Motorola will acquire Winphoria Networks, a start-up providing packet based mobile switching centers for wireless networks. Financial terms were not disclosed. Motorola said adding Winphoria’s soft-switch will address a long-standing need in its network infrastructure portfolio. Motorola’s Global Telecom Solutions Sector (GTSS) business unit entered into an OEM agreement with Winphoria in August 2002. The branded Motorola Soft-Switch (MSS) subsequently entered its first commercial trial in Asia. CDMA 1X network customer trials are currently underway in North America and Asia, with limited commercial introduction slated for June 2003.
http://www.motorola.com
http://www.winphoria.com
- The Winphoria switch is a packet-based platform using next generation hardware and software capable of more than one million Busy Hour Call Attempts (BHCA). The CDMA interface between the Motorola radio access network (RAN) and Winphoria switch is fully compliant with the IS-634 interoperability standard, commonly called the Interoperability Specification (IOS) open standard. In March 2002 the two companies announced successful completion of interoperability tests of the current IOS feature set in use by CDMA carriers globally. The platform also supports Qualcomm’s GSM1x technology, which allows GSM carriers to take advantage of the spectral efficiency and enhanced data throughput of CDMA2000, while maintaining existing GSM services and network infrastructure. The GSM1x architecture allows subscribers to utilize existing GSM SIM cards to establish calls with a CDMA2000 air interface.
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Winphoria Networks was founded in March 2000 by Murali Aravamudan and Dr. Shamim Naqvi, both of whom had previously developed SoftSwitch technology at Lucent Technologies Bell Labs. Winphoria is based in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.
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In March 2001, Winphoria announced $42 million in venture funding, bringing its total financing to more than $50 million. The round was led by Matrix Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, and Amerindo Investment Advisors.