Chrontel acquires Wireless Interface Technologies

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Mar 28, 2003

Chrontel has acquired Wireless Interface Technologies in a stock transaction.

Chrontel has acquired Wireless Interface Technologies in a stock transaction.

This transaction is the first corporate acquisition for 17-year-old Chrontel, a veteran Silicon Valley chip vendor.

Wireless Interface Technologies was founded in 2000 by three leading technologists: Dr Bang-Sup Song, Dr Thomas Cho and David Kang.

The company successfully developed advanced RF transceivers using low cost CMOS manufacturing processes.

Low-cost CMOS transceivers are critical for a variety of PC-based applications, including Bluetooth and 802.11/Wi-Fi communications.

The acquired company and its three founding scientists will now form the core of Chrontel's ongoing R and D and product development efforts in wireless interfaces.

Chrontel is one of the world's leading producers of video interface chips for the PC market, which are used to drive external digital video monitors and television displays for desktop and notebook PCs, and flat-panel displays in notebook computers.

Chrontel ICs were manufactured into millions of notebook and desktop PCs built by the top five original design manufacturers last year, and Chrontel ICs drive video displays for the top six global PC brands.

Dr Song is an IEEE Fellow.

He has held faculty positions at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and at UC San Diego, where he occupied the prestigious Charles Lee Powell Professorship Chair in Wireless Communications.

Dr Cho was a former staff engineer at Level One Communications, where he helped develop the next generation CMOS RF transceiver.

David Kang headed an IC design centre for Motorola.

Between them, these three distinguished technologists have published dozens of academic papers and have been awarded 11 patents, primarily in the area of wireless communications.

"This acquisition brings important intellectual property to Chrontel, and significantly augments our world class development team", said Dr David Soo, Chrontel President and CEO.

"These new capabilities will enable Chrontel to leverage our existing technologies, financial strength and extensive customer relationships to develop and market exciting new PC and consumer applications".