Agere Systems Drives Mass-Market Evolution for Enhanced-Feature Mobile Phones With New Advanced Multimedia Framework
November 17 2004 - 8:50AM
PR Newswire (US)
Agere Systems Drives Mass-Market Evolution for Enhanced-Feature
Mobile Phones With New Advanced Multimedia Framework ALLENTOWN,
Pa., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Agere Systems (NYSE:AGR.ANYSE:AGR.B)
today announced a new technology framework that enables mobile
handset vendors to rapidly develop wireless phones supporting the
latest advancements in multimedia for such applications as audio
and video streaming and playback, video recording, digital photo
imaging and downloadable ring tones. Unlike solutions that require
an additional multimedia co-processor, the combination of this
unified media framework and Agere's proven baseband silicon
provides a secure and cost-effective platform supporting both the
high-quality multimedia and assured communications performance that
are essential for driving widespread, mass-market acceptance of
enhanced-featured mobile devices. Agere is demonstrating this
multimedia framework technology that includes software and hardware
during the 3G World Congress tradeshow in Hong Kong this week.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040618/AGERELOGO )
Consumer demand for multimedia-capable phones continues to grow
with network operators focusing their efforts on providing a wide
array of innovative multimedia content and services. As a result,
industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics estimates that
multimedia-capable wireless phones are expected to represent 57
percent of global handset sales by 2009.* Agere's multimedia
framework is specifically designed to meet user expectations for
uncompromising mobility by contributing to the compact size, power
savings and low costs of a mobile handset design. The tight
coupling of the framework's components with Agere's baseband
solutions enables handsets to achieve the increased performance
necessary for rich audio and video features, while eliminating the
expense of an additional multimedia co-processor. In addition, the
framework simplifies the process of combining and incorporating
additional video and audio components, which helps phone makers to
customize their solutions for specific segments of the market. Its
modular structure also provides a stable software and hardware
continuum as standards for new or enhanced multimedia applications
emerge. "Handset makers are facing a sea change as advances in
technology enable new waves of mobile phone uses and segments
requiring silicon and software with the flexibility to support
varying levels of audio and video features," said Luc Seraphin,
vice president of Agere's Mobility division. "This technology
provides a foundation for multimedia from which customers can
quickly expand and grow their product portfolios while taking
comfort that they can maintain the fundamental communication
performance of their phones." The framework can be used for
handsets based on 2.5G/GPRS, EDGE and 3G/UMTS network technologies.
In addition, Agere's solution supports all of the latest multimedia
standards available, including MPEG-4 and H.263 video, JPEG images,
MP3(R) music, AAC and aacPlus(TM) audio, as well as MIDI ring tone
synthesizers. Agere recently began offering the multimedia
framework as part of its baseband silicon and software solutions
for GPRS and EDGE mobile phones. Presently, the company is sampling
the solution to select customers. For more information, customers
may visit Agere's Web site at http://www.agere.com/ or contact one
of Agere's regional sales offices. Customers in the U.S. may also
call the Agere Systems Customer Response Center at 1-800-372-2447.
Customers in Canada may call 1-800-553-2448. Customers outside
those countries may call 1-610-712-4323. Fax inquiries may be
directed to 1-610-712-4106, or e-mail queries to . Written
inquiries should be sent to Agere Systems, Room 10A-301C, 1110
American Parkway NE, Lehigh Valley Central Campus, Allentown, PA,
18109, USA. Agere Systems is a global leader in semiconductors for
storage, wireless data, and public and enterprise networks. The
company's chips and software power a broad range of computing and
communications applications, from cell phones, PCs, PDAs, hard disk
drives and gaming devices to the world's most sophisticated
wireless and wireline networks. Agere's customers include the top
manufacturers of consumer electronics, communications and computing
equipment. Agere's products connect people to information and
entertainment at home, at work and on the road -- making personal
broadband a reality. More information on Agere is available at its
website http://www.agere.com/. * Strategy Analytics' Wireless
Device Strategies (WDS) strategic advisory service report Global
Handset Market: Enabling Technologies Forecasts, 2004 - 2009 Agere
is a registered trademark and Agere Systems and the Agere Systems
logo are trademarks of Agere Systems Inc. aacPlus is a trademark of
Coding Technologies. MP3 is a registered trademark of Blaupunkt
GMBH. This release contains forward-looking statements based on
information currently available to Agere. Agere's actual results
could differ materially from the results stated or implied by such
forward-looking statements due to a number of risks and
uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, our ability to keep pace with technological change, our
dependence on new product development, price and product
competition, availability of manufacturing capacity, customer
demand for our products and services, general industry and market
conditions, and our reliance on major customers and suppliers. For
a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties,
see our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
September 30, 2003, and our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the
period ended June 30, 2004. Agere disclaims any intention or
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040618/AGERELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Agere Systems CONTACT:
JoAnna Schooler, Agere Systems, +1-610-712-1746, +1-908-283-4060
(mobile), Web site: http://www.agere.com/
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