John, Milehigh. Re Wireless laptops and other devices.
You may have missed this press release from last Feb announcing QCOM's CRM3000 module. Note the 'late 99' production estimate. Those laptops are not far away.
QUALCOMM Signs Agreement to Form Alliance with Matsushita Electronics
Components
-- Matsushita to Manufacture CRM3000 CDMA Radio Modules --
NEW ORLEANS February 8, 1999 QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:
QCOM), pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
digital wireless technology, today announced it has signed an agreement with
Matsushita Electronic Components Co. Ltd., contemplating the formation of
an alliance for the development and manufacture of the new CRM3000?
CDMA Radio Modules (CRMs).
"Our alliance with Matsushita Electronics Components will be aimed at
enabling a broader array of applications to utilize CDMA technology," said
Don Schrock, president of QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies. "QUALCOMM
CDMA Technologies? proven experience in chip and software design, coupled
with Matsushita Electronics Components? expertise in radio circuitry
modules, are expected to provide our customers with an alternative way to
access our leading solutions through simplified RF design."
"We are excited about the opportunity to work with QUALCOMM to provide
solutions to the broad range of existing CDMA equipment manufacturers as
well as to new entrants into the market," said Keisuke Utsunomiya, general
manager, HFPD, Matsushita Electronics Components Co., Ltd. "The
worldwide CDMA market is expanding rapidly. By leveraging Matsushita?s
Radio Frequency (RF) technologies in building high quality RF modules for
the consumer industry into CDMA applications, customers can quickly get a
new product ready for production."
These highly compact pre-tested CRMs will contain complete RF circuitry for
CDMA handsets and interface with QUALCOMM?s MSM3000 chip, enabling
very fast design and manufacture of CDMA subscriber products, even with
limited in-house RF design resources. The normal design effort and know-how
associated with the radio section will be simplified and development tasks will
be streamlined for all CDMA-based wireless communications solutions. In
addition, the small footprint of the new CRM will allow customers to utilize
them in a wide variety of small form-factor devices.
In addition to cellular handsets, other CDMA-based applications for the
CRM3000 modules will include smartphones, PDAs, personal computers, PC
cards, telemetry and monitoring equipment, and a variety of data
transmission equipment. The new CRM3000 module will be on display at the
CTIA ?99 trade show in New Orleans, La. this week in QUALCOMM?s booth,
number 3125. Initial shipment of the modules is anticipated in late 1999.
Features of the CRM3000 modules will include:
All transmit and receive signal processing circuitry from baseband
through RF;
QUALCOMM?s IFT3000? and IFR3000? fully integrated Intermediate
Frequency (IF) chipset in Bump Chip Carrier (BCC) packages which
interface with the MSM3000;
Compliance with various CDMA systems, including IS-95/98,
J-STD-008/018, ARIB-T53;
High density mounting and ultra-miniature Surface Mount Device
(SMD) components; and
Supply voltage compatibility for platforms utilizing a single-cell
Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery design.
The CRM3000 modules will provide numerous advantages for customers:
Significantly reduced development and production lead times Full
advance verification of radio performance allows handset manufacturers
to efficiently utilize their radio engineering resources to pursue
additional development efforts concurrently and to substantially
shorten overall product development cycles;
A complete CDMA wireless air interface functional module The fully
functional modules will be designed to utilize the capabilities of the
MSM3000 chipset and software;
Small handset design Matsushita?s high-density mounting technology
and its small SMD components offer an extremely compact radio
design solution, giving manufacturers greater flexibility in the design
and development of their handsets; and
Certified quality assurance and reliability for volume production
Matsushita?s quality assurance system ensures the consistency of
performance necessary for high reliability and production yield of the
CRM.
Japan-based Matsushita Electronic Components Co., Ltd. is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (MEI) (NYSE: MC), one
of the world?s leading producers of electronic and electric products for
consumer, business and industrial use.
QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies is the leading developer and supplier of
CDMA chipsets, hardware and software solutions and tools with more than 30
million MSM chips shipped worldwide. The division supplies chipsets to the
world?s leading CDMA handset and infrastructure manufacturers including:
ALPS ELECTRIC CO., LTD.; CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.; DENSO
CORPORATION; FUJITSU LIMITED; Hitachi, Ltd.; Hyundai Electronics
Industries Co., Ltd.; KYOCERA CORPORATION; LG Information and
Communications, Ltd.; Samsung Electronics Ltd.; SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.;
and Toshiba Corporation, among others.
QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a leader in developing and
delivering innovative digital wireless communications products and services
based on the Company?s CDMA digital technology. The Company?s major
business areas include CDMA phones; integrated CDMA chipsets and
systems software; wireless infrastructure; technology licensing; and
satellite-based systems including OmniTRACS© and portions of the
Globalstar? system. QUALCOMM is headquartered in San Diego, Calif.
QUALCOMM?s fiscal 1998 revenues exceeded U.S. $3 billion. For more
information, please visit the Company?s web site at .
Except for the historical information contained herein, this news release
contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and
uncertainties, including timely product development, the Company?s ability to
successfully manufacture significant quantities of CDMA or other equipment
on a timely and profitable basis, and those related to performance
guarantees, change in economic conditions of the various markets the
Company serves, as well as the other risks detailed from time to time in the
Company?s SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year
ended September 27, 1998, and most recent Form 10-Q. |
