VIA announces strategic open source driver development initiative

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For Immediate Release
Contact:
Pat Meier-Johnson
415-389-1700
Pat Meier Associates PR
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VIA Announces Strategic Open Source Driver

Development Initiative

VIA
to provide vehicle for improved collaboration with Open Source
community with opening of official VIA Linux Website

Austin,
Texas, 8 April 2008 -Today at the Linux Foundation Collaboration
Summit, VIA Technologies, Inc., a leading innovator of power
efficient x86 processor platforms, announced a new initiative to
improve support for the Open Source development community.

As
the first step in this initiative, VIA will open its official VIA
Linux website at http://linux.via.com.tw
[this] month. The site will initially host drivers, technical
documentation, source code, and information regarding the VIA CN700,
CX700/M, CN896 and the new VIA VX800 chipsets, with plans to add
official forums and support for more products later on in the year.

Over
the following months, VIA will work with the community to enable 2D,
3D and video playback acceleration to ensure the best possible Open
Source experience on VIA Processor Platforms.

To
further improve cooperation with the community, VIA will also adhere
to a regular quarterly release schedule that is aligned with kernel
changes and release of major Linux distributions. In addition, beta
releases will be issued on the site as needed, and a bug report and
tracking feature will also be integrated.

"This
announcement is the first step in the implementation of our new
initiative to better serve the needs of the Open Source community,"
commented Richard Brown, Vice President of Corporate Marketing, VIA
Technologies, Inc. "We are strongly committed to improving the
levels of collaboration with the community and adopting a more
consistent approach across VIA Processor Platform technologies."


"We
are delighted that VIA has announced its commitment to enhance
support for the Linux and Open Source community," commented Jim
Zemlin, executive director at The Linux Foundation. "This action
will open up exciting new opportunities for accelerating open source
innovation around VIA platforms and ultimately delivering a better
user experience."

About
VIA Technologies, Inc.

VIA
Technologies, Inc is the foremost fabless supplier of power efficient
x86 processor platforms that are driving system innovation in the PC,
client, ultra mobile and embedded markets. Combining energy-saving
processors with digital media chipsets and advanced connectivity,
multimedia and networking silicon enables a broad spectrum of
computing and communication platforms, including its widely acclaimed
ultra compact mainboards. Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, VIA's
global network links the high tech centers of the US, Europe and
Asia, and its customer base includes the world's top OEMs and
system integrators. www.via.com.tw
[http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001KDfbF-I7Q_GQKosIG6h69e-s3wazvk...

Note
to reporters, editors and writers: VIA is written in ALL CAPS.

The
names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.

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