Open Interface and Alereon First to Demonstrate 480 Mbps Bluetooth Over WiMedia Ultra

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Open Interface and Alereon First to Demonstrate 480 Mbps Bluetooth Over WiMedia Ultrawideband; Bluetooth Runs 500 Times Faster With UWB

2006 International CESBooth #7923L
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 5, 2006--Demonstrating the next step in the on-going evolution of wireless Personal Area Networking (PAN) functionality, Alereon is hosting the industry's first public demonstration of Bluetooth+WiMedia ultrawideband (UWB) operating smoothly together under an existing Bluetooth software stack. The demonstration, held in the WiMedia TechZone at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, utilizes BLUEtusk(TM) software from Open Interface to send UWB signals using Bluetooth protocols.

Bluetooth version 2.0 devices operate at data rates that can be frustratingly slow for large files and inadequate for video streaming. Open Interface's BLUEtusk application combines the interoperability and ease of use of Bluetooth with the bandwidth of WiMedia UWB to transfer data at speeds that enable audio and video streaming.
"BLUEtusk represents a major step forward for both Bluetooth and WiMedia UWB," said Jim Lansford, chief technology officer of Alereon. "The combination of a WiMedia UWB solution from Alereon and Bluetooth software from Open Interface enables Bluetooth applications that run 500 times the speed of regular Bluetooth and use less than 2 percent of the battery energy of Bluetooth. Consumers can now share images, phone books, videos, and the other Bluetooth content at up to 480 megabits per second, enabling devices such as megapixel camera phones to download in seconds, rather than minutes."
"As Bluetooth becomes a standard feature in portable devices, it is apparent that although Bluetooth provides excellent interoperability and ease of use, the maximum data rate of 3Mbit/second is too slow for today's media centric applications," said Greg Burns, chief technology officer of Open Interface. "Combining Bluetooth and WiMedia UWB leverages Bluetooth's core strengths while providing the high data transfer rates for downloading image, MP3, and video files."
About the Demonstration
The demonstration offers an initial view of this important wireless pairing and features two laptops, each enabled with a UWB module and Bluetooth dongle. Attendees will first see a pure Bluetooth to Bluetooth demonstration with a file transfer between laptops that operates at a maximum rate of well under 3 Mbps and takes several minutes. Next, the UWB radios will use Open Interface's BLUEtusk(TM) software solution to leverage the software stack of Bluetooth while operating the Alereon WiMedia radio. Achieving up to 480 Mbps, the file transfer happens almost instantaneously with Alereon's recently announced EVB4002 radio operating under the Bluetooth software stack.
"The WiMedia UWB Common Radio platform is specifically designed to support multiple wireless applications such as TCP/IP, Certified Wireless USB, and Bluetooth, thereby giving consumers a choice," said Stephen R. Wood, president of the WiMedia Alliance. "The WiMedia TechZone demos, including Alereon's, expertly show Bluetooth and Certified Wireless USB operating on the WiMedia radio platform. Combining these successes with the recent publication of the WiMedia-based Ecma International standards clearly illustrates that we are establishing an internationally recognized UWB standard."
About Open Interface's Bluetooth Solutions
Open Interface's Bluetooth solutions ship in millions of consumer devices worldwide. BLUEmagic(R) 3.0 is a compact, modular, high-performance Bluetooth protocol stack designed specifically for the embedded systems. Initially qualified in July 2002 and qualified for Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR in March 2005, it supports the widest range of Bluetooth profiles in the industry. BLUEtusk is Open Interface's innovative technology for integrating Bluetooth with UWB and other high-speed short range wireless technologies.
About Alereon's UWB Solutions
Visit our demonstration area in the WiMedia TechZone, LVCC Central Hall Booth #7923L
Alereon provides complete solutions including silicon, development systems, hardware, software, antennas and reference designs for Certified Wireless USB and WiMedia ultrawideband systems. The AL4000 family includes the AL4100 WiMedia RF Transceiver, the AL4200 WiMedia BaseBand Processor and the AL4300 Wireless USB device Media Access Controller and BaseBand Processor (MAC/BBP).
About Alereon, Inc.
Alereon, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company providing complete solutions for Wireless USB and WiMedia ultrawideband (UWB) applications. A technology pioneer, Alereon was first to demonstrate a WiMedia PHY running at 480 Mbps in October of 2004. Alereon's products promise to replace the complex tangle of wiring used to interconnect today's consumer electronics, computer peripheral, and mobile devices with high-bandwidth, low-power, low-cost wireless links. Further information is available on the company's website: http://www.alereon.com.
About Open Interface North America
Open Interface North America is a world-leading supplier of Bluetooth software and application solutions for the automotive, consumer, and wireless markets. Open Interface North America is a privately held company based in Seattle, Washington. Further information is available on the company's website: www.oi-us.com.
BLUEtusk(TM) and the Open Interface logo are trademarks of Open Interface North America, Inc. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. (C) Open Interface North America, Inc. 2005.