Contracts
Herley Industries, Inc.Has announced that its Herley-CTI subsidiary located in Whippany, NJ has received an award for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract valued at approximately $8.5 million from a major US prime contractor. The firm will manufacture fast-switching synthesizers for a radar system application. This six-year agreement is a follow-on to previous development and production contracts for this product. Separately, Herley-CTI signed development and initial production agreements for a similar fast-switching synthesizer. It will be used by the same customer, but in another radar application.
Raytheon Co.Has received an $81.1-million US Navy contract for the AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS), the primary undersea warfare sensor for the Navy's MH-60R multi-mission helicopter. System capabilities were tested and proved as part of a US Navy undersea warfare exercise conducted by the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Rockwell CollinsThe US Navy has awarded a four-year production contract to Rockwell Collins for the ARC-210 radios. The contract has a potential value of $450 million over the four-year life of the program. With more than 28,000 radios fielded, the ARC-210 is installed on more than 180 platforms worldwide and is operating in more than 40 countries. Included in the contract is the next-generation ARC-210 radio, which will enter production in 2010.
Fresh Starts
AMIMON, Inc.Has teamed with Maxim Integrated Products to provide Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI) solutions. The companies will offer a joint reference design based on Maxim's WHDI RF chipset, the MAX2850/MAX2851, which interfaces directly to the AMIMON WHDI baseband chipset, the AMN 2120/2220.
Virage LogicHas completed the acquisition of NXP's horizontal advanced CMOS intellectual-property (IP) rights and certain engineering talent and equipment. As part of the acquisition, Virage Logic now includes approximately 150 former NXP employees and the assets associated with select NXP advanced CMOS libraries, IP blocks, and systemon- a-chip (SoC) infrastructure along with other classes of semiconductor IPincluding approximately 25 associated patent families. The strategic alliance between the two companies also includes a multi-year, $60-million licensing and IP-development relationship.
T-MobileHas become a Sponsor Member of the Wi-Fi Alliance. T-Mobile is one of more than 330 member companies that comprise the Wi-Fi Alliance.
RF Micro Devices, Inc.Has repurchased and retired $197-million aggregate principal of its convertible subordinated notes due 2010. Using cash on hand, RFMD paid the principal or face amount of the notes along with accrued interest to acquire and retire the notes prior to maturity. The aggregate principal amount of the 2010 notes outstanding is approximately $10 milliondown from $230 million at issue. By using cash on hand to repurchase and retire the $197 million of notes, RFMD expects to save approximately $1.9 million in interest expense between now and when the notes mature in July 2010.
Yota CompanyHas begun deploying its network in Nicaragua. The broadband Internet access penetration in Nicaragua is less than 1 percent. The new entity, Yota de Nicaragua, is co-owned by WiMAX Holding (75 percent) and a local Nicaraguan company (25 percent). It will both build the network and manage wireless services. During the startup period, the management team from the Russia-based Yota has filled key posts in Yota de Nicaragua.
INSIDE ContactlessHas opened a representative office in Bangkok, Thailand to coordinate engineering support for its production subcontractors throughout Asiaincluding a new secured semiconductor probing facility in Bangkok operated by United Test and Assembly Center Ltd. (UTAC). The new Bangkok operations will play an important role as INSIDE prepares to increase its production capacity to handle an anticipated demand of up to 500 million MicroPass contactless payment microprocessors annually.
DragonWave, Inc.Has received Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) 9 and 14 certification for its Horizon Compact packetmicrowave- radio solution.
Iridium Communications, Inc.Has signed three additional distribution partners in Mexico. These new partners supplement the distribution channel for the new "Iridium Mexico" subsidiary (or Iridium Comunicaciones de Mexico S.A.P.I. de C.V.). Iridium Mexico is a joint venture between Iridium and Spacenet Communications Services de Mexico S.A. de C.V.
WiSpry, Inc.Has joined the Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) Alliance as a Contributor Member. WiSpry will now have access to industry-standard interface specifications for the mobile industry. It also will be able to contribute to these standards going forward.
Channel MicrowaveHas been acquired by Smiths Group plc. It will operate as an independent division of Lorch Microwave, Inc.
Duplex CSA Ltd.Has appointed Connector Specialists, Inc. as the company's authorized sales representative for the southwestern US region including Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Mexico. The Mobile Computing Promotion Consortium (MCPC) of Japan Has executed a memorandum of understanding with the Communications Society of IEEE (ComSoc) to promote their respective training and certification programs in mobile and wireless technology. Both programs are designed to train engineers in mobile and wireless technology to help supply needed expertise for the mobile-broadband industry. The MoU will support the MCPC's goal to promote awareness of the MCPC's Mobile System Engineering Certification Program to IEEE ComSoc constituents and those interested in the IEEE Wireless Communication Engineering Technologies (WCET) certification program.