BARCELONA, Spain, 3GSM World Congress, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Broadcom Corporation , a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it will demonstrate the flexibility of its cellular platform with a new reference design that can run powerful applications on the Linux(R) operating system. By providing High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) solutions, with integrated applications processors and the ability to support the major open operating system (OpenOS) architectures, Broadcom can now supply the key hardware and software components required for affordable smartphones. This combined capability will help drive adoption of these high-end handset products, which are expected to achieve volumes of 230 million units by 2010 according to market research firm iSuppli.(1)
Increased integration of high-speed cellular technologies and applications processing will significantly drive down hardware costs for advanced smartphones that are capable of running the feature-rich applications that consumers expect. These smartphone devices, equipped with powerful applications processors, are able to run open operating systems such as Linux, Symbian(R) and Windows Mobile(TM), addressing each platform and its set of extensive tools for applications development. The high cost and complexity of the historical two-chip smartphone architecture (modem and applications processor) has resulted in high costs and low penetration of these feature-rich devices.
"Based on the cost, size and power advantages enabled by our recently announced BCM2153 HSDPA baseband processor, Broadcom is poised to support various open operating systems through our CellAirity platform that will drive this new chip to more widespread deployment," said David Foos, Senior Product Marketing Manager for Broadcom's Mobile Communications line of business. "Our Linux HSDPA reference design highlights this unique value for Broadcom customers and demonstrates the viability of offering an OpenOS architecture on an affordable smartphone or high-end feature phone product."
As manufacturers ramp up their smartphone offerings, Broadcom is positioned to accommodate any major OpenOS with a complete hardware and software reference design as part of its CellAirity platform. At this year's 3GSM World Congress, Broadcom demonstrates its new OpenOS model with a Linux OS-based reference design that is targeted to be fully LiMo-compliant. The OpenOS model is in contrast to phones that run embedded Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) since they are closed, proprietary architectures that typically do not offer the level of functionality or support provided by more powerful OpenOS approaches.
To round out the platform capabilities, CellAirity software includes support for major connectivity interfaces, such as Bluetooth(R) and Wi-Fi(R), and includes a built-in multimedia processor for up to 5 megapixel cameras, multimedia encode and decode at 30 frames per second at CIF or QVGA resolutions, 64-voice polyphonic ringtones, and integrated audio amplifiers to support full duplex speaker phones. Additional software features within the platform also enables phone calls within 3G networks and the ability to capture and display various phone operations.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Our products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. Broadcom provides the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything(R).
Broadcom, one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies with unaudited annual 2006 revenue of $3.67 billion, is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at http://www.broadcom.com/.
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All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward- looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will," "should," "would," "could," "potential," "continue," "ongoing," similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.
Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the OpenOS HSDPA reference design products include, but are not limited to, general economic and political conditions and specific conditions in the markets we address, including the volatility in the technology sector and semiconductor industry, trends in the broadband communications markets in various geographic regions, including seasonality in sales of consumer products into which our products are incorporated, and possible disruption in commercial activities related to terrorist activity or armed conflict in the United States and other locations; uncertainties as a result of the company's previously-disclosed ongoing review of its practices in respect of options/equity grants to employees, and the publicized more general review of option grant practices throughout the technology and other industries by public regulatory bodies, and potential changes in accounting and other practices resulting therefrom; the rate at which our present and future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's technologies and products in the markets for cellular applications; delays in the adoption and acceptance of industry standards in those markets; the timing, rescheduling or cancellation of significant customer orders and our ability, as well as the ability of our customers, to manage inventory; the gain or loss of a key customer, design win or order; our ability to scale our operations in response to changes in demand for our existing products and services or demand for new products requested by our customers; intellectual property disputes and customer indemnification claims and other types of litigation risk; our ability to specify, develop or acquire, complete, introduce, market and transition to volume production new products and technologies in a cost-effective and timely manner; our ability to retain, recruit and hire key executives, technical personnel and other employees in the positions and numbers, with the experience and capabilities, and at the compensation levels needed to implement our business and product plans; problems or delays that we may face in shifting our products to smaller geometry process technologies and in achieving higher levels of design integration; competitive pressures and other factors such as the qualification, availability and pricing of competing products and technologies and the resulting effects on sales and pricing of our products; the timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification; our ability to timely and accurately predict market requirements and evolving industry standards and to identify opportunities in new markets; changes in our product or customer mix; the volume of our product sales and pricing concessions on volume sales; the availability and pricing of third party semiconductor foundry, assembly and test capacity and raw materials; fluctuations in the manufacturing yields of our third party semiconductor foundries and other problems or delays in the fabrication, assembly, testing or delivery of our products; the risks of producing products with new suppliers and at new fabrication and assembly facilities; the quality of our products and any remediation costs; the effectiveness of our expense and product cost control and reduction efforts; the risks and uncertainties associated with our international operations, particularly in light of recent events; the effects of natural disasters, public health emergencies, international conflicts and other events beyond our control; the level of orders received that can be shipped in a fiscal quarter; and other factors.
Our amended Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for 2005, amended Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the three months ended March 31, 2006, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, all filed January 23, 2007, and our recent Current Reports on Form 8-K and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement for any reason.
Broadcom(R), the pulse logo, Connecting everything(R), the Connecting everything logo and CellAirity(TM) are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Linux(R) is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Symbian(R) is a trademark of Symbian Limited. Windows Mobile(TM) is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. Bluetooth(R) is a trademark of the Bluetooth SIG. Wi-Fi(R) is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.
Broadcom Trade Press Contact
Jeremy Hyatt
Marketing Communications Manager
949-926-5971
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