CONTRACTS
Lockheed Martin and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)Lockheed Martin has received a $5.7-million contract from DARPA to compete in Phase 1 development of its System F6 space technology and demonstration program. F6 is shorthand for "Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft United by Information Exchange." The DARPA System F6 program intends to demonstrate that a traditional, large, monolithic satellite can be replaced by a group of smaller, individually launched, wirelessly networked and cluster-flown spacecraft modules. The ultimate goal of the program is to launch a fractionated spacecraft system and demonstrate it in orbit in approximately four years.
Tektronix CommunicationsAnnounced that its GeoProbe, Advanced Performance Monitoring (APM), Orion, and Beamer solutions have been selected by StarHub, Singapore's second largest info-communication company. Tektronix's solutions were selected to satisfy StarHub's need for a roaming management solution that could enable online monitoring and alarm notification of its GSM and GPRS/3G networks that interwork with overseas operators' networks for roaming services.
Mitec Telecom, Inc.Received a second order from a major cellular network operator in Africa to provide its very-smallaperture- terminal (VSAT) block upconverter component. Development and manufacturing will take place at Mitec's Montreal facility as well as in Suzhou, China.
Zodiac Maritime Agencies Ltd.Is equipping its fleet of 125 ships with Iridium OpenPort optimized-bandwidth satellite terminals under a service agreement with AND Group. The first installations will take place this month with rollout to the entire fleet by the end of this year.
FRESH STARTS
ON Semiconductor Corp.Completed its acquisition of AMIS Holdings, Inc. in a stock-for-stock merger. Holders of AMIS will generally receive 1.15 shares of ON Semiconductor common stock for each share of AMIS common stock they own. ON Semiconductor issued a total of approximately 103 million shares of common stock on a fully diluted basis to complete the transaction. Former AMIS stockholders now own approximately 26 percent of ON Semiconductor.
RF Micro Devices (RFMD)Completed its acquisition of Filtronic Compound Semiconductors Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Filtronic Plc. RFMD paid an acquisition price of approximately 12.5 million pounds in cash for Filtronic Compound Semiconductors. The price included the purchase of Filtronic Compound Semiconductors' 6-in. GaAs wafer fabrication facility at Newton Aycliffe, UK, and the purchase of Filtronic Compound Semiconductors' millimeter-wave RF semiconductor business.
Agilent TechnologiesJoined the Long Term Evolution/System Architecture Evolution (LTE/SAE) Trial Initiative, which is designed to validate the technology's capability to bring highspeed wireless broadband to the global market. Agilent is contributing to LTE interoperability testing and field trials from physical-layer air interface testing through protocol-layer test and network diagnostics. Such test capacity further enables the transition of LTE to a commercially deployable technology.
OroliaAcquired Stockholm-based Pendulum Instruments. This acquisition extends the competencies and market reach of Orolia to a third area of expertise: the measurement of high-precision time and frequency signals.
Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC)Signed a definitive agreement to acquire Icon Systems, Inc. This acquisition strengthens SAIC's position in the virtual and live training environments and allows the company to provide a more comprehensive array of capabilities in this arena. Icon will be an operation within SAIC's Analysis, Simulations, Systems, Engineering and Training business unit.
SDR ForumEight organizations and educational institutions that develop and promote new and innovative technologies have joined the forum. They include: Adapt4 in Melbourne, FL; Battery Ventures in Waltham, MA; eASIC in Santa Clara, CA; KTH-Swedish Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden; OmniPhase Research Laboratories, Inc. in Newport Beach, CA; Pioneer Consulting in Woburn, MA; QuickFlex, Inc. in San Antonio, TX; and VIStology, Inc. in Framingham, MA.
Aeroflex and AT4 wirelessThe WiMAX Forum has designated the Aeroflex/AT4 wireless MINT223x protocol-conformance test system and AT4 wireless MINT T2110 radio-conformance test system as official test equipment for WiMAX Certification (802.16-2005). Both systems have been installed and are being used for WiMAX equipment certification at the first worldwide WiMAX Forum Designated Certification Laboratory within AT4 wireless' Wireless Certification & Testing Laboratory in Malaga, Spain.
SiGe SemiconductorReported that revenues for 2007 were US $69 millionan increase of 40 percent year over year. Sales were fueled by the growing demand for SiGe's radio front-end integrated circuits (ICs) and modules.
National PrecisionOpened its third facility in Warrensville Heights, OH. The new address is: 25901 Emery Road, Suite 103, Warrensville Heights, OH 44128.
SkyworksHas received LG Electronics' 2007 Best Supplier Award. In addition, Skyworks was graded as Class A for its work with LG in 2007. LG leverages Skyworks' front-end solutions for a variety of mobile handsets spanning all key air interfaces including CDMA, GSM, andincreasinglyEDGE and WCDMA for 3G multimode applications.
StratEdgeHas announced the success of its company-sponsored Vanpool program. Organized in conjunction with the San Diego Association of Governments' (SANDAG) RideLink Program, StratEdge enables employees to ride to and from work for $5 a week. About 50 percent of StratEdge employees participate in the Rideshare or StratEdge-sponsored publictransportation programs.
Through this program, StratEdge leases passenger vans. An employee volunteers to drive and take care of a van and there is a back-up driver for each van. Employees meet at a local Park-NRide location. StratEdge pays for the gas used for the commute. The driver also gets to use the van during off hours.
