SiRF Unveils the SiRFprima Multifunction Location Platform to Drive Next-Generation Mobile Convergence Devices
Thursday February 7, 7:38 pm ET
Innovative Architecture Integrating GPS/Galileo Location with Multimedia and 3D Graphics to be Demonstrated at 2008 GSMA Mobile World Congress
SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Delivering on its vision of the convergence between location, multimedia and content in the mobile device market, SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIRF - News), a leading provider of GPS-powered location platforms, today launched its SiRFprima(TM) multifunction platform to enable the next generation of location-aware mobile devices that significantly enhance the consumer experience for location applications and media rich content. The SiRFprima platform combines an industry leading GPS/Galileo location engine, powerful application processor, rich audio and video recording and playback capabilities, high-resolution 3D graphics and a host of peripheral interfaces -- all tuned to operate concurrently. Supporting both WinCE and Linux operating system environments, the SiRFprima platform will give manufacturers greater flexibility to create in a timely and cost-effective manner unique, full-featured products that meet consumers' high expectations for performance, affordability and portability.
ADVERTISEMENT
"With its high-performance multifunction engines all tuned to run in harmony, the SiRFprima platform sets a new standard for performance and integration in the emerging market for exciting new location-aware convergence products," said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF. "We believe the SiRFprima platform delivers on our vision of the convergence of location with rich media content, and extends SiRF's leadership in providing innovative solutions that bring the power of location to the mainstream."
The SiRFprima platform includes an ultra-high-speed, multifunction processor comprised of an advanced ARM11 core, a high-performance location engine that supports both GPS and Galileo satellite systems and an on-chip DSP. It also includes hardware-accelerated 3D graphics and multimedia encoding and decoding engines based on the gaming-grade PowerVR MBX 3D graphics accelerator core, vertex geometry processor and PowerVR MVED1 video encode/decode accelerator from Imagination Technologies.
The SiRFprima multifunction processor delivers SiRF's renowned, industry leading, GPS-enabled location performance, featuring 64 channels with -161 dBm sensitivity. The hardware scalable location engine, with more than 1,000,000 correlators, is among the first capable of working with both GPS and Galileo signals simultaneously. Additionally, the SiRFprima processor has been specifically designed to support SiRF's proprietary GPS technologies, providing, for example, a dedicated accelerator for the SiRFInstantFixII(TM) technology.
"We are very excited by the SiRFprima platform because it offers an opportunity that until now software developers have only dreamed of. With its overall high performance, from its graphics to its memory bandwidth, the SiRFprima platform is definitely the 'prima' solution for us," said Peter Balogh, CTO of Nav N Go, a leading developer supplying navigation applications to leading PND players, including the award-winning Nav N Go iGO8 3D navigation software. "With its high degree of integration and extensive array of design features, the SiRFprima platform is truly a fantastic advance in the convergence market, and will make it much easier for us to achieve our goal of making navigation and mobile software more accessible and enjoyable to as many people as possible."
The SiRFprima platform supports OpenGL ES, Direct3DM and OpenVG, and can drive full-color, high-resolution displays with multiple hardware overlay layers. The hardware media acceleration has enough processing muscle to encode and decode mainstream and high-resolution video standards concurrently with navigation and other operations.
In addition to performance gains delivered by the multifunction processor, the SiRFprima platform also offers a full complement of peripheral and external interfaces for connecting to touch screens, mass storage devices, video cameras, DVD players, satellite radios and other devices.
What previously required several external coprocessors has now been integrated into the SiRFprima platform, significantly reducing bill-of-material (BOM) costs for SiRF customers. By integrating typical discrete components onto its own silicon, SiRF not only reduces the total system cost, but also decreases board design complexity and time to market risk.
According to a report released recently by New York-based ABI Research, manufacturers of personal navigation devices are facing continued stiff competition and will likely seek to stand out in the market by adding speech technology, multimedia capabilities, 3D map content and other features to their products. ABI Research predicts worldwide sales of these convergence devices will surpass more than 100 million units by 2011.
Mobile consumer electronics devices -- including mobile phones, portable navigation devices, handheld computers, games and even cameras -- have already begun moving beyond their original, single-function designs to incorporate numerous combinations of connectivity, location and media and content functions. Mobile phones today routinely offer music playback and integrated cameras, while portable navigation devices increasingly contain audio, still image and video playback capabilities and connect wirelessly to mobile phones for hands-free operation.
SiRF believes the distinctions between some of these product categories will blur as this convergence progresses, creating new generations of more powerful multifunctional consumer electronics devices that navigate, inform and entertain. To compete effectively and satisfy consumer demand, manufacturers of these convergence products will require more flexible, highly integrated solutions. SiRF believes the SiRFprima platform launched today delivers all the necessary ingredients and flexibility for developing tomorrow's premium convergence systems.
Availability and Pricing
SiRF is demonstrating the SiRFprima multifunction location platform in the SiRF Technology booth (Hall 1, Booth F06) at the upcoming GSMA Mobile World Congress 2008 being held in Barcelona, Spain, February 11-14, 2008. The SiRFprima multifunction platform will begin sampling to lead customers in the second quarter of this year. As with most SiRF solutions, the SiRFprima platform offers form factor reference designs and full evaluation boards. Please contact SiRF for pricing information.
About SiRF Technology
SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. develops and markets location platforms based on semiconductor and software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilizing GPS and other location technologies, enhanced by wireless connectivity and multimedia capabilities for high-volume mobile consumer devices and commercial applications. SiRF's technology has been integrated into a wide range of mobile consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, portable navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, mobile computers, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS devices, and into commercial applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices and fleet management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in four target platforms: wireless handheld devices such as mobile phones; automotive electronics systems, including navigation and telematics systems; consumer electronics products such as recreational GPS handhelds, mobile gaming machines, digital cameras and wearable devices; and mobile computing systems, including personal digital assistants, notebook computers, universal mobile personal computers (UMPCs) and mobile internet devices. Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in San Jose, California, and has sales offices, design centers and research facilities around the world. The company trades on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF. Additional information about SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at http://www.sirf.com.
Forward Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the anticipated benefits and functions of SiRFprima, including a customer's ability to full-featured products timely and cost-effectively, and providing flexibility for developing premium convergence systems, the new generation of more powerful multifunction consumer electronic devices, manufacturers' requirements and timing of product release, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "to," "being," "possible," "may," "will," "addresses," "designed to," "expand", "provide," "believe," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and should not be considered as an indication of future performance. SiRF's actual results could differ materially from those discussed in these forward-looking statements as a result of risks and uncertainties, including, among others, the risk that we may not realize the anticipated benefits of this acquisition, risks associated with acquisitions, including the ability to successfully integrate the acquired technologies or operations, potential diversion of management's attention and our ability to retain key employees of acquired businesses, demand and market acceptance for our products and those of our customers, the market for GPS-based location awareness, risks associated with the semiconductor industry and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007 and from time to time in SiRF's SEC reports. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.
SiRF, the SiRF orbit logo, SiRFstar, SiRFLoc and SiRFDRive are registered trademarks of SiRF Technology, Inc. SiRFPrima, , SiRFInstant, SiRFInstantFix, SiRFDiRect, and SiRFecosystem are trademarks of SiRF Technology, Inc. All other corporate names or trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source: SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
