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New Chipset Offers Multi-Mode GSM/GPRS/EDGE and 3G W-CDMA

17th November , 2004

ASIA : Analog Devices announced plans to add SoftFone(R)-W to its broad portfolio of technologies for 3G mobile handsets. The SoftFone-W is a complete handset solution - from baseband through radio - featuring full support for the W-CDMA/UMTS standard, which enables multi-mode operation of W-CDMA as well as GSM/GPRS and EDGE. By offering support for 2.5G technologies such as EDGE, the SoftFone-W chipset enables truly ubiquitous voice and data connectivity over a vast majority of the world's cellular communications networks.

ADI's SoftFone-W chipset features W-CDMA protocol stack software from TTPCom of Cambridge, England, and is based on ADI's award-winning and patented Blackfin(R) Processor and Othello(R) direct conversion radio technology, as well as ADI's mixed-signal and power management technology. The Blackfin Processor core performs functions such as signal modulation, channel equalization, and speech coding to deliver voice capabilities and high-speed data services. The Othello direct conversion radio technology simplifies traditional radio designs by allowing incoming radio frequency signals to be converted directly to baseband signals, eliminating the need for intermediate frequency, among the most expensive components of the radio.

The SoftFone-W chipset complements Analog Devices' existing 3G technologies, which includes a TD-SCDMA chipset also announced today. With support for both W-CDMA and TD-SCDMA handsets, Analog Devices can now bring its innovative semiconductor technology to over two-thirds of the world's 3G cellular networks.

"Our experience in supplying successful, field-proven GSM/GPRS and EDGE chipsets to the wireless market was a key enabler in developing our W-CDMA/UMTS solution and the multi-mode support it offers, which is an underlying goal of any 3G network," said Christian Kermarrec, vice president, RF and wireless systems, Analog Devices, Inc. "We have been working with TTPCom for more than 10 years on handset platforms for GSM/GPRS and EDGE, and we are delighted to be partnering with them again on the SoftFone platform for our mutual customers' W-CDMA/UMTS handsets."

"Carriers and OEMs are ramping up W-CDMA handset designs to meet growing demand. "We are very pleased to extend our longstanding and successful relationship with Analog Devices and to deliver a new platform for the development of compact multimedia devices that combines W-CDMA with EDGE/GPRS/GSM," stated Richard Walker, Managing Director of TTPCom's Software Business Unit. "The combination of TTPCom's protocol and application software with ADI's SoftFone chipsets is one of the most widely used independent platforms in the industry. We are firmly committed to continuing the success that we've had in GPRS, where we have over 50 licensees; into EDGE, where our software delivers industry leading data rates; and now into 3G."

"Highly integrated merchant-market chipsets are a requirement to move the handset market past the cost and power efficiency problems that have affected early-generation UMTS handsets," said Allen Leibovitch, manager, wireless and consumer semiconductor research at
IDC. "Compatibility with EDGE will soon become a requirement for UMTS handsets, as operators want to provide smoother 3G migration, and itwill be a differentiating factor for chipsets."

About the SoftFone-W Chipset

Analog Devices' SoftFone-W chipset is built on the popular RAM-based SoftFone architecture used in the company's GSM/GPRS and EDGE chipsets. The SoftFone-W chipset incorporates a digital baseband processor that is based on Analog Devices' high-performance, yet extremely low power Blackfin Processor. A multi-mode analog baseband and Othello direct conversion radio, supporting W-CDMA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE, are also included. TTPCom of Cambridge, England supplies the protocol stack and applications software for the SoftFone-W chipset.

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