Tuesday July 28, 8:04 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies Introduces GSM Handset Design That Enables Fast Market Entry For Consumer Product Manufacturers
Slashes Development Time By Approximately 60 Percent
ALLENTOWN, Pa., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group's new Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications handset design enables fast market entry with minimal investment for consumer product manufacturers by slashing development time by approximately 60 percent. Taiwan-based GVC Corporation, the first customer for Lucent's GSM Reference Design, will start shipping its first family of handsets featuring enhanced services and up to 200 hours of standby battery life, next month.
The GSM Reference Design package, which is based around Lucent's innovative digital signal processor (DSP) technology, includes all the software tools, training and support needed for manufacturers to develop their first or subsequent families of handsets. The company expects this offer to be of greatest interest in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in China where growth of GSM subscribers is highest, creating considerable opportunities for both new and existing handset manufacturers. In China, there were an estimated 9.8 million GSM subscribers* as of June 30th, which is an increase of approximately 145 percent over one year**.
''With the GSM market growing so rapidly, we can't wait two years to enter the market with a fully-equipped handset,'' said David Su, general manager with GVC's Wireless Communications Business Unit. ''Lucent has solved that problem by equipping us with all we need to enter the GSM market swiftly. The GSM handset business will be a focus for GVC for many years to come.''
GSM, the world's most widely deployed wireless technology standard, is expected to grow worldwide from an estimated 70 million subscribers at year-end 1997 to 350 million by 2003.***
With Lucent's assistance, GVC gained Phase II Full Type Approval (FTA) for its GSM handsets by adhering to conformance test specifications created by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. FTA is required by European regulatory authorities prior to product shipment. Phase II FTA includes more enhanced services than Phase I FTA, such as short messaging, call forwarding and call waiting. Phase I FTA is expected to be phased out in October.
''The fact that Lucent is a 'one-stop-shop' silicon and software house for GSM handset manufacturers is one reason this offering is so significant -- very few companies by themselves can offer both,'' said David Moorhouse, a wireless semiconductor analyst with Dataquest. ''Secondly, this design offering is ground-breaking because it is being used in a final product that is shipping next month, after having met tough and vital Phase II FTA.''
Lucent's design consists of the company's Sceptre(TM) DSP chip set; all physical layer and protocol stack software, and a Man Machine Interface (MMI) tool that allows manufacturers to add functions and features for product differentiation and customization****; system schematic and layout drawings; board-level circuit design and layout; and training on all of the Reference Design offerings.
To support product differentiation, Lucent's customers provide a liquid-crystal display and battery, design the keypad interface and supporting MMI software, and complete the plastics design. Together, Lucent and its customers perform system integration, testing, and field trials.
''We're providing our customers a complete handset design, leveraging our proven Sceptre chip set technology,'' said Aaron Fisher, general manager of Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group's wireless business. ''Equipped with our complete offering and extensive support, customers are able to focus on those features that will differentiate their products in the marketplace.''
Lucent's Reference Design can reduce customers' total development time from approximately two years to eight months. After Lucent delivers the design to the customer, approximately four months are required to customize the handset's keypad and interface software and finalize the plastics design. Another four months are needed to obtain FTA and conduct field trials.
''As GSM handset demand continues to escalate, manufacturing efficiency, flexible, mass-production capability, and quality of management are becoming increasingly important,'' added Su. ''This collaboration between GVC and Lucent will make a strong team in addressing such critical issues. GVC also believes its manufacturing and research and development capabilities will provide high-quality GSM handsets at competitive prices.''
GVC is a manufacturing-oriented company that has a long history of original equipment and original design manufacturing experience with strong research and development capability. The company manufactures modems, monitors, notebook computers, computer systems, digital cordless phones, and digital cellular phones. For more information about GVC, visit its web site at gvc.com.tw.
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