Irish comms chip design firm ParthusCeva has forged a partnership with US Wi-Fi leader Intersil to license Intersil’s WLAN (wireless local area network) technology to other manufacturers.
According to both companies, the deal will create a compelling market offering for electronic device manufacturers seeking to use an 802.11 wireless capability while also seeking to reduce significant development costs. Already, most major PC manufacturers are having WLAN capabilities built-in to laptops, printers and personal digital assistants.
“This partnership is a very significant development which will accelerate the use of wireless local area networking technology across a broad array of business and consumer applications”, said Allen Nogee, a senior analyst at In-Stat/MDR. “Intersil is the acknowledged leader in 802.11 wireless solutions and ParthusCeva has a proven track record of delivering complex wireless technology under an IP [internet protocol] licensing model. This unique combination can unlock the enormous potential of WLAN technology.”
Under the terms of the agreement, ParthusCeva will provide wireless IP expertise, sales, marketing and customer support in licensing Intersil’s 802.11 Prism Intellectual Property to the electronics industry.
“The licensing of our WLAN IP is one of the next steps in addressing the needs of a growing market in which Wi-Fi is becoming pervasive and working its way into a diverse and exciting set of applications,” said Larry Ciaccia, general manager of Intersil’s wireless networking product group.
Kevin Fielding, CEO of ParthusCeva, said that the company had been looking to partner with a proven 802.11 player to complement its services to semiconductor manufucturers.
By John Kennedy
