Conexant Expands Low-Power Wi-Fi Portfolio with New Platform for Embedded Applications

High-performance Platform Includes Innovative Self-hosted Client Technology

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--Dec. 19, 2005--Conexant Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CNXT - News), a worldwide leader in semiconductor solutions for broadband communications and the digital home, today extended its low-power wireless networking product portfolio with the launch of a new platform based on the company's power-efficient 802.11 a/b/g chip and new self-hosted client technology. The platform is targeted at low-power and high-performance devices with embedded wireless networking functionality including cellular phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, printers, handheld point-of-sale (POS) terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and set-top boxes.

These power-sensitive consumer electronics products generally require low-power semiconductor solutions such as Conexant's in order to maximize battery life. They also need additional processing power to support Wi-Fi functionality, which results in the need for manufacturers to re-design their products with a higher performance, more expensive central processing unit (CPU). Conexant solved this issue by providing the necessary computing power using the company's unique self-hosted client technology. This allows manufacturers to easily add Wi-Fi into current products, while considerably reducing product development costs, and hastening time-to-market.

"We focused on maximizing flexibility and optimizing processing power to provide a robust and cost-effective solution that allows embedded Wi-Fi developers to meet stringent power parameters, while minimizing design-cycle times and associated costs," said Chee Kwan, vice president and general manager of Conexant's Wireless Networking business. "As a result, manufacturers can now economically add Wi-Fi functionality to mass market products. In turn, they can provide their customers with products that include the convenience of wireless networking, without a commensurate increase in price."

A key feature of Conexant's new embedded platform is the company's unique self-hosted client technology, which provides a path to zero-host loading for wireless functionality. This capability eliminates the need for manufacturers to re-engineer products with a more powerful CPU, which is a costly and time consuming effort. A fully programmable medium access controller (MAC) software architecture further maximizes design flexibility. In addition, the platform is compatible with popular host processors, operating systems and interfaces including universal serial bus (USB) 2.0, secure digital input/output (SDIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), compact flash (CF) and peripheral component interconnect (PCI).

The platform also includes support for Internet protocol endpoint termination on all interfaces. A complete security implementation at the network card enables no-host loading and a faster path for customers to incorporate wireless functionality into embedded systems.

The company's low-power Wi-Fi chip is also a part of the new embedded platform. This solution includes Conexant's PowerSave technology, which provides an intelligent power control capability, an industry-leading low power standby mode, and reduces peak and overall power consumption for extended battery life.

Conexant is a pioneer in wireless networking and offers an extensive suite of solutions including IEEE 802.11a/b/g and dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) chipsets, firmware, software, drivers and reference designs. These wireless networking solutions are used by the world's leading telecom, networking and computer companies in a wide range of products including access points/routers, client cards, desktops, notebooks, PDAs, digital cameras, MP3 players and other handheld networking appliances. They are available as standalone solutions or offered in conjunction with Conexant's DSL and cable modem semiconductor system solutions, voice over IP (VoIP) chipsets and home network processors.

About Conexant

Conexant's innovative semiconductor solutions are driving broadband communications and digital home networks worldwide. The company has leveraged its expertise and leadership position in modem technologies to enable more Internet connections than all of its competitors combined, and continues to develop highly integrated silicon solutions for broadband data and media processing networks.

Key products include client-side xDSL and cable modem solutions, home network processors, broadcast video encoders and decoders, digital set-top box components and systems solutions, and dial-up modems. Conexant's suite of networking components includes a leadership portfolio of IEEE 802.11a/b/g-compliant WLAN chipsets, software and reference designs, as well as solutions for applications based on HomePlug(TM) and HomePNA(TM). The company also offers a complete line of asymmetric and symmetric DSL central office solutions, which are used by service providers worldwide to deliver broadband data, voice, and video over copper telephone lines.

Conexant is a fabless semiconductor company that recorded more than $720 million in revenues in fiscal year 2005. The company has approximately 2,400 employees worldwide, and is headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif. To learn more, please visit us at www.conexant.com.