Motorola Unleashes Wireless Embedded Arsenal

Industry's Most Integrated 2.5G and 3G Platforms - from Silicon to SoftwareJuly 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Aiming to redefine value propositions across the wireless industry, Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) for the first time is unleashing its embedded 2.5G and 3G semiconductor and software technology arsenal for the world's manufacturers of mobile communications products to address a $35 billion market by 2004 (Source: Gartner.)

"Motorola's new wireless strategy is radical and rule-changing -- with the potential to redefine success in an industry now being rocked by disruptions," said Christopher B. Galvin, the company's chairman and chief executive officer. "Next generation integrated wireless services will revolutionize the way in which people exchange and obtain information, making things smarter and life better. Motorola is committed to making this a reality through our new wireless embedded strategy."

Galvin noted that the company's Semiconductor Products Sector, the primary supplier of embedded solutions to Motorola's cellular handset business, intends to take its portfolio of 2.5G and 3G platforms to global manufacturers of mobile communications products. These powerful, type-approved platforms provide the industry's most integrated solutions -- from silicon to software -- to deliver a wide variety of voice, voice/data and/or multimedia applications and services.

"This strategic direction is a logical approach for Motorola," said Keith Mallinson, executive vice president, Research, the Yankee Group. "With dynamic shifts and colossal economies of scale now occurring in the mobile communications market, Motorola is putting itself in the center of the industry to get maximum leverage of its distinct capabilities."

"Several companies have announced changes in the way they will participate in the cellular handset business. We see this as the beginning of a major discontinuity that parallels the PC (personal computer) industry in the early 1990s with the rise of the motherboard industry and major branded assemblers -- where value is derived by competing on the basis of brand, distribution and style," said Fred Shlapak, executive vice president and president of the Semiconductor Products Sector. "Motorola intends to accelerate the evolution of the handset industry along this same path by removing the technological barriers to entry and allowing handset manufacturers to focus on brand loyalty, marketing, features and style. Motorola is the only company that can change the rules in this way."

Motorola's 2.5G and 3G platforms are total system solutions that bundle the chipset, software, development tools, reference design, test environments and type certification support with best-in-class system cost. These platforms are engineered to enable global OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and ODMs (original device manufacturers) to develop state-of-the-art products to enable anytime, anywhere communication for consumers.

"Motorola's wireless embedded solutions have helped the company's communications products achieve a leadership position in the handset market," Shlapak said. "Many wireless handset providers know that Motorola was first to market with General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) phones and has the broadest GPRS product portfolio. We have transformed their consumer-driven needs to value-based platforms that enhance flexibility, scalability and connectivity."

Wireless platforms provide variety, flexibility
Motorola's 2.5G voice/data and 3G multimedia wireless platforms are designed to meet a variety of customer needs by providing a comprehensive road map with distinct industry advantages for smaller, lighter, lower-cost wireless products. These advantages include flexibility, offering low, mid and high-tier feature sets; scalability, offering migration paths from 2G and 2.5G to 3G protocols; and connectivity, with Personal Area Network (e.g., Bluetooth(TM) technology), Wide Area Network (cellular) and mobile commerce capabilities.

Motorola's 2.5G and 3G platforms build upon its comprehensive portfolio of wireless solutions:

• the fourth generation of multi-core (microprocessor and digital signal processor) technology;



• third-generation GPRS stack software and certified communication protocol software;



• best-in-class solutions in RF/IF (radio frequency/intermediate frequency) through its advanced Silicon Germanium:Carbon (SiGe:C) process;



• power management and power amplifiers for mobile communication products;



• fully compliant Java(TM) 2, Micro Edition (J2ME(TM)) technology;



• Metrowerks' industry leading tool chain, enabling independent software vendor (ISV) support for a wide array of applications for handsets, PDAs (personal digital assistants) and consumer entertainment devices;



• System-on-Chip (SoC) technologies to enable manufacturers to offer more innovative, feature-rich and cost-effective products with longer battery life to consumers.

2.5G GSM/GPRS Voice/Data Platform
Motorola offers a comprehensive 2.5G GSM/GPRS voice/data system solution with best-in-class system part count, enabling smaller form factors and lower overall system costs. The comprehensive system solution enables the high-volume production of economical handsets and is an innovative foundation for other single-mode or multimode cellular solutions in the future.

Additional features such as Bluetooth wireless technology, GPS and MP3 functionality can be integrated rapidly to offer flexible solutions designed to meet the complex needs of cellular customers worldwide.

The first products based upon the platform are projected to support voice-centric and voice/data GPRS applications with future capabilities for EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) data-centric applications. The first 2.5G platform is expected to be available in the first half of 2002.

3G Multimedia Platform
Motorola's 3G platform supports Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) and is designed to give manufacturers the ability to deliver a wide range of voice services, mobile data and advanced multimedia solutions to consumers. This includes mobile commerce, audio and video streaming, email, interactive gaming and wirelessly linked peripherals enabled by Bluetooth wireless technology. These applications enable a variety of wireless devices, such as advanced information appliances, smart phones, Web browsers/tables, digital MP3 audio players and handheld computers.

This scalable 3G platform is designed to meet customers' broad sets of needs with its radio function, supporting the "always on" wireless capability, and its applications function, which processes data for the user. Motorola already has achieved first silicon in a 3G radio development platform with first alpha customer commercial products targeted for global manufacturers in 2003.

About Motorola
As the world's #1 producer of embedded processors, Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector creates DigitalDNA(TM) system-on-chip solutions for a connected world. Our strong focus on communications and networking enables customers to develop smarter, simpler, safer and synchronized products for the person, work team, home and automobile. Motorola's worldwide semiconductor sales were $7.9 billion (USD) in 2000. http://www.motorola.com/semiconductors

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2000 were $37.6 billion. http://www.motorola.com



SOURCE Motorola