Monday April 2, 3:01 am Eastern Time
Press Release
Infineon Technologies and InterDigital Communications Corporation Establish Strategic Partnership to Develop 3G Technology and Products
MUNICH, Germany and KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- April 2, 2001--
Long-term Partnership Focuses on the Development of W-CDMA Enabling Software for Mobile Terminals
Infineon Technologies AG (FSE/NYSE: IFX) and InterDigital Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:IDCC - news) today announced a broad long-term strategic partnership to develop enabling software for Third Generation (3G) mobile products.
The software will be incorporated into Infineon's standard 3G System-on-a-Chip (SoC) Integrated Circuits (ICs) for mobile terminals sold worldwide. The partnership also involves Infineon's production of custom ASICs to be designed and sold by InterDigital for the infrastructure and specialized terminal markets, incorporating intellectual property from both companies.
As part of the agreement, the companies plan to market and license the software as an integral part of Infineon's total system solution offering for UMTS/GPRS dual mode products as well as a stand alone product to 3G equipment producers.
The partnership will leverage the superior technology libraries of both companies along with Infineon's world class manufacturing capabilities and both companies' expertise in air interface design and systems integration.
Infineon is the world's largest supplier of GSM baseband application specific standard products (ASSP) and GSM radio frequency integrated circuits. InterDigital has a strong portfolio of patented TDMA and CDMA inventions and will leverage its technology and intellectual property into third generation standards and products.
Under the joint development program, the companies will develop a high performance software platform in accordance with the Universal Mobile Telephone Service (UMTS) 3G standard for mobile devices.
Engineering teams from InterDigital and Infineon's wholly-owned subsidiary COMNEON will work together to design and deliver the software in time for the first commercial requirements of UMTS/GPRS dual mode products in Europe.
The protocol stack will enable terminal manufacturers to offer superior voice and high-speed data performance in mobile devices such as phones, personal digital assistants, and laptop computers, as well as automotive and home-based products. Both companies' engineers will also provide support for revisions and feature upgrades to the designs as the technology evolves with the 3G standard.
``The dual mode UMTS/GPRS protocol software is a key element in our 3G program in supplementing our 3G IC chipset and reference design to provide 3G system solutions and expand our cellular GSM and GPRS system solution roadmap,'' said Dr. Hermann Eul, Vice President & General Manager Wireless Baseband and Systems at Infineon and Managing Director at COMNEON. ``The cooperation with InterDigital will further strengthen our leading position for UMTS/GPRS dual mode products and enable our customers to benefit from the emerging 3G business opportunity.''
``Our collaboration with Infineon, the world's leading producer of standard GSM baseband and RF ICs, is an important validation of our W-CDMA technology and positions InterDigital as a leading supplier of advanced software solutions for the wireless industry,'' said Howard E. Goldberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of InterDigital. ``With this partnership, InterDigital also gains valuable access to Infineon's comprehensive technology suite and world class manufacturing processes. This will drive the execution of a critical part of our strategy to bring to market 3G ASICs for infrastructure and specialized mobile terminal applications. This is a broad relationship that we believe will be quite valuable to both companies. We have tremendous confidence in the strength of our partnership because of the superior quality and dynamic spirit of the Infineon team, their impressive reputation and position in the wireless market and their clear commitment to competitive success in the 3G market.''
InterDigital will have rights to design and market custom ASICs, manufactured by Infineon. As part of the relationship, Infineon will provide access to its foundries and its library of core technologies, including Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Bluetooth, and other technologies, for the production of those custom ASICs.
Infineon Technologies AG, Munich, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions for applications in the wired and wireless communications markets, for security systems and smartcards, for the automotive and industrial sectors, as well as memory products. With a global presence, Infineon operates in the US from San Jose, CA, in the Asia-Pacific region from Singapore and in Japan from Tokyo.
In the fiscal year 2000 (ending September), the company achieved sales of Euro 7.28 billion with about 29,000 employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the DAX index of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX). Further information is available at www.infineon.com.
COMNEON has been developing and marketing GSM software since 1990 and has accumulated more than 400 man-years of experience in the development of GSM protocol software. The track record of successful GSM projects includes more than 20 type approvals of GSM phase 1, phase 2 and phase 2+ demonstrating its high competence in all areas of GSM/GPRS/UMTS mobile communications.
Committed to excellence, COMNEON has been using state-of-the-art tools for software development and configuration Management. All processes are performed in accordance with the principles of Total Quality Management. Further information is available at www.comneon.com.
InterDigital develops advanced wireless technologies and products that drive voice and data communications. The company offers solutions for mainstream wireless applications that deliver cost and time-to-market advantages for its customers.
By leveraging its technology and intellectual property into third generation standards and products, InterDigital is maximizing its long-term revenue and earnings opportunities. InterDigital has a strong portfolio of patented TDMA and CDMA inventions, which it licenses worldwide.
In fiscal year 2000, InterDigital achieved revenues of $57 million. Further information is available at www.interdigital.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements reflecting InterDigital's current beliefs and expectations as to the ability of InterDigital and Infineon to achieve critical market windows, the ability of InterDigital to develop and successfully market its own 3G product offerings and position itself as a leading supplier of advanced software solutions, the timing and growth of the 3G market, and the Company's beliefs as to the financial and strategic value of the Infineon relationship, including the Company's ability to realize that value through Infineon product sales as well as through InterDigital product offerings, and the Company's strategy to bring to market 3G ASICs.
Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual outcomes could materially differ from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors.
These factors include, but are not limited to, the parties individual and collective ability to maintain sufficient levels of engineering talent necessary to meet critical design and product release dates, delays in timing or reductions in the size of the 3G market, Infineon's success in marketing and selling 3G terminal unit integrated circuits containing InterDigital FDD software, competition from other technologies or from other companies developing the same technologies or products to be offered by InterDigital and/or Infineon, the availability of adequate financial resources to support the technology and product development efforts as well as other factors listed in the Company's SEC filings, including without limitation the Company's most recent 10-K Annual Report.
InterDigital undertakes no duty to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
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