Atheros Appoints Amir Faintuch as Vice President and General Manager to Lead Mobile Wireless Business Unit

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atheros Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHR) , a leading developer of advanced semiconductor system solutions for wireless and wired communications, today announced that Amir Faintuch has been appointed vice president and general manager of the company's Mobile Wireless Business Unit. Faintuch will lead Atheros' business efforts in the mobile markets that address the communications and connectivity requirements of handheld consumer electronics and handsets. He will report to president and chief executive officer, Craig Barratt.

Faintuch, who has more than 15 years of experience in the semiconductor, communications and software industries, most recently served as director of business, marketing and product management in the Mobile Connectivity Solutions group at Texas Instruments. Faintuch was instrumental in leading TI's WLAN, Bluetooth(R)/FM and GPS businesses, and was a significant contributor to the mobile industry's trend toward integrated silicon combinations of these connectivity technologies. Previously, Faintuch held several product management, marketing and business development positions in the mobile WLAN and WPAN businesses at TI.

He has also served as chief executive officer of Nxtar, Inc., a developer of enterprise HR software and services, and was chief executive officer of Bpath, Inc., a global provider of CRM software and other small business solutions.

"Amir brings a wealth of product insights and business experience in the mobile communications market that will help Atheros deliver the most compelling solutions to the mobile consumer electronics and handset markets," said Craig Barratt, president and chief executive officer of Atheros Communications. "Given his track record of building successful global teams and cultivating strong business results, I'm confident that Amir will take our mobile wireless business to the next level."

"With Atheros' extraordinary design capabilities, its leadership position in WLAN and expanded wireless communications portfolio, including mobile WLAN, GPS and Bluetooth technologies, the company is well-positioned to seize the growing opportunities in the mobile wireless market," said Amir Faintuch, vice president and general manager of the company's Mobile Wireless Business Unit. "I am thrilled to join Atheros at such an exciting time in the company's development and look forward to driving its growing success in the mobile industry."

Faintuch earned a dual Master of Business Administration degree in High Technology Management from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and Tel-Aviv University's Recanati School of Management. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business Administration from Haifa University.

About Atheros Communications, Inc.

Atheros Communications is a leading developer of semiconductor system solutions for wireless and wired communications products. Atheros combines its wireless and networking systems expertise with high-performance radio frequency (RF), mixed signal and digital semiconductor design skills to provide highly integrated chipsets that are manufactured on low-cost, standard complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) processes. Atheros technology is used by a broad base of leading customers, including personal computer, networking equipment and consumer device manufacturers. For more information, please visit http://www.atheros.com or send email to info@atheros.com.

Atheros and the Atheros logo are trademarks of Atheros Communications, Inc. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the sole property of their respective owners.

Note on Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including the anticipated growing opportunities in the mobile wireless market and Atheros' anticipated success in the mobile industry, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to, whether Atheros is successful in developing, marketing and selling products in the mobile market, difficulties in the development of new and enhanced products, general economic conditions, the effects of competition and technological change, and the risks detailed in Atheros' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007 and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2008 and June 30, 2008, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other reports filed with the SEC by Atheros from time to time. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Atheros disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.