Lucent Technologies' Modem Chip Technology Selected by National Semiconductor for its Newest Geode WebPAD Design - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Nov 22, 1999

Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group, the world leader in communications semiconductors, today announced that National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) has selected Lucent's Venus system-on-a-chip (SoC) modem technology for use in National's latest Geode WebPAD reference design. The National Geode WebPAD Internet appliance offers users a simple, intuitive means to access the Internet, participate in e-commerce, and send email without the cost and complexity of a personal computer.

"We selected Lucent's modem chip set because we needed a full-featured, 56 kilobit per second modem in a self-contained configuration," said Camillo Martino, worldwide director of National's Personal Access Device business unit. "Communications appliances need to work every time, in all geographies, and they have to be available at prices that will meet consumer expectations. Lucent's system-level communications chip set gives National the performance, reliability, and cost structure our customers will demand from these appliances."

"The Internet appliance market clearly is in our sweet spot-communications semiconductors," said Bill Garvis, modem marketing manager with Lucent Technologies Microelectronics Group. "This new relationship with National Semiconductor marks our official entry into the Internet appliance communications semiconductor market."

Lucent's Venus modem chip set is a good example of the company's SoC expertise. It integrates a digital signal processor, microcontroller, read only memory, random access memory, and customized logic on a single chip. Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. For more information on Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., visit its web site at http://www.lucent.com.