Fujitsu Microelectronics America, Inc., Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe, and Hopling Technologies announced today that the three companies have further enhanced their working relationships by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the mutual goal of enabling faster and smoother integration of the WiMAX baseband system-on-chip (SoC) into a Linux-based wireless equipment environment.
Under the terms of the new agreement, Hopling Technologies and Fujitsu will utilize Hopling Technologies’ Linux software expertise and Fujitsu’s WiMAX reference design kit to create a Linux-based Hopling Board Support Package; this package will accelerate deployment of Linux-based WiMAX solutions among equipment manufacturers.
The Hopling Board Support Package is designed to streamline the WiMAX development process and reduce costs for equipment manufacturers. Because it is Linux based, the Board Support Package will make it easier for equipment manufacturers to add innovative applications to the standards-based Fujitsu solution.
Hopling Technologies will market its next-generation HopMAX product portfolio of base station systems, micro base stations and high-end subscriber stations as well as ODM products, based on Fujitsu’s baseband SoC. Hopling Technologies will support Fujitsu-selected ODM companies based on commercial agreements. Fujitsu will leverage its broad distribution channel to refer WiMAX baseband SoC customers requiring Linux to Hopling Technologies.
“Signing this MoU with Hopling Technologies represents a natural progression of our plans to grow Fujitsu’s market share in the WiMAX sector, and supports the expansion of our WiMAX SoCs into our customers’ Linux-based hardware via our reference kits,” said George Wu, Director of Marketing, Wireless Business Group at Fujitsu Microelectronics America.
Netherlands-based Hopling Technologies, a software developer and supplier of mesh network solutions, has worked with Fujitsu for two years. This expanded relationship is a natural outgrowth of the companies’ mutual successes as the worldwide rollout of WiMAX continues.
“There is natural synergy between Fujitsu and us,” commented Frank Koopman, chief executive officer at Hopling Technologies. “Fujitsu has the hardware experience and market visibility to make the WiMAX communication protocol and our joint program highly successful. For our part, the combination of this new WiMAX Linux-based Board Support Package, our HopMAX products, Fujitsu SoCs, and software tested in collaboration with Fujitsu will give us a marketing edge. The collaboration will provide excellent software and hardware for equipment manufacturers, and allow a smoother transition to Linux-based systems for all parties.”
Hopling Technologies and Fujitsu plan ongoing, comprehensive support for current and future WiMAX standards, as the WiMAX Forum(TM) and its member companies work to deliver IEEE 802.16e to serve mobile wireless broadband applications.
