Wireless Federation

Taiwan ODM/OEM handset makers seem positive about the new Nokia and Qualcomm licensing agreement , stating that the new deal may result in more handset orders from Nokia, according to sources from the Taiwan handset industry.

Texas Instruments has introduced a development platform for the recently ratified HSPA+ standard. The platform is based on the multicore TMS320TCI6488 digital signal processor and offers updated WCDMA receive accelerator software drivers and a reference platform. Base station manufacturers can design a single product spanning HSPA, HSPA+ and LTE using the platform. The HSPA+ platform including the DSP and updated software drivers are available currently. The third-party development platforms will be available in the first half of 2008.

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Qualcomm, a company that doesn’t own a single semiconductor production factory, has ascended into the Top-10 ranks of the global chip industry in the second quarter, according to iSuppli, marking the first time a fabless company has achieved such a distinction.

Qualcomm, a US-based fabless semiconductor supplier, rose to the ninth position among global semiconductor suppliers in the second quarter, up from 13th in the first quarter. The seller of communications chips in the second quarter achieved revenue $1.4 billion, up 8.6 percent from $1.3 billion in the first quarter.

On its way from 14th to ninth place, Qualcomm surpassed companies with considerable manufacturing assets, including Infineon Technologies, Qimonda, Freescale Semiconductor and NEC Electronics. Qualcomm now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with chip manufacturing powerhouses including NXP Semiconductors and Hynix Semiconductor.

Qualcomm’s coups

Recent headlines covering Qualcomm’s legal troubles notwithstanding, the company achieved stellar results in the second quarter. The company’s 8.6 percent increase represented the highest growth rate of any Top-10 semiconductor supplier in the second quarter - and marked a significant accomplishment amid a decline in overall chip revenue.

Global semiconductor revenue declined by 3.6 percent to $63.1 billion in the second quarter, down from $65.4 billion in the first quarter.

The company in the first quarter replaced Texas Instruments as the world’s top supplier of semiconductors for wireless applications. This marks the first time that Texas Instruments has not occupied the leadership position in this area at least since iSuppli began tracking such market share in 2004.

With its valuable intellectual property, Qualcomm is capitalizing effectively on the transition to 3G technology in the mobile handset market. iSuppli doesn’t expect the International Trade Commission’s (ITC’s) decision to ban U.S. imports of some mobile phones that include certain Qualcomm chips to significantly damage the company’s third-quarter results.

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WirelessDesignAsia writes…Building on its strategy to allow mobile operators to provide new services and improved user experience, Texas Instruments Inc. is demonstrating TI’s M-Shield security framework on the OMAP platform at 3GSM World Congress. TI has collaborated with Vodafone to showcase how operators can securely deploy and upgrade key applications, such as DRM agents to phones over-the-air (OTA), making it possible for an installed-base of users to upgrade the capabilities of their handsets and purchase protected multimedia content transparently. This capability will reduce operators’ operational costs, improve time-to- market of new services deployment, while at the same time preventing the risk of installing unwanted applications and malicious software.

“A robust trusted execution platform is critical to ensure secure software downloads and execution,” said Chris Haynes of Vodafone. “TI’s M-Shield security technology on the OMAP platform offers the means to achieve the level of security we want to provide to customers. We now have demonstrated the possibility to securely upgrade terminals in the field, and to speedily provide customers with new services and content access.”

In collaboration with Trusted Logic, the demonstration of TI’s M-Shield Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) shows the real-time, secure download of Calton Hill’s DRM agent over Vodafone’s existing wireless infrastructure to a terminal that has no DRM; a real-time upgrade to the software over the network; and a demonstration of protected content and rights sharing between two terminals. The demonstration illustrates how users can easily upgrade their installed software, or transfer rights to use protected content to other users.

“In order for content-based and personalized applications to proliferate, security solutions on handsets need to be cost-efficient, standards-compliant, and easily deployable and upgradeable. TI’s M-Shield Trusted Execution Environment on the OMAP platform greatly expands the possibilities offered in the deployment of secure services to both operators and end-users,” said Loic Hamon, Strategic Marketing Director of TI’s Wireless Terminals Business Unit. “Now devices in the field can securely receive instant software installations or upgrades to handle new services and fix bugs, and ensure enhanced reliability and resilience to attack over the lifetime of the terminal.”

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WirelessWeek writes…On the heels of Broadcom’s announcement late last week, Texas Instruments (TI) unveils its own tri-radio chip that takes integration a step further.

The new chip uses 65 nanometer process to include 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 and FM radios on a single, low-power platform with the goal of making it affordable for use in mass-market mobile handsets.

Called the WiLink 6.0, the chip is the first to include support for IEEE draft 802.11n, which will provide better coverage and reception. The WiLink 6.0 is part of a tightly integrated monolithic solution that enables added functionality, allowing them to send and receive more data on their mobile phones with an enhanced voice and audio experience.

Integrating the three radios onto a single chip will enable handset makers to quickly and seamlessly integrate the three functions into handsets that provide enhanced services to end users. Operators and service providers deploying dual-mode phones expect 802.11n to help improve voice call quality, reduce dropped calls, lower support costs and improve reliability in VoWLAN applications.

“Mobile devices with both WLAN and Bluetooth are primarily found in the high-end of the global handset market today. A more affordable, integrated mWLAN and Bluetooth solution should help push these key technologies toward the mid- and low-tier segments, and into the hands of more mass-market users,” said Neil Mawston, associate director of the Global Wireless Practice, Strategy Analytics.

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Telecompaper writes…Texas Instruments reported weak demand in the fourth quarter, with its sales falling 8 percent from the previous three months to USD 3.46 billion. The chipmaker said the market was “unseasonably weak”, with customers wanting fewer inventories and the mobile handset segment skewed to either low-cost basic phones or expensive, full-featured editions. TI’s revenues were still up 4 percent from the year-earlier period, while net profit rose to USD 668 million from USD 655 million in 2005.

The company forecast for the first quarter revenues of USD 3.01-3.28 billion and EPS at USD 0.28-0.34 versus USD 0.45 in the fourth quarter. TI’s orders were worth USD 3.08 billion at the end of 2006, down USD 352 million from three months earlier. It also announced plans to cut around 500 jobs this year as it moves R&D for digital process technology more to its foundry partners and closes an older digital factory. Overall, the move is expected to lower annual costs by around USD 200 million and result in charges of USD 55 million.

Wireless Mobile Telecom 

Texas Instruments, the biggest maker of chips for mobile phones, narrowed its profit outlook for the third quarter without changing the midpoint of its previous forecast, made in July.

TI said it was benefiting from strong demand for chips used in mobile phones, high-definition televisions and other electronic devices.

The semiconductor bellwether said it expected to earn $0.44 to $0.46 per share from continuing operations, compared to July’s prediction of $0.42 cents to $0.48 per share. Analysts were expecting $0.45 per share, according to a survey by Thomson Financial.

The Dallas-based company said earnings would range from $3.71 billion to $3.87 billion, compared to July’s forecast of $3.63 billion to $3.95 billion.

Analysts were looking for $3.80 billion.

Semiconductor revenue is expected to account for $3.53 billion to $3.67 billion of the total, the same range as before.

Ron Slaymaker, TI’s vice president of investor relations, said TI was benefiting from strong sales by handset customers such as Nokia, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson.

Slaymaker said chip inventories appeared to be lean. But he added that one customer, Japan’s NTT DoCoMo, had raised its orders in the first half of the year as it prepared for number portability and might reduce orders in the second half.

Source- http://www.telecomasia.net

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