NXP expands Wireless USB technology base in Singapore
Earmarks 90-million Euros in R&D to further strengthen leadership in WUSB
NXP Semiconductors (NXP), the independent company founded by Philips, today announced the expansion of its presence in Singapore for the advancement of Wireless USB (W-USB) technology development. Over the next five years, NXP will invest over 90 million Euros, as part of its planned annual R&D investment, to make W-USB a mainstream technology enabling efficient connectivity among various consumer devices.
Building on the company’s pole position in the USB transceiver market, NXP’s USB Innovation Center in Singapore will collaborate with the team in the U.S. to further develop its expertise on the complete technology development lifecycle for W-USB: standardization, IC design, test & product engineering, system & software development, as well as marketing. OEMs and ODMs seeking to adopt W-USB technology will have access to a highly-qualified and focused talent pool to enable rapid integration and quick time-to-market. For consumers, W-USB allows faster (480 mbps), short-range (10 meters) data transfers, outperforming current Bluetooth and WiFi transfer rates between consumer devices.
“W-USB promises to bring greater connectivity and convenience to mobile phones, consumer electronics and PC peripherals. We believe it will be a key enabler to realize consumers’ demand for connecting information and entertainment anytime anywhere,” said Marc Cetto, EVP and General Manager, Mobile & Personal Business, NXP Semiconductors. “Our investment in manpower, equipment and IP creation, together with the support of Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), empowers the development of state-of-art W-USB to further our leadership position. With a multi-cultural, knowledge-intensive engineering talent base, Singapore is a strategic location for NXP’s R&D program, replete with the EDB’s cluster strategy for industrial impetus.”
“NXP’s decision to expand its Singapore Innovation Center for its on-going developments in Wireless USB is an endorsement of Singapore’s strengths in cutting-edge innovation in technology and strong foundation in electronics industry,” said Swee-Nian Lim, Executive Director of the Electronics Cluster, Singapore Economic Development Board. “Since its inception more than 10 years ago, NXP Innovation Center has trained and developed a core group of high-caliber R&D talent and strengthened the semiconductor industry in Singapore.”
NXP offers one of the industry’s broadest USB portfolios. NXP’s device controllers do away with the hub and dongle approach to Wireless USB. They combine the ease of use and speed of wired USB with the convenience of wireless connectivity for high-speed picture transfers, music downloads, printing and data synchronization for mobile phones, consumer electronics and PC applications. For instance, the low power, small-footprint ISP3582 integrates directly into end systems at the board level, allowing a seamless replacement of wired USB in todays current systems.
About NXP Semiconductors
NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in more than 20 countries and posted sales of EUR 5 billion in 2006. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at www.nxp.com.