The Most Cost-effective High Throughput 802.11n Integrated WiFi Access Point and PTP Bridge in the Market

Altai Technologies, a carrier-grade Super WiFi equipment supplier, today announced that it has upgraded its A2 WiFi Access Point to 802.11n standard. This upgraded version can be operated in different modes such as access point, bridge, repeater mode, or customer premises equipment (CPE).

The new A2 has optimized the advanced 802.11n technique to deliver a low cost carrier-grade, high throughput access point to service providers. Equipped with a built-in 5GHz backhaul radio, the A2 can be connected directly to an A8 Super WiFi base Station’s 5GHz bridge radio to create a high capacity WiFi system.

Key features of Altai A2 WiFi Access Point include:
– IP67-rated carrier grade 802.11 a/b/g/n access point for both
outdoor and indoor applications
– Multiple operating modes supported: AP, Repeater, Bridge or CPE
– 2 x 2 MIMO for both 2.4 GHz (802.11b/g/n) and 5 GHz (802.11 a/n)
radios
– 2 x 2 MIMO 802.11 a/n wireless backhaul
– PTP and PTMP bridging with built-in dual polarized panel antenna

The multifunctional, light-weight and compact design of the A2 makes it perfect for different indoor and outdoor applications. “We are always striving to enhance our products’ standards so as to cope with the rapid changing market requirements,” said Chi-hung Lin, President & CEO of Altai Technologies. “Based on 802.11n standard, we have further extended the signal coverage of A2 to 450 m in the line-of-sight environment and 250 m in the non- line-of-sight environment, providing the most cost-effective, high capacity, long range wireless solution in the market. It is also the most cost effective solution for 3G data offload and other wireless internet applications.”

The Altai A2 WiFi Access Point is designed to be used in Altai Super WiFi systems to increase system capacity, extend coverage, fill-in areas of low or blocked signals caused by obstructions and bridge wirelessly to remote sites.

About Altai Technologies

Altai Technologies is a high technology company focused on the design, development and marketing of carrier-grade, innovative wireless broadband solutions. Altai has developed its patented long range WiFi technology that can dramatically improve the WiFi signal coverage while minimizing interference from other signals broadcasting within the 2.4GHz unlicensed frequency spectrum. Altai’s products are currently deployed worldwide in every major industry including logistic, education, municipal government, network operator, hospitality, manufacturing etc. The Altai Super WiFi Solution is offering a total wireless solution comprising of base station (A8/A8-E/A8-Ei), access point (A3/ A2), CPE (C1), access controller and wireless management software (AWMS).

Its flagship product, the A8 Super WiFi base station, is being deployed with various 3G, CDMA and GSM mobile systems globally for 3G data offloading and city-wide WiFi networks. The Altai Super WiFi Solution has been proven in both urban and remote application in over 60 countries.

For more information, please visit http://www.altaitechnologies.com

Micrel, Inc. (NASDAQ:MCRL – News), an industry leader in analog, high bandwidth communications and Ethernet IC solutions, today announced in concert with Zoran Corporation, the availability of a complete IP enabled DTV reference design. Based on Micrel’s KSZ8851-16MLL single-port embedded Ethernet MAC-PHY controller chip and Zoran’s SupraHD® 787 ATSC/NTSC processor, the reference design is a complete hardware and software solution enabling the rapid deployment of Internet-connected DTVs for OEM and ODM customers.

“Micrel’s single chip network solution when working with Zoran’s single chip DTV processor delivers a reference platform that enables a low power, high throughput networking solution for our customers,” said Lih Chang, Product Marketing Director, Home Entertainment division at Zoran Corporation.

“Micrel worked closely with Zoran to create a reference design that meets stringent performance requirements for this demanding consumer application,” noted Wiren Perera, Micrel’s director of Ethernet. “Zoran’s leadership position in the consumer electronics multimedia market makes it an ideal partner for Micrel to address the burgeoning demands of IP connected media devices.”

The engineering teams at Micrel and Zoran focused on creating an optimized Internet Connected DTV reference design that allows OEMs and ODMs to ramp to production in a short period of time. The reference platform’s hardware module supports the traditional video and audio interfaces, as well as three (3) HDMI 1.3 deep color ports. It also accepts VGA input from a personal computer, as well as six pairs of analog audio inputs. For the output interfaces, the reference hardware module can directly drive an LCD panel, with up to 10-bit color. Other outputs are L/R audio for its internal speakers and SPDIF for multi-channel output to an external audio receiver.

Micrel’s KSZ8851-16MLL is one of the first Ethernet solutions on the market to combine a Fast Ethernet MAC-PHY with a generic bus host processor interface in a small package. The device is capable of achieving up to 80 Mbps throughput, enabling up to 4 HD streams, while operating at very low power. The device also features very high immunity and low emissions. Micrel offers networking devices qualified for a range of environments; commercial, industrial, automotive and extended temperature grades.

About Micrel, Inc.
Micrel, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of IC solutions for the worldwide analog, Ethernet and high bandwidth markets. The Company’s products include advanced mixed-signal, analog and power semiconductors; high performance communication, clock management, Ethernet switch and physical layer transceiver ICs. Company customers include leading manufacturers of enterprise, consumer, industrial, mobile, telecommunications, automotive, and computer products. Corporation headquarters and state-of-the-art wafer fabrication facilities are located in San Jose, CA, with regional sales and support offices and advanced technology design centers situated throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. In addition, the Company maintains an extensive network of distributors and reps worldwide. Web: http://www.micrel.com.

About Zoran Corporation
Zoran Corporation, based in Sunnyvale, California, is a leading provider of digital solutions in the digital entertainment and digital imaging markets. With over two decades of expertise developing and delivering digital signal processing technologies, Zoran has pioneered high-performance digital audio and video, imaging applications and Connect Share Entertain technologies for the digital home. Zoran’s proficiency in integration delivers major benefits for OEM customers, including greater capabilities within each product generation, reduced system costs, and shorter time to market. Zoran-based DTV, set-top-box, DVD, digital camera, multimedia mobile phone and multifunction printer products have received recognition for excellence and are now in hundreds of millions of homes and offices worldwide. With headquarters in the U.S. and additional operations in China, England, France, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan, Zoran may be contacted on the World Wide Web at www.zoran.com or at 408-523-6500.

Platform Certification Is the Critical Component for Standards Compliance and Interoperability Testing

Today, the VoiceXML Forum, a global industry organization focused on accelerating the adoption of VoiceXML, speech recognition and related technologies and standards, announced the public launch of its VoiceXML 2.1 Platform Certification Program. VoiceXML Forum members Nuance Communications, Loquendo (a Telecom Italia company), and Genesys (an Alcatel Lucent company) have undergone testing and successfully completed this certification program.

Interoperability is a primary objective of VoiceXML standards, benefiting both customers, who are afforded more freedom to choose standard-based platforms, and vendors who gain access to more customers. Interoperability is not, however, assured by the existence of the standard alone. A test program that certifies platform conformance to the standard is critical. The VoiceXML Forum’s Platform Certification Program provides for that vendor independent, industry-standard certification that will support all members of the VoiceXML ecosystem.

“Certification provides a new level of vendor differentiation on the VoiceXML platform level,” said Daniel Hong, Lead Analyst of Customer Interaction at Ovum (www.ovum.com). “It is no longer a question of VoiceXML or traditional IVR. Two years have passed since the market has witnessed the inflection point where VoiceXML licenses eclipsed that of proprietary IVR systems. As we roll out the tape over the next couple of years, enterprises need to evaluate platform interoperability and monitoring and analytics capabilities, in addition to performance, to choose an IVR platform that effectively meets changing business needs, while protecting investments.”

The VoiceXML 2.1 Platform Certification Program

The VoiceXML Forum’s 2.1 Platform Certification Program consists of a conformance test suite, which is a collection of test scripts based on the W3C Implementation Reports for the relevant VoiceXML standards. The program also has a test harness, which facilitates testing a platform against the scripts in the conformance test suite. The conformance test suite and the test harness were designed by the Promoter and Sponsor level members of the VoiceXML Forum, but are now publicly available. During the certification process, the target platform is tested against the conformance test suite by an independent third-party test lab.

The previous version of the conformance test suite covered the VoiceXML 2.0 Recommendation. To date, 26 VoiceXML platforms, including offerings from nearly all of the leading vendors, have been certified in the VoiceXML 2.0 certification program. The VoiceXML 2.1 platform certification program enhances the 2.0 program in a number of important ways:

• The 2.1 conformance suite covers VoiceXML 2.0, Speech Recognition Grammar Standard (SRGS) 1.0, VoiceXML 2.1, and a small subset of Speech Interpretation for Speech Recognition (SISR) 1.0.
• In addition to adding tests for SRGS 1.0 conformance, the 2.1 test harness now mandates the use of SRGS 1.0 and SISR 1.0 in all test scripts, including those in the VoiceXML 2.0 module.
• The 2.1 conformance suite consists of three modules: one for VoiceXML 2.0, one for SRGS 1.0, and one for VoiceXML 2.1. Vendors may choose to certify against any set of modules.

Broad industry support for the VoiceXML 2.1 Platform certification program

Newfound Communications (www.newfoundcomm.net) is an independent, third-party test lab that has been contracted by the VoiceXML Forum to perform the platform testing. The test lab will support testing of platforms shipped to their lab, or remotely from a hosted platform. This additional remote testing option now allows vendors of hosted services to certify their platforms as well.

The 2.1 Platform Certification Program recently concluded its pilot test phase in which several VoiceXML Forum members successfully certified their platforms against VoiceXML 2.1, SRGS 1.0 and SISR 1.0 conformance tests. Nuance Communications (www.nuance.com), a leading provider of speech and imaging solutions, certified the release 4.0 SP1 of Nuance Voice Platform, the platform underlying the Nuance OnDemand hosting environment. Loquendo (www.loquendo.com), a global speech technology provider, certified release 7.1 of VoxNauta, the platform supporting most of Telecom Italia’s voice-based services. Genesys (www.genesyslab.com), an Alcatel Lucent company, certified their Genesys Voice Portal release 8.1.1 platform.

Dr. Valentine Matula of Avaya, VoiceXML Forum Chair, said, “Platform certification is one of VoiceXML Forum’s primary responsibilities towards the industry. It is a service designed by the VoiceXML Forum members, for all the members of the speech recognition and IVR industries. We encourage all platform vendors to seek VoiceXML 2.1 compliance certification for their platforms and hosted services.”

The VoiceXML 2.1 Platform Certification Program is now available to the industry. Fees for the program start at $20,000 USD, with discounts available to VoiceXML Forum members, and to companies that have previously certified a platform.

For further information, and to participate in the 2.1 Platform Certification Program, submit the form at http://www.voicexml.org/platform-cert.

About the VoiceXML Forum

Founded in 1999, the VoiceXML Forum is an industry organization whose mission is to promote and to accelerate the worldwide adoption of VoiceXML and adjacent technologies. As the world’s leading VoiceXML advocate, the VoiceXML Forum works to certify VoiceXML platforms, to collaborate with standards organizations, and to create publications, including requirements, best practices, and use cases. The Forum’s mission is to make it easier to understand, develop, deploy, and experience VoiceXML applications. Membership in the Forum is open to any interested company. Current members include leading organizations from the speech, telecommunications, mobile and wireless, and information technology industries. For information, please visit http://www.voicexml.org .

Successful Implementation of New CAT-iq 2.0 Standard Will Speed Availability of Converged Communications in the Digital Home

DSP Group, Inc(TM). (Nasdaq:DSPG – News), a leading global provider of wireless chipset solutions for converged communications at home, and Lantiq, a leading company in next-generation access and home networking technologies, jointly announced the successful completion of interoperability testing based on the CAT-iq 2.0 (Cordless Advanced Technology: Internet and Quality) specification.

Recently adopted as an industry standard, CAT-iq 2.0 (http://www.cat-iq.org) is a key technology to enable advanced communications and infotainment applications driven by IP-based gateways in the digital home. The standard meets the requirement for widespread availability of fully interoperable home gateways, access points and cordless handsets to deliver the best user experience possible.

“Industry cooperation is essential for the success of the CAT-iq standard,” said Brian Robertson, President of DSP Group. “We are pleased to collaborate with competing companies to ensure that third-party interoperability is not just a possibility but is actually achieved. The future of converged communications is about giving consumers more choices and flexibility and we are fully committed to continuous innovation to make this vision a reality.”

The joint testing included interoperability between cordless handsets and residential gateways and demonstrated an excellent user experience of diverse telephony functions including phonebook management, synchronized call lists and multi-line support. DSP Group and Lantiq’s silicon and software solutions are deployed in many IP telephony and gateway products, including xDSL, cable, xPON and office PBX, providing multi-line and multi-handset control, natural wideband voice and advanced data services.

“Interoperability is a significant milestone in bringing the CAT-iq 2.0 specification to market and is the key to the standard’s success,” said Ulrich Huewels, SVP and GM of Business Unit CPE of Lantiq. “Lantiq has an extensive background in interop testing with competitors through its carrier engagements in voice and DSL, and with CAT-iq, we continue to pursue this path to ensure the future success of industry’s new standard. Lantiq reinforces its commitment through its investment in the technology by embedding CAT-iq in all of its residential xDSL and Ethernet-based gateway devices.”

About DSP Group

DSP Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:DSPG – News) is a leading global provider of wireless chipset solutions for converged communications at home. Delivering system solutions that combine semiconductors and software with reference designs, DSP Group enables consumer electronics (CE) manufacturers to cost-effectively develop new revenue-generating applications with fast time to market. At the forefront of semiconductor innovation and operational excellence for over two decades, and with a growing share of the wireless home telephony market, DSP Group provides a broad portfolio of wireless chipsets integrating DECT, Wi-Fi, PSTN and VoIP technologies with state-of-the-art application processors. Enabling converged voice, audio, video and data connectivity across diverse consumer products — from cordless and VoIP phones to home gateways and connected multimedia screens — DSP Group proactively partners with CE manufacturers to shape the future of converged communications at home. For more information, visit www.dspg.com.

HyPHY-based ODU0 Reference Design Enables Efficient Mapping of GE Services Over OTN as Required for Next Generation Wireless Backhaul

PMC-Sierra, Inc. (Nasdaq:PMCS – News), the premier Internet infrastructure semiconductor solution provider, today introduced a complete reference design for its HyPHY chipset that supports standards-based transport of Ethernet-based services over the Optical Transport Network (OTN). ITU-T G.709 version 3 (10/2009) specifies direct mapping of Gigabit Ethernet (GE) to the OTN layer by defining a new container for the smallest Optical Data Unit (ODU), ODU0 (1.238 Gbit/s), ensuring complete timing transparency and bandwidth efficiency of Ethernet-based client signals. In conjunction with HyPHY’s innovative support for timing synchronization over packet services, the reference design enables cost-optimized Layer 1 OTN networks with full support for Ethernet network timing distribution, a critical requirement for wireless backhaul applications.

PMC-Sierra’s HyPHY chipset integrates support for mapping and multiplexing of GEs into sub-ODU1 (2.488Gbit/s) containers. The new PM5423-KIT ODU0 reference design leverages HyPHY’s flexible packet interfaces and unique OTN Payload Tributary Mapping (OPTM) technology to add support for the newly defined OTN mapping modes, including:

• Transparent GE mapping and de-mapping into/from ODU0 via GMP; and
• ITU-T ODU0 multiplexing and de-multiplexing into/from higher order ODUks.

“The exponential growth in Ethernet-based wireless backhaul, driven by 3G and LTE deployments, is accelerating the need for an efficient mechanism for GE transport over OTN,” said Travis Karr, vice president and general manager of PMC-Sierra’s Communication Products Division. “This reference design enhances our HyPHY product family for multi-service convergence over OTN and provides a time-to-market advantage for our customers.”

PMC-Sierra’s ODU0 reference design can be used with either the PM5420 HyPHY 20G or PM5426 HyPHY 10G device. It includes a complete collateral suite, including a hardware reference design for evaluation, design specification documentation, and FPGA source RTL for integration.

HyPHY Chipset Enables Any-Service, Any-Rate, Any-Port for ROADMs, OTPs and µ-OTPs

HyPHY 20G delivers high capacity framing, mapping and multiplexing of Carrier Ethernet, SAN, OTN, transparent bit services such as video, and SONET/SDH to allow Carriers to reduce the number of network elements, while incrementally adding bandwidth or changing service mix per node without forklift upgrades. The platform provides client-agnostic, rate-agile Small Form-Factor Pluggable (SFP) and 10 Gigabit pluggable (XFP or SFP+) interfaces and a set of flexible system interfaces for networking to a variety of switch fabric architectures. HyPHY 10G provides a lower density option for optical platforms. The HyPHY family integrates high-performance mixed-signal analog and media access control, along with numerous innovative features, including:

• True Per-Port Rate and Protocol Flexibility: Independent, rate-agile SERDES for direct connect to SFP, SFP+ and XFP optical modules, reducing cost, power and footprint;
• Multi-Service Muxponder: Single chip add-drop for both OTN and SONET/SDH;
• Efficient Fiber Utilization: First to market with integrated pre-standard support for sub-ODU1 mapping of GE or other low speed client services; and
• Carrier Ethernet: First to market with integrated support for Timing over Packet (IEEE 1588 and SynchE) and Ethernet Link OAM required in mobile backhaul.

Availability

The PM5423-KIT ODU0 FPGA reference design is available today. The PM5420 HyPHY 20G and PM5426 HyPHY 10G devices are also available. For more information, visit www.pmc-sierra.com/networking or contact PMC-Sierra at www.pmc-sierra.com/contactSales.

About PMC-Sierra

PMC-Sierra®, the premier Internet infrastructure semiconductor solution provider, offers its customers technical and sales support worldwide through a network of offices in North America, Europe, Israel and Asia. PMC-Sierra provides semiconductor solutions for Enterprise Storage, Wide Area Network Infrastructure, Fiber To The Home, and Laser Printer markets. The Company is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the PMCS symbol. For more information, visit www.pmc-sierra.com.

Resources to Extend your Product Knowledge and Understanding

PMC-Sierra New Products www.pmc-sierra.com/products/newProducts.html

PMC-Sierra White Papers www.pmc-sierra.com/whitepaper

Retail-Ready Platform Promotes Quick and Wide Adoption of 4G-WiMAX USB Modems Across Different 2GHz WiMAX Networks

M-Skylink, a leading provider of Wireless Connection Manager solutions, and Beceem, a leading provider of 4G chips, today announced the launch of a “retail-ready” USB reference design platform that can be used for fast development of 4G-WiMAX USB modems that are targeting the retail or wholesale market. The “retail-ready” platform provides a complete turnkey reference design solution comprised of Beceem’s BCSM350 4G-WiMAX chip and a complete Connection Manager, Device Authentication and Management Software package from M-Skylink.

One of the compelling advantages of the “retail-ready” platform is that the resulting devices are ensured to support the WiMAX Forum profile 1.0 specifications, and the Connection Manager is based on “Common API” specifications to ensure an open development and interoperability environment. M-Skylink’s wireless connection manager has been deployed in numerous networks, and having it pre-integrated with Beceem’s IOT and field-proven 4G-WiMAX chip will further accelerate the device development timelines while simultaneously reducing the risk and cost of bringing new devices to market. The “retail-ready” platform is also expected to comply with the WiMAX Forum retail profile.

“The first wave of 4G-WiMAX devices was purchased by service providers who sold them to their subscribers, but the open channel devices enabled by the Beceem and M-Skylink’s ‘retail-ready’ platform should drive further expansion of the 4G-WiMAX device ecosystem by providing an easy-to-productize platform that allows device innovation at low cost,” said Lars Johnsson, vice president of marketing and business development for Beceem Communications.

“Service providers are looking for ways to bring more innovative devices into their networks more quickly, and our Connection Manager integrated with Beceem’s 4G-WiMAX solution enables them go-to-market in the shortest possible time,” said Alex Dee, vice president for M-Skylink. “Our Connection Manager is highly customizable and can be integrated into any operating system, further broadening the appeal of the ‘retail-ready’ platform business model.”

About Beceem Communications

Beceem is a leading provider of 4G semiconductors and offers a number of single-chip solutions optimized for mobile devices and CPE markets. Beceem’s products are WiMAX certified, exclusively power the CLEAR and Sprint 4G networks in the United States and are validated against the WiMAX base stations from major OEMs. http://www.beceem.com/

Bristol, UK and Sunnyvale, CA, February 23rd, 2010. XMOS has launched a reference design for iPhone® and iPod® docks, which keeps the audio signal path end-to-end digital, from the iPod or iPhone via USB to the amplifier.
Implemented entirely in software, using the XMOS XS1-L1 event driven processor™, the flexible design eliminates analog audio processing components making it resistant to RF interference and enabling bit-perfect digital audio streaming for highest fidelity audio performance.

32-bit digital signal processing with a 64-bit MAC avoids rounding errors, while zero clock jitter is assured by the design’s unique synchronous locally clocked architecture; a crucial factor in attaining accurate, full dynamic range sound reproduction.

By combining the digital signal path with the XMOS processor’s 185MIPS of spare DSP processing power, designers can readily add custom digital sound enhancements to further improve audio quality. Simple equalizer functions and psychoacoustic enhancements, such as bass boost and spatialization, can be introduced along with other 3rd party algorithm imports.

Joerg Bertholdt, VP of Marketing at XMOS said, “The convenience of the iPod and iPhone means its a great place for people to keep all of their music, allowing them to play it back in a variety of ways. With our end-to-end digital reference design, we help our customers to bring iPod and iPhone docking solutions to market that sound just great!”

Programmed in C, XC and C++ languages, the XS1-L1 event driven processor at the heart of the reference design provides users with a fully flexible embedded software defined workflow. As well as its audio processing capability, it also offers a wide choice of digital audio interfaces including I2S, SPDIF, 1bit soft-DAC and PWM and will support development of custom ‘front-of-box’ peripherals and control code.

The processor firmware can also be updated at any point in the future using device firmware updates providing the opportunity to offer subscription based services for product enhancements, software and hardware upgrades.

The XMOS digital iPod dock reference design is available to registered “Made for iPod” licensees to enable fast development of products that are compatible with the iPhone and iPod. The XMOS XS1-L1 event-driven processor is priced at under $5 for 10k unit quantities.

XMOS is transforming the way in which electronic products are designed. Its revolutionary event-driven multi-core processors make it easy to build systems entirely in software. XMOS designers enjoy the fastest route from idea to product, using standard programmable chips to create complete systems combining interface, DSP and control software. For designers in leading electronics brands, entrepreneurs and researchers, XMOS enables innovation and dramatically reduces costs. XMOS is based in Bristol (UK), Sunnyvale (CA, USA) and Chennai (India) with sales offices and representatives across the world.

For more information visit: www.xmos.com

Gigle Networks’ HomePlug(R)AV-Compliant Devices Now Also Deliver IEEE 1901 Functionality; Existing Deployed Devices can be Software-Upgraded to New Multimedia, Audio/Video Distribution and Smart Grid Capabilities

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., BARCELONA, Spain and EDINBURGH, Scotland, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ — Gigle Networks, the leading developer of intelligent multi-PHY switching devices for both wired and wireless entertainment-grade home networking, today announced that it is shipping the first powerline solution designed to comply with the IEEE 1901 Draft Standard published in January 2010. Gigle Networks’ GGL541 and GGL301 devices, which are certified HomePlug®AV compliant by the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, now support IEEE 1901′s Inter System coexistence Protocol (ISP) through a simple firmware upgrade.

The IEEE 1901 Draft Standard is the first global standard for powerline communications and addresses applications such as multimedia home networking, video and audio distribution and smart grid/smart energy. The publication of the Draft Standard is expected to lead to the widespread incorporation of powerline communications network interface connections inside consumer electronics devices, connecting them together and enabling them to access the Internet without the need for a consumer to install any new wiring.

Gigle Networks’ family of multimedia home-networking solutions are designed to be fully software-upgradeable, enabling support for a variety of new and emerging capabilities as industry standards, home networking environments and user requirements evolve. The GGL541 and GGL301 devices are fully-integrated, low-cost single-chip networking solutions, designed to be embedded within consumer electronics appliances such as DTVs, set-top boxes, home gateways, gaming consoles, and Blu-ray players. They are the only powerline networking solutions operating from a single voltage supply and featuring dual MII ports allowing for efficient interfacing to additional network processors. Both devices also support Gigle Networks’ Xtendnet™ intelligent switching technology which amplifies and re-times signals on the powerline for improved network coverage. They do not require any external memory, an analog front-end or other complex support circuitry, and meet the active and standby power requirements for adapters of the Energy using Products Directive (EuP) Lot 6.

“For years the powerline communications industry has been characterized by several competing, incomplete and incompatible proprietary technologies,” said Juan Carlos Riveiro, president and chief executive officer of Gigle Networks. “This situation has kept the manufacturers of consumer electronics products from embracing powerline connectivity and embedding the technology, despite the clear benefits it provides for networking the digital home. OEMs can now proceed with plans to integrate, knowing that supply is assured by a global standard which follows in the footsteps of the successful 802.11 series of wireless standards, commonly known as WiFi®. This is the first of many software upgrades that we plan to release for our family of intelligent multimedia home-networking solutions.”

“We view the introduction of an IEEE 1901 compliant solution as a positive event for the industry in general,” said Norm Bogen, vice president research with In-Stat. “For years, the industry has used a variety of technologies to try and advance a bona fide standard in home connectivity over powerline. Today, we are pleased to see the first steps toward this goal being taken by Gigle Networks, as the company offers IEEE 1901-compliant device solutions that leverage this new standard through a simple firmware upgrade.”

Gigle Networks is working with other industry leaders to expand the rigorous HomePlug®AV compliance and interoperability tests to encompass IEEE 1901 functionality.

Gigle Networks will be demonstrating its intelligent WiFi® and wireline multi-PHY switching technology at CeBIT 2010 in Hannover, Germany, March 2 – 6 in Booth #D20, Hall 13.

About Gigle Networks: Plug into the Fun

Gigle Networks provides System-on-Chip (SoC) integrated circuits and complete system solutions for multimedia home networking that can extend wired and wireless Ethernet everywhere in the home – without the need for new wires. Targeted for applications such as Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), broadband TV (BBTV), video on demand (VoD), and voice over IP (VoIP), Gigle Networks’ products offer superior performance, coverage and Quality of Service when compared to alternative communication technologies, and are designed to be easily integrated into consumer electronics and networked products. Gigle Networks is a strong supporter of open standards, a board member of the HomePlug Powerline Alliance, and an active participant in the IEEE P1901 standards body and the ITU-T G.hn wireline standardization initiative. Gigle Networks has offices in Redwood City, Calif., Barcelona, Spain, and Edinburgh, UK.

TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. (TOKYO:5802) (ISIN:JP3407400005), a leading global developer and manufacturer of optical fiber, cable and components as well as modules and subsystems for the information and communications industry, today announced that its PureAccess-R5 bending loss insensitive single mode optical fiber is fully compliant with the new ITU-T G.657.B3 recommended standard for macrobend at a 5-mm radius for efficiently routing optical drop cables and other applications inside the home and Multiple Dwelling Units (MDUs). The fiber is also ideal for data center applications and central office (CO) routing. Demonstrating lower attenuation and bending loss at the 1550 and 1625 nm wavelengths and a higher proof stress level,PureAccess-R5 exceeds the requirements of the G.657.B3 standard.

Although a 100 kpsi* proof test is required in the G.657.B3 standard, Sumitomo Electric tested the full fiber length of PureAccess-R5 at an elevated 200 kpsi tensile stress. This proof test level is twice that of other commercially available G.657 fibers, and resulted in a significantly lower probability of a fiber stress fracture when deployed at 5-mm bends under bending strain, as in MDU and other installations. The design of PureAccess-R5 makes it backward compatible with G.652 single-mode fibers, splicing, and connectorization practices. *kpsi: kilo-pound/square inch, unit of pressure

“Our global leadership in the technology of fiber optics has resulted in a fiber that demonstrates both outstanding strength and bend insensitive capabilities,” says Shigeki Endo, general manager for the optical fiber & cable division at Sumitomo Electric. “Having added PureAccess-R5 to Sumitomo Electric’s PureAccess bend insensitive product line is essential for the continued advancement of FTTH. Sumitomo Electric is pleased to provide our customers with a highly reliable and flexible bend insensitive fiber that facilitates overall space savings, resolves the most challenging FTTH, data center, CO, and MDU applications, and decreases deployment time and costs.”

As an early innovator of bend insensitive fiber, Sumitomo Electric has shipped worldwide over 6 million km of its G.657.A1 category PureAccess fiber.

About Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. designs, manufactures and sells optical fiber, cable and components, advanced electronic devices, and automotive parts. Sumitomo Electric’s leadership in the R&D and production of optical fiber has impacted the industry with a wide portfolio of fiber types including PureBand low water peak SMF, Z-fiber; extremely low loss fiber mainly for undersea applications, PureGuide; non zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZDSF) for long-haul applications, PureMetro; NZDSF for Metro Applications; and PureAccess bend-insensitive fibers. Through a successful strategy of research and diversification, Sumitomo Electric has become one of the world’s leading companies at the forefront of the revolution in information and communications. The company has operations around the world in more than 35 countries and employs 150,000 people. Sumitomo Electric reported group net sales of $22 billion for the year ended March 2009. Visit http://global-sei.com/.

About Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp.: Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Corp. (SEL), located in Research Triangle Park, NC, is dedicated to tailoring the fiber optic networks of major communication companies through the manufacturing of optical fiber cable, ribbon-configured network solutions, field termination products, fusion splicers, FTTH products, and its FutureFlex Air-blown Fiber Cabling System. SEL is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric and is the manufacturing headquarters for Sumitomo Electric in North America. For more information, please call 800-358-7378, email us at info@sumitomoelectric.com, or visit us at www.sumitomoelectric.com.

About Sumitomo Electric Europe Ltd.: Sumitomo Electric Europe Ltd.(SEEL) is focused on representing Sumitomo Electric in Europe and the promotion and sales of its products, particularly those of the Infocommunications & Systems Business Unit. These include optical fiber, fusion splicing machines (sales and service), passive and active optical components (splitters, couplers, transmitters/receivers) and more sophisticated devices such as GaN HEMTs, GaAs FETs and heatsinks. FTTH Components are increasingly a business priority for SEEL. SEEL is based in Elstree, near to London, UK and also Milan, Italy. For more information, please call +44 (0) 208 953 8118, contact us at seel@sumielectric.com, or go to www.sumielectric.com.

At the Mobile World Congress, Ixonos uses a demonstration smartphone to illustrate the solution together with Intel for selected device manufacturers and operators. In addition, a web-based configuration tool is demonstrated on a PC. The demonstration version of the user interface runs on an Aava Mobile Oy device platform based on Intel’s next generation handheld platform, codenamed “Moorestown,” Linux-based Moblin 2.1 OS, and the Qt user interface framework. The UI solution and the configuration tool are being developed on Moblin, Maemo, Android and Symbian operating systems.

“The new user interface concept is based on versatility allowing the device easily to be modified according to customer organizations’ expectations and needs. The new proof-of-concept user interface is easy to implement on various technology platforms,” says Kari Happonen, Ixonos’ President and CEO. “We have now created a solution that can be adapted to the needs of device manufacturers as well as operator customers, offering them superior customizability. We will continue our efforts to bring solutions enabling even more compelling user experiences,” Mr. Happonen continues.

“With this solution, we aim to create new business based on an innovative phone variant shop concept as well as on applying open source platforms and applications to smartphone R&D. The variant shop, including a configuration tool enable our customers to acquire custom-configured smartphone variants in smaller quantities and with shorter lead times,” explains Ixonos’ Panu Kause, Director, Partnerships and Innovation.

“Intel’s Moorestown platform, in conjunction with Linux-based Moblin OS, is designed to deliver outstanding performance at dramatically low power for next generation handheld and smartphone market segments,” said Pankaj Kedia, director of global ecosystem programs in Intel Corporation’s Ultra Mobility Group. “We welcome Ixonos’ interest in developing innovative user interfaces on Moorestown-based devices and showcase the capability of our platform.”

website: www.ixonos.com