UTStarcom demos world's first plug-in cellular phone module at 3GSM
Also allows easy integration into portable devices such as game consoles and music players
3GSM WORLD CONGRESS, BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 13, 2006 - UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI), a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and services, today announced that the company will demonstrate its MobileCard technology with the world's first technology independent, modular mobile phone at 3GSM World Congress 2006, Booth G62, Hall 2 Level 0. UTStarcom also announced today a licensing agreement with Tessera Technologies to use its miniaturization technology to develop modular phones.
Equivalent to the size of two SIM cards and less than 3mm thick, UTStarcom's MobileCard technology is designed to enable all the essential functions of a mobile phone. With this technology, a regular phone is reduced to a "shell," which typically consists of mechanical housing, keypad, LCD, and speakers. Consumers can simply insert the module into the "shell" to have a complete phone.
UTStarcom's MobileCard technology has been developed to create significant cost savings for mobile phone manufacturers. It is designed to eliminate the need for complex RF and baseband design during the mobile terminal development, which can result in simpler design and shorter development cycle. It can also significantly shorten the handset certification process, allowing the product to get to market much faster. As a standard part shared across many models, it may also help to reduce the inventory risk as well.
In addition, MobileCard technology can enable the easy integration of mobile communications with various portable devices, such as game consoles and music players, so as to allow consumers to enjoy the convenience of mobile communication everywhere they go. Operators can benefit from offering brand new services based on these new types of terminals.
"Tessera, a leading chip packaging and miniaturization company, is very excited to take part in the development of this highly innovative cellular phone module with UTStarcom," said Stuart Wilson, senior director of operations at Tessera. "MobileCard technology enables a complete separation of the cellular functions and the computer functions in a phone. We believe it has the potential to significantly simplify the way that handsets are designed."
About UTStarcom, Inc.
UTStarcom is a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and international service and support. The company sells its broadband, wireless, and handset solutions to operators in both emerging and established telecommunications markets around the world.
UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient, end-to-end IP networks. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and design operations in the United States, China, Korea and India. UTStarcom is a FORTUNE 1000 company.
For more information about UTStarcom, visit the company's web site at http://www.utstar.com.
Forward-looking statements
This release includes forward-looking statements, including the foregoing statements regarding the anticipated functionality enabled by MobileCard technology allows, the anticipated ability of the technology to reduce a regular phone into a "shell" consisting typically of mechanical housing, keypad, LCD and speakers, the anticipated increased convenience to consumers resulting from such reduction of a regular phone into a "shell," the expectation that the technology may lead to significant cost savings for mobile phone manufacturers, the expectation that the technology may eliminate the need for complex RF and baseband design during the mobile terminal development, resulting in simpler design and shorter development cycle, the anticipation that the technology can significantly shorten the handset certification process and allow the product to get to the market faster, the expectation that the technology may help reduce the inventory risk for mobile phone manufacturers, the anticipated ability of the technology to enable easy integration of mobile communications with various portable devices, the anticipation that such integration can enable consumers to enjoy the convenience of mobile communication anywhere, the anticipated ability of the technology to enable operators to offer new services based on new types of terminals supported by the technology, the expectation that the technology may allow a complete separation of the cellular and computer functions in a phone, and the expectation that such separation of functions may significantly simply handset designs.
These risk factors include rapidly changing technology, the changing nature of global telecommunications markets, the termination of significant contracts and/or strategic relationships, the direction and results of future research and development efforts, evolving product and applications standards, reduction or delays in system deployments, product transitions, changes in demand for and acceptance of the Company's products, general adverse economic conditions, and trends and uncertainties such as changes in government regulation and licensing requirements.
The Company also refers readers to the risk factors identified in its latest Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
