRAM (EDRAM (registered trademark)
products in 1992. Enhanced currently supplies low latency enhanced synchronous
DRAM (ESDRAM) and high-speed SDRAM (HSDRAM) products that are compatible with
the industry standard SDRAM. The ESDRAM architecture was approved as a SDRAM
superset for both SDRAM and DDR SDRAM in 1998. In 1999, Enhanced entered a
technology agreement with Cypress Semiconductor to develop a product for the
network communications market. In May of this year, Enhanced parent company,
Ramtron, acquired Mushkin Inc. to provide expanded e-commerce outlets for the
Enhanced product lines.
Enhanced Memory Systems is a fabless DRAM company with manufacturing agreements
with top semiconductor companies, including Infineon Technologies, which
recently acquired 20% of Enhanced in exchange for its advanced memory
technology and wafer capacity. Enhanced is pursuing other strategic
partnerships to advance its EDRAM, ESDRAM, HSDRAM and ESRAM technologies in the
marketplace.
Enhanced Memory Systems products serve the DRAM, specialty DRAM and fast SRAM
markets, which are expected to grow to more than $47 billion by the year 2001,
according to Semico, a leading semiconductor market research firm.
About Mushkin Inc.
Mushkin Inc. was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1996 as an on-line distributor
of memory module products. The Mushkin on-line business has expanded to
include a wide variety of DRAM and flash memory module products including
proprietary modules for Adaptec, Cisco and Sun Microsystems products. Mushkin
also supplies a line of memory tester products and rack-mount components to
serve its reseller customers. The Mushkin customer base includes numerous end-
users, resellers and OEMs. Mushkin is recognized as a top supplier of high-
performance memory module products for computer users in over 60 countries.
Visit Mushkin on the Web at www.mushkin.com.
About Ramtron
Ramtron patented FRAM memories are a new generation of semiconductor memory
that combines high-performance and low-power operation with the ability to
store data in the absence of power. Due to the products' unique advantages,
FRAM memories are expected to revolutionize a variety of electronic consumer
and industrial products. Current applications for Ramtron FRAM memory devices
include electronic power meters, smart cards, test instrumentation, factory
automation, laser printers, security systems, and other systems that require
reliable storage of data without an external power source. The company also
develops and markets ultra-high-performance ESDRAM and HSDRAM memory products
through its subsidiary, Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc.
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For more information about Ramtron and its products, contact: Communications
Department, Ramtron International Corporation, 1850 Ramtron Drive, Colorado
Springs, Colorado, USA, 80921. Telephone is 800-545-FRAM (3726); FAX is
719-481-9058; E-mail address is [email protected]. Homepage is
http://www.ramtron.com.
About Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc.
Enhanced Memory Systems develops and markets patented EDRAM (registered
trademark) and ESRAM (trademark) high-performance specialty memories that
combine fast DRAM and SRAM on one chip. Enhanced Memory Systems is
headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado and is a subsidiary of Ramtron
International Corporation (Nasdaq: RMTR). Visit Enhanced Memory Systems on the
Web at www.edram.com.
EDRAM is a registered trademark of Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc. ESRAM is a
trademark of Enhanced Memory Systems, Inc.
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