Futuremark Corporation Strengthens Worldwide Beta Program

Saratoga, California USA – April 24th, 2003 – Futuremark Corporation, a leading provider of PC performance analysis software and services, today announced strategic alliances with key partners including Gateway, Transmeta Corporation, ExtremeTech - a Ziff-Davis publication - and Beyond3D, a professional industry publication. These companies have all joined Futuremark’s Beta Program to cooperate with new PC and processor benchmark development.
"We are always looking for good benchmarks that can test whole systems and individual subsystem performance. We welcome the opportunity to work with Futuremark so that the next version of PCMark is one of the most robust PC subsystem test suites available", said Loyd Case, Senior Technology Analyst ExtremeTech / Ziff-Davis Media [www.extremetech.com].
All of Futuremark’s benchmarks – including the latest 3DMark®03 – have been created in close cooperation with major industry players to provide users with the best and most reliable set of diagnostic tools. The Beta Program provides a transparent and convenient platform for companies to collaborate and provide vital input to the continuous development of high quality benchmarks. Futuremark delivers benchmark specifications and milestones to Beta Members, who in turn provide feedback to the development process. Companies that want to actively participate in designing the standards of performance measurement are welcomed to apply to the program.
"Transmeta and our customers provide leadership in efficient mobile computing across a wide range of market segments," said Arthur L. Swift, senior vice president of marketing, Transmeta Corporation. "Futuremark is an acknowledged leader in benchmark products and analytical technologies and provides important data about the performance and battery life capabilities of computer products to the PC industry, media and end users."
Futuremark’s Beta Program has expanded to include 18 leading manufacturers, computer integrators and media companies: AMD, ATI, Intel, Microsoft, Creative Technologies, Matrox, S3Graphics, SiS, Ali, Beyond3D, Dell, CNET, ExtremeTech, Gateway, Imagination Technologies/PowerVR, InnoVISION Multimedia, Transmeta, and Trident Microsystems.
"The addition of ExtremeTech (Ziff-Davis) and Beyond3D to the roster of Beta Program members complements our established relationship with CNET and ensures that our benchmark development will be transparent for the media and that media professionals can rest assured that they will continue to get the highest quality benchmarks which best serve their needs", said Aki ("A.J.") Järvilehto, VP, Benchmark Products. "The participation of Gateway and Transmeta Corporation will bring diversity to the program and is a validation of all the work we have done so far", Järvilehto continued.
Creating unbiased, robust benchmarks provide significant challenges. Industry-wide cooperation with all Beta Program Members is the key element to ensure that Futuremark Benchmark tools continue to be user-friendly, unbiased and incorporate emerging technologies such as hyper-threading, 64-bit consumer CPUs, PDAs, smart phones and the increasing usage of pixel and vertex shading technologies in new games.
"Beyond3D is delighted with the opportunity to provide input into the most widely used 3D PC benchmark", said Dave Baumann, Editor-In-Chief of Beyond3D [www.beyond3d.com]. "Our feedback and suggestions will assist in cementing future 3DMark revisions to be the most comprehensive testing tool for 3D PC graphics solutions".

About Futuremark® Corporation
Futuremark® Corporation, formerly known as MadOnion.com™, is the leading provider of computer performance analysis software and services. Futuremark® is known around the world for its benchmark products, including the 3DMark® Series and PCMark™2002 (with more than 30 million copies distributed worldwide) and value-added services powered by a database of over 5 million real life benchmarking results. Futuremark® has offices in Saratoga, California and Helsinki, Finland. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com.
Futuremark’s Beta Program
Beta Members are: AMD, ATI, Intel, Microsoft, Creative Technologies, Matrox, S3Graphics, SiS, Ali, Beyond3D, Dell, CNET, ExtremeTech, Gateway, Imagination Technologies/PowerVR, InnoVISION Multimedia, Transmeta, and Trident Microsystems. For more information, please visit http://www.futuremark.com/betaprogram/

© 2003 Futuremark® Corporation. 3DMark® and PCMark™ trademarks and logos, Futuremark® character names and distinctive likenesses, are the exclusive property of Futuremark Corporation. DirectX® is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.

Company Contacts:
Futuremark Corporation
Mr. Tero Sarkkinen
Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing
+1-408-517-0131
tero@futuremark.com

Agency Contact:
TechWire International
Leo Pot
+1-831-429-6288
information@ezwire.com