RF Micro Devices and Silicon Wave Announce Strategic Relationship for Bluetooth Solutions.Business Editors/High-Tech Writers GREENSBORO, N.C. & SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 2003 RF Micro Devices RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ: RFMD) is a manufacturer of integrated circuits, founded in Greensboro, NC, in 1991 by William J. Pratt, Powell T. Seymour and Jerry D. Neal.[1]. (Nasdaq: RFMD RFMD RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ) RFMD Rotary Fluid Management Device ): Strategic Highlights: -- Will Complement RFMD's Existing Product Portfolios For Handset And Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN See wireless LAN. WLAN - wireless local area network ) Markets -- Will Leverage Silicon Wave's Expertise In Highly Integrated, Low Cost RF System Communication Components For The Global Bluetooth(R) Market -- Will Accelerate RFMD's Development Efforts For Multi-Standard Radios And Other Convergent Devices -- Will Strengthen RFMD's Position As Wireless Solutions Provider For Consumer And Enterprise Applications RF Micro Devices, Inc. (Nasdaq: RFMD), a leading provider of proprietary radio frequency integrated circuits Integrated circuits Miniature electronic circuits produced within and upon a single semiconductor crystal, usually silicon. Integrated circuits range in complexity from simple logic circuits and amplifiers, about 1/20 in. (1. (RFICs) for wireless communications applications, and Silicon Wave, a leading supplier of integrated circuits for Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network) A wireless network that is typically limited to a small cell radius. In an office environment, a WPAN would be used to transfer data between a handheld device and desktop machine or printer. ), today announced they have agreed to enter into a strategic relationship for Bluetooth(R) solutions manufacturing and distribution. Within the strategic relationship, Silicon Wave will grant manufacturing licenses to RF Micro Devices for their single-chip UltimateBlue(TM) 3000 radio processor and stand-alone CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Pronounced "c-moss." The most widely used integrated circuit design. It is found in almost every electronic product from handheld devices to mainframes. Bluetooth radio modem solutions. RF Micro Devices will be responsible for the supply chain of Silicon Wave's CMOS Bluetooth solutions and will be the exclusive distribution channel for these products. RF Micro Devices has also acquired a minority interest in Silicon Wave by participating with other investors in Silicon Wave's current preferred stock Stock shares that have preferential rights to dividends or to amounts distributable on liquidation, or to both, ahead of common shareholders. Preferred stock is given preference over common stock. Holders of preferred stock receive dividends at a fixed annual rate. equity financing Equity Financing The act of raising money for company activities by selling common or preferred stock to individual or institutional investors. In return for the money paid, shareholders receive ownership interests in the corporation. , which had its initial closing on May 19, 2003. RF Micro Devices' customers in the cellular handset and wireless local area network (WLAN) markets are increasingly seeking highly integrated wireless solutions that incorporate Bluetooth functionality. Silicon Wave's highly integrated CMOS-based single-chip UltimateBlue 3000 combines a direct conversion radio modem with an ARM7TDMI(R) processor core, Bluetooth baseband logic, and complete protocol software in ROM. The complete Bluetooth system-on-chip solution delivers superior RF performance at an extremely low system BOM (bill-of-material) cost. "We believe this strategic relationship uniquely positions RF Micro Devices to become the leading solutions provider of multi-standard radios for handsets and mobile appliances of the future," said Jerry Neal, executive vice president of marketing and strategic development at RF Micro Devices. "Silicon Wave's advanced Bluetooth solutions complement our wireless LAN and POLARIS(TM) TOTAL RADIO(TM) product families and we anticipate that this relationship will strengthen our position as a complete solutions provider for devices supporting single and multiple air interface standards. Our customers are engaging us to provide more of the total wireless solution and these products add to our capability to supply various combinations of wireless technologies including cellular, wireless LAN, GPS and Bluetooth. Our vision is to be the one-stop shop One-Stop Shop A company or a location that offers a multitude of services to a client or a customer. The idea is to provide convenient and efficient service and also to create the opportunity for the company to sell more products to clients and customers. for all of the customer's wireless needs." "We are very pleased to team with RFMD to deliver Bluetooth solutions, and look forward to working with them to further strengthen their leading-edge wireless communications product portfolio," said David Lyon, president and chief executive officer of Silicon Wave. "Silicon Wave is committed to providing the industry's best performing Bluetooth devices which yield the lowest total cost of implementation for the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and customer." Silicon Wave and RF Micro Devices are both Associate Members of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) is the body that oversees the development of Bluetooth standards and the licensing of the Bluetooth technologies and trademarks to manufacturers. . About Silicon Wave Based in San Diego, Silicon Wave is a leading provider of low-power, highly integrated RF communication system components for the global Bluetooth(R) wireless market. Silicon Wave products and services include single-chip radio processors, stand-alone radio modems, software solutions, and a baseband IP licensing program. Founded in 1997, the company was the first to deliver a fully qualified, single-chip radio modem for Bluetooth communications and first to achieve Bluetooth Specification Version 1.1 qualification for its products. Silicon Wave is an Associate Member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group. The company's Web site is located at http://www.SiliconWave.com. About RFMD RF Micro Devices, Inc., an ISO (1) See ISO speed. (2) (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, www.iso.ch) An organization that sets international standards, founded in 1946. The U.S. member body is ANSI. 9001-certified manufacturer, designs, develops, manufactures and markets proprietary RFICs primarily for wireless communications products and applications such as cellular and PCS (1) (Personal Communications Services) Refers to wireless services that emerged after the U.S. government auctioned commercial licenses in 1994 and 1995. This radio spectrum in the 1. phones, base stations, WLANs, and cable television modems. The Company offers a broad array of products - including amplifiers, mixers, modulators/demodulators, and single-chip receivers, transmitters and transceivers - representing a substantial majority of the RFICs required in wireless subscriber equipment. The Company's strategy is to focus on wireless markets by offering a broad range of standard and custom-designed RFICs in order to position itself as a "one-stop" solution for its customers' RFIC RFIC Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit RFIC Radio Frequency Interface Chip needs. RF Micro Devices, Inc. is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol RFMD. For more information about RFMD, please visit our website at www.rfmd.com. This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to RF Micro Devices' plans, objectives, estimates and goals. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "projects," "believes," and "estimates," and variations of these words and similar expressions, identify these forward-looking statements. RF Micro Devices' business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including variability in quarterly operating results, the rate of growth and development of wireless markets, risks associated with the operation of wafer fabrication, molecular beam epitaxy A technique that "grows" atomic-sized layers on a chip rather than creating layers by diffusion. and test, tape and reel facilities and the Company's conversion from four-inch to six-inch wafer manufacturing, its ability to manage rapid growth and to attract and retain skilled personnel, variability in production yields, its ability to control and reduce costs and improve gross margins on highly integrated products, dependence on a limited number of customers and dependence on third parties. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail in RF Micro Devices' most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements. RF MICRO DEVICES(R), RFMD(R) and POLARIS(TM) TOTAL RADIO(TM) are trademarks of RFMD, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control . Silicon Wave(R) and UltimateBlue(TM) are trademarks of Silicon Wave, Inc. BLUETOOTH is a registered trademark owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc., U.S.A. and licensed for use by RF Micro Devices, Inc. and by Silicon Wave, Inc. All other trade names, trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion