Yozan to Accelerate its Tokyo WiMax Deployment with Airspan

YOZAN has ordered an additional $5 million in WiMAX equipment from Airspan for deployment of its Tokyo-wide WiMAX network. The contract, which was first announced in March, is now valued at $16.7 million. Airspan will commence deliveries in the last quarter of 2005.


The YOZAN project uses Airspan's software-upgradeable radio technology in a product packaging called MicroMAX-SDR. Customers on the network will use a range of Airspan subscriber units, including Airspan's EasyST, a unique self-installable indoor WiMAX customer premises device. The EasyST provides WiMAX connectivity to the MicroMAX base station and Wi-Fi coverage inside the customer premises via its integrated Wi-Fi Access Point.
http://www.airspan.com
http://www.yozan.co.jp

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Sigma Samples Media Processor with Dual Decoding of H.264, VC-1 and MPEG-2

Sigma Designs has begun sampling its new SMP8634 media processor, designed for IPTV set-top boxes and high-definition DVD players. The device represents a milestone for media processors in that it not only decodes H.264 (AVC), VC-1 and MPEG-2, but also supports multi-stream decoding of any format, up to the equivalent of two simultaneous high-definition streams, along with full-screen graphics.


"Sigma has worked closely with some of the largest network operators, set-top box manufacturers, and consumer electronics companies to develop a media processor that meets the needs of next generation IPTV services and high-definition DVD players," said Ken Lowe, VP of strategic marketing. "In the coming months, our top-tier customer announcements will demonstrate the SMP8634's market acceptance."


In the years ahead, Sigma said it expects to see a digital media duopoly shared by two new video codecs: VC-1, a SMPTE specification based on Microsoft's Windows Media Video 9 (WMV9), and H.264, a shared specification from ITU and MPEG associations, also known as AVC (advanced video codec) or MPEG-4 part 10. Moving forward, VC-1 and H.264 appear destined to equally share the role as next generation digital media standards.


Key features of Sigma's SMP8634 media processor include:

• Video decoding of H.264 (MPEG-4 part 10), VC-1 (WMV9), MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 (part 2) with multiple streams, up to the equivalent of two high-definition streams.



• High performance graphics acceleration with bit-BLT, raster operations, vector font rendering, JPEG decode acceleration and line drawing functions.



• Audio decoding capability for Dolby Digital, WMA, WMA Pro, AAC, and MPEG audio layers I, II and III (MP3) and other audio standards.



• Content security management with on-chip secure processor, flash memory, and DRM engines for high speed payload decryption of AES, DES, triple-DES, RC4, CSS, DVB-CSA and Multi-2.



• Advanced display processing capabilities, including multi-plane architecture with advanced scaling, motion adaptive de-interlacing, and image composition with pixel-based alpha blending and colorimetry and image control features.



• An array of video output options including HDMI/HDCP digital video, plus analog component and separate NTSC/PAL encoder with analog composite and S-video outputs.



• Single-chip solution with on-chip CPU, unified memory controller, Ethernet 10/100 controller, dual USB 2.0 controller, IDE controller and general purpose IO.

http://www.sigmadesigns.com

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Huawei Selects Mindspeed Comcerto VoIP Processors

Huawei Technologies has selected Mindspeed's Comcerto Series VoIP processors for future products. Mindspeed's Comcerto Series VoIP processors combine high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) cores and a packet-processing engine with industry-standard streaming packet interfaces to provide a high-density VoIP system-on-a-chip. http://www.mindspeed.com

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QUALCOMM Acquired Elata for Mobile Content Delivery Software

QUALCOMM has acquired ELATA, a developer of mobile content delivery software based in the UK, for approximately $57 million in cash.


ELATA's software helps operators with managing, delivering and marketing rich wireless content.


QUALCOMM said that by combining ELATA's wireless content delivery system with its BREW solution, operators would have access to an extensive and modular offering of wireless data solutions and services. The new unified delivery system is platform-agnostic, allowing operators to consolidate all of their content services with support for all device platforms.


Under a single service delivery framework, a broad array of content can be unified and managed, including ringtones, wallpapers, and BREW, Java, streaming and OMA-compliant content - for the full range of feature phones and smartphones on operators' WCDMA (UMTS), GSM and CDMA2000 networks. For example, an operator may offer applications and services to its subscribers that have been developed in multiple programming languages and are delivered via many different systems to the handset. http://www.qualcomm.com
http://www.elata.com

• elata raised EUR13 million (US$12.5 million) in two rounds of funding (September 2001 and October 2003) from Royal Bank Ventures, Frontiers Capital, NewMedia SPARK plc, and Hugh Symons Group plc.

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Alvarion Supports Triple Play WiMAX Services in Five Kenyan Cities

Kenya Data Networks has ordered an initial deployment of Alvarion's WiMAX-ready equipment, BreezeMAX 3500, to bring WiMAX broadband services to businesses and ISPs in five Kenyan cities. Following successful commercial trials, KDN, an emerging carrier that counts among its customers all the ISPs in Kenya, has now purchased the BreezeMAX to cover the cities of Kisumu, Eldoret, Ukunda, Diani, and Malindi. KDN plans to extend services to another ten towns in the upcoming weeks and eventually to the capital city of Nairobi.


Upon completion of the BreezeMAX installation, KDN plans to offer triple play services of voice, data and video to its customers. Last year, KDN installed Alvarion BreezeACCESS OFDM and WALKair products in the 3.5 GHz frequency bands to supply highly reliable last-mile access services to Kenya's major ISP's, banks, universities, multinational corporations, and small-to-medium-sized businesses.


BreezeMAX is Alvarion's WiMAX-ready platform that uses OFDM technology for advanced non-line-of-sight (NLOS) functionality.
http://www.alvarion.com
http://www.kdn.co.ke

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Alcatel Sets Up R&D Center in Chengdu

Alcatel is establishing a new Research & Development (R&D) Center in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province in western China. The new R&D center will develop technologies and product concepts covering fixed and mobile communication areas. Initially, it will focus on advanced mobile technologies and solutions in the area of mobile Next Generation Networks (mobile NGN) and microwave transmission. Around 300 R&D engineers will be employed in this new facility.


In December 2002, Alcatel launched its first Research & Innovation Center in Asia Pacific in Shanghai and established the Optical Communications R&D Center in Chengdu in February 2003. Globally, Alcatel said it invests around 13% of its annual revenue on R&D activities. http://www.alcatel.com

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JDSU Divests its Passive Microlaser Product Line

JDS Uniphase will sell its passive Q-switched microlaser product line and Grenoble, France, facility to Teem Photonics, which is also located in Grenoble. Additionally, the parties announced that JDS Uniphase will exclusively license to Teem intellectual property, including a number of patents, associated with passive Q-switched microlasers.


Teem Photonics is a privately held company that produces planar splitters used in Fiber-to-the-Premises applications.


JDSU said the microlaser product line is differentiated by its sub-nanosecond pulse widths with peak powers in the tens of kilowatts and repetition rates in the tens of kilohertz, as well as by its reliance on monolithic technology and its distinctive intellectual property.


"This transaction is beneficial to customers, employees, and the two companies," stated Dr. Antoine Kevorkian, CEO of Teem Photonics. "We are located virtually next door to the Grenoble microlaser group of JDS Uniphase. Our track record in selling optical modules that require state-of-the art performance, high reliability and cost-effectiveness will enable us to serve current microlaser customers well and expand this activity. This transaction offers Teem Photonics the ability to leverage our assets, facilities and sales channel to market this product effectively."


Financial details of the transaction, which is expected to close during the current calendar quarter, were not disclosed.
http://www.teemphotonics.com
http://www.jdsu.com

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Intel Acquires Sarvega for XML Appliances

Intel acquired Sarvega, a start-up offering XML solutions, for an undisclosed sum. Sarvega's networking solutions optimize XML performance and Web services on enterprise networks providing businesses with improved reliability, security and flexibility to better serve and respond to their customers. The current Sarvega product line will continue to be available and be fully supported. Sarvega employees will join the Intel Software and Solutions Group. Sarvega is based in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois.


Intel said the acquisition supports its enterprise platform strategy as it facilitates the development of integrated platform solutions that can help to meet this customer requirement.
http://www.intel.com
http://www.sarvega.com/

• Sarvega is headed by Dr. Sunil S. Gaitonde (co-founder and Chairman of the Board), who previously led the second-generation cache engine initiative for Cisco's Content Services Business Unit. He joined Cisco when it acquired Internet Junction, a developer of Internet gateway software, a company that Sunil co-founded.



• Sarvega has raised over $20M in funding, more than any other XML Networking firm, from leading venture capital firms such as Bessemer Venture Partners, InterWest Partners, KB Partners, ComVentures, Blueprint Ventures, and Intel Capital.

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Concurrent to Acquire for Real-Time Analytics

Concurrent agreed to acquire Everstream Holdings, a developer of business intelligence software currently focused on the cable industry, for $15 million.


Everstream's current products monitor and analyze operations and performance data from millions of digitally enabled subscribers for real-time analytics, historical reporting, and on-demand advertising. The company said its software is now deployed in seven of the largest North American cable companies.


Concurrent's VOD systems are widely deployed worldwide by major broadband operators.


Concurrent, which has been an investor in Everstream since 2002, said it will operate Everstream as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary, ensuring that the privacy of data from customers and partners is protected with Everstream's cross-platform solutions. This structure will allow Everstream's partnerships with numerous cable industry operators and vendors, to continue to be fully supported.


"This acquisition signals our move into the broader market of business intelligence software that can extend into any network involved in real-time customer transactions. It is an initiative in concert with our focus on improving our quality of service for all the industries we serve. We believe there are markets in our real-time business such as finance, homeland security, and gaming that can benefit from Everstream's business intelligence systems," said Gary Trimm, Concurrent's President and CEO.
http://www.ccur.com
http://www.everstream.com

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