CSR Works With Microsoft to Bring IPv6 Support Onto BlueCore Chipset.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Bluetooth Developers Conference

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2001

CSR (Cambridge Silicon Radio) today announced it is working with Microsoft Corp. to support Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) over Bluetooth(TM) by providing an IPv6 stack to run on its BlueCore2 single-chip solution. This will allow Bluetooth devices to be easily enabled with Internet connections without including their own IP stack.

CSR supports the concept of a web-based browser acting as a universal interface to a range of consumer and industrial products. For example, a VCR connected to a PC using Bluetooth, which can then be controlled through Microsoft Windows XP on a remote PC. Microsoft has indicated it will provide Bluetooth profile support for Windows XP in 2002 that will include use of Universal Plug and Play technology for device discovery and use IPv6 over Bluetooth for the Personal Area Networking profile.

Earlier this year at the Bluetooth Congress in Monaco, CSR demonstrated how, using its first generation BlueCore1, Bluetooth could access a web server; this was based on the same concept. CSR's BlueLab Bluetooth software will support IPv6 using the Bluetooth SIG-defined network encapsulation protocol (BNEP) in addition to the RFCOMMand HID protocols it currently supports.

"Connecting and controlling a wide range of devices through the Internet is a prime goal of IPv6. CSR's IPv6 stack for BlueCore2 will make it easier for products to not only be Bluetooth enabled, but also internet enabled making it much easier for the product designers," said Glenn Collinson, co-founder and marketing director, CSR. "CSR is happy to be working with Microsoft to make this vision a reality."

IPv6 overcomes the shortcomings of the current protocol, IPv4, by expanding the available address space from 32- to 128-bits. This will allow each consumer device to be allocated a unique IP address and will also provide higher levels of security and quality of service.

About CSR

CSR (Cambridge Silicon Radio) specializes in providing single-chip radio devices to the global market for short-range wireless communications, including Bluetooth(TM). The company's mission is to create the most highly integrated radio devices available, fabricated using standard CMOS technology, to provide its customers with the lowest cost of ownership of high quality digital radio.

CSR was the first company in the world to offer a true single-chip Bluetooth solution with a fully integrated 2.4GHz radio, baseband and microcontroller on one CMOS chip, with its BlueCore(TM)01. Together with external Flash ROM containing the CSR Bluetooth software stack, it provides a fully compliant solution for data and voice communications. Combined with an upper layer host software stack CSR is able to offer a one-stop-shop for customers requiring a complete Bluetooth end-to-end solution. BlueCore01 is now designed into over 62 percent of end-user products qualified to the Bluetooth 1.1 standard as listed on the qualified products page of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) website. CSR is headquartered in Cambridge, UK, with offices in Richardson, Texas, Tokyo, Japan, Singapore and Aalborg, Denmark.

More information about CSR can be found at www.csr.com

Other product or service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.