Mobility Phones - Mobile Phones

At a press conference on Tuesday, Panasonic revealed major changes in its telecommunications and high definition television divisions. New low-voltage plasma technology, partly sourced from AbleComm, Inc., is uniting the two divisions in new product initiatives, including plasma video displays for cell phones to use with AT&T’s recently announced Mobile TV service.The service will provide full-length television content and sporting events from CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, FOX, MTV, NBC and Nickelodeon. It will be available in May.

Panasonic Communications and Networking Division Vice President Hiroshi Mitsukoshi told of a leadership shift in business phone systems, and Robert A. Perry provided a look at the future of Panasonic’s HDTV business.

Larry White, who had been National Marketing Manager of the Communication Systems Group, has left the company. White will be replaced by Mark Balsama, who had been Group Manager of the Communications Systems Division until his retirement last summer.

Mitsukoshi told reporters gathered at AbleComm headquarters in Milford, CT, “I am extremely pleased that we have been able to convince the beloved Mark-san to come out of retirement and return to his desk. He worked at Panasonic for nearly 35 years and has an unmatched reputation and a special relationship with our dealers and distributors, and he will be a vital part of preparing the division for the future.”

“We have defined our future as the dominant seller of plasma televisions, even though other display types have taken away percentage points in some screen sizes. We know that plasma is still the magic word that excites most buyers, and recent decisions by Pioneer and Fujitsu to exit the plasma display panel business offer us the opportunity to gain market share.”

Mark Balsama then addressed the group and revealed plans to incorporate newly developed, miniature plasma displays in telephone products. “This is my first official day back at work, and I have a very exciting announcement to make. For nearly a decade, Panasonic’s engineers have been secretly working on a thin, lightweight low-voltage compact plasma display. We have recently reached a licensing agreement for some key technology with product developer AbleComm, Inc. — the same company that conceived our very successful KX-TVS50 voicemail system over 10 years ago. We will be able to incorporate miniature plasma displays into both consumer and business telephone products starting this fall. They will rival OLED displays for brightness, contrast and thinness, and can be manufactured for much less money.”

AbleComm president Michael N. Marcus said, “This is an unexpected and happy coincidence for all of us. Our company has had a long relationship with Panasonic. Several years ago we developed a family of high-efficiency headsets for use with Panasonic business phones, and it turned out that a proprietary component used in those headsets was exactly what Panasonic needed to complete the development of their low-voltage miniaturized plasma displays.”

Balsama continued, “Many of our new phones will have vibrant color plasma screens that can run on just 1.5 volts and won’t require any additional wiring or special power supplies. We’ll be able to put plasma in cell phones, business phones, consumer phones, corded phones, cordless phones, and even door intercom monitors and fax machines. We will revolutionize the consumer electronics business, as Panasonic has done many times before.”

Robert A. Perry, the new Senior Vice President of Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company who is responsible for marketing plasma and LCD HDTVs, also addressed the meeting. He said, “Our plasma expertise and our large- scale, efficient manufacturing will allow these new small Panasonic plasma screens to replace LCDs in many applications — gasoline pumps, automated teller machines, camera viewfinders, MP3 players, vending machines, automotive displays, digital photo frames, appliance touch screens and even the little pop-up screens on printers. In fact, I am pleased to announce that we will be supplying mini plasma screens to HP for an exclusive two-year period for use in their printers. We view our thin low-voltage PDP technology as a pre- emptive strike against OLED technology.”

He pointed out that despite Panasonic’s strong belief in the superiority of plasma displays, “We can’t afford to ignore the growing demand for LCD HDTVs. At the same time that we are OEM-ing plasma for Pioneer, we will be quickly adding many models of LCD TVs to our line, buying OEM LCD display panels from Sharp, our good neighbor in Osaka.”

“This strategy,” Perry concluded, “will position Panasonic as the world leader in television sales among first-tier brands, capitalize on the economy of scale and cost savings of both LCD and plasma technologies from our new business partners, minimize future production risks and stabilize long-term profitability in a chaotic market.”

Panasonic today announced its advanced Link to Cell KX-TH1211, a mobile phone accessory that seamlessly connects a Bluetooth enabled cell phone to cordless handsets in the home. With Panasonic’s Link to Cell, a user can initiate and receive cell phone calls from a cordless handset, which not only preserves battery life but offers better reception to move throughout the home.”We recognize that people value their cell phones as a key point of communication, but using it at home is often inconvenient, especially when they reach dead spots with no coverage,” said Bill Birnie, Marketing Director, Communications Solutions Group, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “Perfect for the millions of consumers who have eliminated their landline, Link to Cell provides a sleek, yet comfortable handset and a base that can be placed where cell coverage in the home is strongest. Using Bluetooth to connect the cell phone to the base, Link to Cell is a solution that connects mobile and home technologies, bringing out the best features in both.”

The Link to Cell KX-TH1211 has advanced phone features found in Panasonic’s popular cordless phone line, such as Talking Caller ID, Night Mode and call blocking, all of which can be used while benefiting from key cell phone carrier services, including free nationwide mobile-to-mobile, weekend and night minutes.

The new KX-TH1211 Link to Cell offers simple service registration and supports up to two cell numbers, meaning multiple people in the home can benefit this mobile accessory. Link to Cell is also expandable up to six handsets that have easy-to-read LCD displays, multi-color LED incoming-call indicators and multiple ring tones that can be programmed to alert users of specific people calling. In addition, calls to the registered cell phone numbers can be programmed to specific handsets in the home, meaning incoming calls can maintain their privacy and be directed to their intended recipient.

Also, for homes with landlines, Link to Cell supports traditional landline connections and features 50-station phonebook and dialer. Link to Cell KH- TH1211 comes equipped with one handset and will be available in March 2008 with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $99.95. Additional handsets have a SRP of $39.95. For more information, please visit www.panasonic.com.

Purple Labs, a leading supplier of embedded Linux solutions for mobile phones, announced today that it has joined the LiMo Foundation and will support the organisation’s mission to develop a world-class Linux-based software platform for mobile devices. In joining the LiMo Foundation as an Associate member, Purple Labs becomes the first commercial Linux platform for feature phones in the consortium, thereby extending the LiMo initiative to mass-market mobile handsets.Founded by industry leaders Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone, the LiMo Foundation aims to create a rich ecosystem based on Linux, which will enable compelling and differentiated services for mobile users.

“LiMo Foundation is very pleased to welcome Purple Labs as a new Associate member. We are rapidly rolling out our open mobile terminal platform based on Linux and Purple Labs will undoubtedly help the Foundation to further extend its reach within the feature phones arena,” said Morgan Gillis, executive director, LiMo Foundation.

“We are also pleased to see Purple Labs joining the LiMo Foundation efforts and helping to bring Linux to the mass market,” added Guido Arnone, Director of Terminals Technology at Vodafone. “We believe Linux can become a relevant platform not just for smartphones but also for entry-level feature phones - thus the support of the Purple Labs team will add value to the LiMo Foundation.”

Purple Labs has developed a highly optimised platform enabling Linux to run on low-cost feature phones. The company’s comprehensive Linux suite, from Linux service package and middleware to mobile applications, is the first commercial solution running a single-core chipset architecture, allowing the development of very cost-effective, entry-level feature phones.

“Purple Labs is strongly committed to enabling LiMo-compliant mobile phones for the mass market,” stated Simon Wilkinson, chief executive officer of Purple Labs. “We look forward to working with other LiMo Foundation members in creating an open and tightly integrated environment for developing mobile handsets based on Linux.”

ACCESS CO., LTD., a global provider of advanced software technologies to the mobile and beyond-PC markets, today announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with NTT DoCoMo, Inc., NEC Corp., Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd., and ESTEEMO Co., Ltd. under which the companies will study the use of ACCESS Linux Platform(TM) as the basis for developing a shared Linux platform for mobile phones and an operator pack for NTT DoCoMo.In a market characterized by frequent model changes and fast time-to-market requirements, high-performance handsets demand increasingly complex software. ACCESS intends to help handset makers meet these requirements by developing a shared platform for the global market based on ACCESS Linux Platform, a next-generation open operating system platform, in combination with custom-tailored operator packs embedded with a full slate of carrier-specific applications. ACCESS Linux Platform enables the creation of world-class mobile phones and wireless devices by providing an integrated, flexible and complete, commercial-grade Linux platform designed for the worldwide mobile phone and converged device markets.

Under the MOU, ACCESS will make use of MOAP(L) (Mobile Oriented Application Platform based on Linux) which is the FOMA(TM) mobile platform used by NTT DoCoMo, and will lead the development of a shared software platform that also conforms to specifications of the LiMo Foundation, an independent, non-profit foundation established with the aim of promoting the use of Linux by the mobile industry. The five companies have also agreed to consider development of an operator pack for NTT DoCoMo based on the shared platform. ACCESS intends to begin marketing the commercial products resulting from these efforts during fiscal 2009.

“Linux-based mobile phones are attracting attention at home and abroad,” said Toru Arakawa, president and CEO, ACCESS. “The agreement by NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Panasonic Mobile and ESTEEMO to join us in discussing the development of a shared Linux-based platform and operator pack will contribute to the efficient development and prompt release of next-generation handsets by providing the type of user-friendly interface that is only possible with Linux.”

“In January this year, NTT DoCoMo established the LiMo Foundation, together with key companies worldwide,” said Kiyohito Nagata, senior vice president, managing director of Product Department, Products & Services, NTT DoCoMo. “The conclusion of this memorandum will substantially expedite the development of a shared platform based on LiMo Foundation specifications, as well as promote consideration of an operator pack by the five participating companies. In this way, the memorandum will contribute to the dissemination and growth of the Linux platform and the creation of an associated ecosystem. We expect it to enable the development of products that are even more attractive to NTT DoCoMo.”

“As a firm believer in the Linux-based platform for mobile terminals, NEC has long been involved in development of MOAP(L) and has been a founding member in the LiMo Foundation,” said Susumu Otani, senior vice president of NEC. “We hope entering into today’s MOU will enable us to accelerate the further expansion of a LiMo Foundation-compliant Linux platform and its ecosystem.”

“As a founding member of the LiMo Foundation, Panasonic Mobile Communications has been contributing to the realization of a Linux-based mobile platform using software technologies cultivated during the development of NTT DoCoMo’s FOMA 3G mobile service,” said Osamu Waki, president of Panasonic Mobile Communications. “We anticipate that the conclusion of this MOU will hasten the creation and further evolution of a Linux platform based on LiMo and its ecosystem.”

“With the combined strengths of both Panasonic Mobile Communications and NEC, we believe we can truly contribute to developing and promoting a globally competitive common platform and software for Linux-based mobile terminals,” said Yoshiharu Tamura, president of ESTEEMO.

Yeah, we’ve heard it before, but they mean it this time. Carriers Vodafone and NTT DoCoMo have teamed up with Motorola, Samsung, NEC, and Panasonic to succeed where others have failed, busting out a common Linux-based smartphone platform and sharing costs and R&D resources along the way. Besides unifying the fragmented mobile Linux community behind a single open platform, the group’s goal is to see the light of day in a production phone before the end of 2007, but let’s be honest — the project won’t be considered a success unless the joint venture can produce a popular, well-known platform that can scrap with the Symbians and the Windows Mobiles of the world. Hey, Access PalmSource, you guys paying attention?

Stratix GX Devices and Nios Processor Deliver High-Performance Integrated Solution for Next-Generation Mobile Communications Infrastructure

Altera Corporation (NASDAQ:ALTR) today announced that Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader of mobile communications products, has selected Stratix(R) GX FPGAs and the Nios(R) embedded processor to deliver critical performance-intensive functions for its next-generation 3.5G network base transceiver station (BTS). This BTS will support high-speed data packet access (HSDPA), which provides significantly higher data transfer rates than were previously possible, enabling wireless network operators to deliver new and exciting data services to their customers. To support this level of performance, Panasonic required a combination of integrated high-speed transceivers and microprocessor functionality that could only be met with Altera’s Stratix GX device and Nios embedded processor.

“Altera provided us with a solution that addressed our needs from a system-level perspective,” said Masakazu Shobu, general manager of Panasonic’s Node-B Development Group. “First, Stratix GX devices met our performance requirements, due to their powerful digital signal processing (DSP) blocks and memory architecture. Also, the maturity and excellent development tools for the Nios processor convinced us that it was ideal for handling the call control and bus control functions in our BTS baseband system. By enabling us to combine the transceiver and processor capability into a single device, Altera delivered us a solution that met our aggressive cost target, and allowed us to meet a very ambitious product development schedule.”

With the growing demand for data services and mobile multimedia such as digital images, movies, and video conferencing, there is a corresponding need for higher data transmission rates to support such services. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a collaborative project for global standardization of third-generation mobile communication systems, has specified HSDPA technology to address this need. HSDPA is a significant enhancement to wideband code-division multiple access (W-CDMA) and can achieve speeds of up to 14.4Mbps. As the leading 3G vendor in the world, Panasonic has one of the largest market shares in Japan’s 3G/W-CDMA market, and is working hard to bring HSDPA technology to that country.

“Leading mobile communications developers like Panasonic require mature, reliable solutions to build the next-generation wireless network infrastructure,” said Arun Iyengar, senior director of Altera’s wireless business unit. “Altera offers a complete portfolio of solutions that enable the development of HSDPA-based base stations for 3.5G networks. Panasonic’s choice of the Altera solution proves that the combination of Stratix GX FPGAs and the Nios processor is ideal for delivering the high-speed transceiver and advanced control functionality that the 3.5G BTS requires.”

For more information on Altera’s solutions for 3G radio access and core networks, please visit: www.altera.com/solutions/comm/wireless/overview/wir-index.html. For more information about Stratix GX Devices, please visit: www.altera.com/products/devices/stratixgx/sgx-index.jsp. For more information about the Nios embedded processors, visit: www.altera.com/products/ip/processors/ipm-index.jsp.

About Panasonic Mobile Communications
Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. (Panasonic), based in Yokohama, Japan, is a worldwide leader in the development and manufacture of mobile communications products. As one of the main business domains for Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., best known for its Panasonic brand digital electronics, Panasonic has been developing cutting edge technologies since its establishment in 1958, including the world’s first 3G video handset for the Japanese market in 2001. Panasonic is committed in providing added-value solutions to end-users through its mobile communication products. For more information, please visit www.panasonic.co.jp/pmc/en/index.html.

About Altera
Altera Corporation is the world’s pioneer in system-on-a-programmable-chip (SOPC) solutions. Combining programmable logic technology with software tools, intellectual property, and technical services, Altera provides high-value programmable solutions to approximately 14,000 customers worldwide. More information is available at www.altera.com.