Intel to Acquire Ambient Technologies; Acquisition Aimed at Enabling Residential Broadband Access.Business EditorsSANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 3, 2000 Intel Corporation (company) Intel Corporation - A US microelectronics manufacturer. They produced the Intel 4004, Intel 8080, Intel 8086, Intel 80186, Intel 80286, Intel 80386, Intel 486 and Pentium microprocessor families as well as many other integrated circuits and personal computer networking today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement, subject to regulatory approval and associated closing conditions, to acquire privately held Ambient Technologies, Inc. in a cash transaction valued at approximately $150 million. Ambient, headquartered in Fremont, Calif., develops highly integrated digital subscriber line See DSL. (communications, protocol) Digital Subscriber Line - (DSL, or Digital Subscriber Loop, xDSL - see below) A family of digital telecommunications protocols designed to allow high speed data communication over the existing copper telephone lines between end-users and (DSL DSL in full Digital Subscriber Line Broadband digital communications connection that operates over standard copper telephone wires. It requires a DSL modem, which splits transmissions into two frequency bands: the lower frequencies for voice (ordinary ) silicon solutions and analog modems designed to bring high-speed Internet See broadband. access to home users and small businesses. DSL technology uses existing telephone lines to deliver Internet content at up to 150 times faster than a 56k modem. Ambient will provide Intel with a complementary set of silicon capabilities and modems including a new chipset that will deliver simultaneous standards-based DSL and high-speed analog modem (V.90) capabilities in a single device. Until widespread deployment of DSL is available, most consumers will continue to connect to the Internet via traditional analog modems. Providing users with both DSL and analog modem capabilities is seen as a necessary interim step on the way to full broadband Internet access Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is high speed Internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access over modem. Dial-up modems are generally only capable of a maximum bitrate of 56 kbit/s (kilobits per second) and require the full use of a . &uot;It is imperative that we offer customers a smooth migration path from their existing analog modems to a broadband modem,&uot; said Mark Christensen, vice president and general manager of Intel's Network Communications Group. &uot;A similar migration path was instrumental in helping businesses make the transition from Ethernet to Fast Ethernet An earlier name for 100Mbps Ethernet. See 100Base-T. (networking) Fast Ethernet - A version of Ethernet developed in the 1990s(?) which can carry 100 Mbps compared with standard Ethernet's 10 Mbps. It requires upgraded network cards and hubs. . Ambient's integrated analog and DSL modem will provide an ideal way for customers to take advantage of high speed Internet access as it becomes available to them.&uot; Earlier this month, Intel announced the Intel(R) PRO/DSL 3100 Modem marking Intel's initial step in delivering standards-based broadband access technology. Both the Intel PRO/DSL 3100 Modem and Ambient's chipset support the G.Lite industry standard that increases interoperability of asymmetrical DSL (ADSL See DSL. ADSL - Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line ) technology. As one of the founding members of the Universal ADSL Working Group, Intel helped develop the G.Lite standard and facilitate G.Lite product interoperability. This technology will be a key component in Intel's effort to extend its leadership in business connectivity to the residential and small business segments. Fred Schuckert, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Ambient, will continue as general manager, reporting to Greg Lang, vice president and general manager of Intel's Network Interface Division. Under the agreement, Ambient would become a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of Intel reporting within Intel's Network Communications Group. Ambient employees will continue as employees of the new subsidiary. About Ambient Technologies, Inc. Headquartered in Fremont, Ambient Technologies is a privately held technology company that develops integrated circuits for leading-edge communications products. In 1998, Cirrus Logic spun-off its PC Modem Business Unit. Employees purchased this division in January 1999 and formed Ambient Technologies, Inc.. Ambient has continued to market its V.90 product line and is expanding into DSL and home networking market segments. Ambient's Engineering Design Center is located in Raleigh, N.C., and it has sales and support offices in Taiwan and Germany. More information about Ambient can be found at www.ambient.com. About Intel Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking, and communications products. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/pressroom. Note to Editors: Third party marks and brands are property of their respective holders. |
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