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Zarlink Expands Market Opportunity with New ClockCenter Free-Run Clocking Products

Zarlink Semiconductor (TSX: ZL) today expanded its ClockCenter timing platform with new single-chip "free-run" clocking products that replace multiple costly timing components traditionally used in high-speed telecom and datacom equipment.

Zarlink offers the industry's broadest portfolio of network timing products that help ensure communication service reliability for end-users while solving integration concerns and reducing design time and costs for equipment manufacturers. The Company's expanded ClockCenter portfolio now includes products targeting free-run and optical transport network (OTN) applications. Zarlink also offers an extensive portfolio of packet timing products that synchronize wireless and wired networks.

"Revenue for our timing products grew by 39 percent last year, and we anticipate continuing growth as we expand our product portfolio to offer a wider range of solutions for existing and new customers," said Gary Tanner, President and CEO, Zarlink Semiconductor. "There is strong customer design activity for our ClockCenter OTN products as carriers seek solutions to solve bandwidth issues in the network core. Our new ClockCenter free-run products bring our proven expertise to telecom and datacom markets to help simplify design and lower costs for customers."

Deploying Zarlink's ClockCenter free-run timing solutions, designers can replace oscillators, multipliers, buffers and logic converters traditionally used to clock processors, memory and PHY chips, FPGAs and backplane interfaces with a fully integrated single-chip device. As a result, manufacturers can reduce design time, shrink board size, lower component costs and improve reliability.

Visit for product information

Zarlink's new free-run ClockCenter products are now in full production. The ZL30230 four channel universal clock generator generates up to 20 clocks fully programmable from 1 kHz to 720 MHz. The ZL30236 dual channel universal clock generator generates up to 12 clocks fully programmable from 1 kHz to 720 MHz. For product information, visit:

--  http://www.zarlink.com/zarlink/hs/82_ZL30230.htm
--  http://www.zarlink.com/zarlink/hs/82_ZL30236.htm

Visit http://www.zarlink.com/zarlink/hs/timing_ClockCenter.htm to learn more about Zarlink's ClockCenter platform.

About Zarlink Semiconductor

Zarlink Semiconductor delivers world-leading, mixed-signal chip technologies for a broad range of communication and medical applications. The Company's core capabilities include network timing solutions that manage time-sensitive communication applications over wireless and wired networks, line circuits supporting high-quality voice services over cable and broadband connections, and ultra low-power radios enabling new wireless medical devices and therapies. Serving the world's largest original equipment manufacturers, Zarlink's highly integrated chip solutions help customers simplify design, lower costs and reach market quickly. For more information, visit .

Shareholders and other individuals wishing to receive, free of charge, copies of the reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian Securities Regulatory Authorities, should visit the Company's web site at or contact Investor Relations.

Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, among others, the following: our dependence on the successful development and market introduction of new products; our ability to integrate any business, technologies, product lines or services that we have or will acquire; our dependence on revenue generation from our legacy products in order to fund development of our new products; current market conditions, including the lack of liquidity in the markets and economic slowdown, may increase our operating costs or reduce our revenue, thereby negatively impacting our operating results; our ability to operate profitably and generate positive cash flows in the future; the impact of the current economic crisis on our suppliers and customers and our ability to transfer parts to other suppliers; our dependence on our foundry suppliers and third-party subcontractors; order cancellations and deferrals by our customers; our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial position; the cost and accounting implications of compliance with new accounting standards; and other factors referenced in our Annual Report on Form 20-F. Investors are encouraged to consider the risks detailed in this filing.

Zarlink and the Zarlink Semiconductor logo are trademarks of Zarlink Semiconductor Inc.