Trident Microsystems Appoints Tony Francesca as Senior Vice President and GM of Set-top Box Business Unit

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Trident Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRID), a leader in high-performance semiconductor system solutions for the connected home, today announced that Tony Francesca has been named senior vice president and general manager of the company's Set-top Box Business Unit.  Mr. Francesca brings Trident more than 30 years of experience in semiconductor, audio, video, wireless, and storage markets. Drawing upon his extensive operational, technical and strategic experience and strong relationships with operators, set-top box and consumer electronics manufacturers, Mr. Francesca will play a key leadership role helping Trident achieve its objective of becoming the leading provider in the set-top box industry.

"Tony has a deep understanding of the set-top box market with a strong history of running high performing and operationally efficient businesses," said Christos Lagomichos, Trident's president.  "His leadership and industry knowledge will be critical factors in helping Trident to achieve its aggressive market share growth and profitability goals."

Immediately prior to joining Trident, Mr. Francesca was senior vice president of Consumer Products for Ipera Technology, a start-up delivering high-quality video solutions to operators and manufacturers of set-top boxes, HDTVs, smart phones, PCs, servers, and broadcast equipment.  Previously, he was the chief executive officer of Keystone Executive Management and Technology Consulting and chief operating officer of HelloSoft Inc.  From 2001 to 2006, Tony was the president and CEO of BroadLogic, an industry-leading supplier of semiconductors for triple play (whole home STB/gateway and DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem) to the OEM/ODM markets and operators.  Earlier in his career, he held senior management roles at Tantivy Communications, Quantum Corporation, USRobotics, and AT&T.

"The consumer electronics industry has undergone rapid consolidation over the last few years and Trident has been a driving force," said Francesca. "I am thrilled to be joining such a strong team and I look forward to driving innovation for consumers while creating significant value for Trident's shareholders."

Tony holds several patents and is a recognized entrepreneur and innovator of new markets and product categories, such as DVR, DOCSIS 3.0, and wireless.  He holds a B.S.E.E. degree, Honors Program, from McGill University and an M.B.A. degree from the University of South Florida.

About Trident Microsystems, Inc.

Trident Microsystems, Inc., with headquarters in Santa Clara, California, is a leading force in the digital home entertainment market, delivering an extensive range of innovative multimedia semiconductor solutions for digital televisions and set-top boxes --  at the heart of today's digital home. Trident has been making bold moves to expand its market, deepen and more fully leverage its Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio, and drive the evolution of the "connected home." Its acquisition of NXP Semiconductors' set-top box and television product lines in 2010 establishes Trident as one of the top three semiconductor providers to both the TV and set-top box markets. For further information about Trident and its products, please consult the Company's web site: http://www.tridentmicro.com.

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Trident's vision of becoming the preferred supplier in the emerging and high-growth Connected Home market. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results could vary materially depending on a number of factors. These risks include, the timing of product introductions, the ability to obtain design wins among major OEMs for Trident's products, and competitive pressures, including pricing and competitors' new product introductions, the impact of the uncertain global macroeconomic environment, the success of Trident in developing and implementing a Connected Home strategy, and the increasingly competitive DTV and STB markets. Additional factors that may affect Trident's business are described in detail in Trident's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission available at http://www.sec.gov.  Such forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Trident's views or expectations as of any subsequent date and Trident does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the statement was made.

NOTE: Trident is a trademark of Trident Microsystems, Inc. All other company and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

SOURCE Trident Microsystems, Inc.