To: 100cfm who wrote (6848 ) 2/2/2001 12:13:53 PM From: cfoe Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 197155 Q wouldn't be able to have an 1X/GSM chip made fast enough. It would undoubtably be the #1 selling chip in the industry I don't know if the following relates in any way to this, but I was going to post this anyway, and it may fit into this GSM/1X conversation. Following are excerpts from ATMEL’s Q4-00 earnings conference call on 1/25 regarding wireless. Some comments were particularly interesting . [My editorial comments are in brackets.] [Note for those not up on ATML – it is the only major chip company that 1) has not warned of a slowdown and 2) is forecasting sequential growth going forward. They said that growth in their Q1 & Q2 will be in the 3% to 6% range (down slightly from previous guidance), and would ramp to double-digit growth in the 2nd half of the year. In fact, they said the reason they are forecasting slower growth in the next two quarters is because all their competition is warning – so they assuming they will see some sort of easing of demand, although they have not seen it yet!] Question: What are they seeing in wireless? >Working on new models >Industry went into a correction over the summer and now in “hibernation” >2nd half of 2000 was tough for wireless industry >Now at “edge” of “amazing” products / business opportunities >This will accelerate in 2nd half of 2001 [Notice similarity of these comments to that of QCOM’s management – ATML and QCOM may be working together much more than is known.] >[This is] already starting in Japan where [ATML’s] products are having great success. >”Wide-band CDMA” in Korea and Japan is big success” [he has to mean 1X, no?] >Waiting to see what happens with GPRS in Europe [<ggg>] Question: Can they talk about agreement with Matsushita and what products involved? >Said that at customer’s request they cannot divulge anything. Question: Why not since the deal, including the $120 million advance paid to ATML was disclosed in ATML's recent SEC filings? >Need to disclose material events, so that is why advance was included >Customer has asked that particulars be kept confidential Question: What about industry volumes? >Per customers, they are looking at about 525 million handset units in 2001 Question: What is happening with SiGe? >Up till now they have mostly operated as a foundry for others, but see themselves developing their own products soon >They mentioned CDMA products involved but I could not figure out if they were referring to foundry or their own. >Also mentioned their work in Bluetooth here. Question: Asked about their involvement in PDAs? >Much of what find in PDAs will soon be found in phones as 3G products arrive >PCs will become wireless and Phones will become browsers [latter is very similar to comments Dr. IJ has made in the past] >ATML’s products can go either way. Further note about Matsushita. Are they someone making ASICs? I thought someone mentioned them as a possible manufacturer. Could they be making them for DoCoMo W-CDMA units? I doubt it because $120 million seems like a lot of business and even DoCoMo is not calling on W-CDMA to be very large. So what is Matsushita doing with ATML around wireless handsets? I do not know if it was coincidental, but question on Matsushita did come up right after comments about 3G success in Korea and Japan. We know that the only 3G in either country now is 1X. So is Matsushita involved in 1X? Comments, thoughts invited!